Mason turns to me just before we walk into Mrs. Sanders class, our fourth hour.

"Let me handle all the talking. Mrs. S loooves me." The side of Mason's mouth curves up into a ridiculous smirk. I get the feeling he probably thinks most women love him.

"This should be good." I mumble under my breath when Mason steps into the class in front of me.

"Mrs. S! Have I told you lately you're my favorite RHS teacher?!" Mason loudly proclaims as we walk in, interrupting Mrs. Sanders at the front of the class. I trail behind him unsure where I should stand or how I should act. I'm trying to avoid making eye contact with all of my fellow classmates who are currently starring at us from their seats. Mason continues. "You look ravishing. Summer must have treated you well. Have you lost weight?"

"That's quite enough Mr. Sterling. There isn't a compliment in the world that could distract me from the fact you're late to my class. On the very first day I might add. Not really the best way to start off a new school year now is it?"

Mrs. Sanders is clearly a seasoned teacher, I don't have to know her to see that. Her salt and pepper hair and complete disregard to any of Mason's attempts at flattery give it away. If I had to guess, Mrs. Sander's has probably dealt with many of the "Mason Sterling" types over the course of her tenure. You'll need more than empty compliments or boyish charms to impress Mrs. S.

"I completely agree with you, Mrs. Sanders. But the thing is, I have a good reason for being a tiny bit late today." Mason turns and starts gesturing for me to stand beside him. "I'd like to introduce you to Lila Daniels. It's her first day at our school today. Lila was lost on her way to your class when I found her wandering the halls. So, being the true gentleman that I am..." Mason drags out that part for dramatic effect. "... of course I had to stop and help her. That's why we're late." Mason's clasping his hands at his chest, as if he's swooning himself?

Geesh, this guy is unreal. Does he actually think this will work?

Mrs. Saunders has a stern, contemplative look on her face. She seems uncertain if Mason is telling the truth about us. Mason nudges my shoulder as if to say it's my turn to speak up. I'm not really sure what else to say. I certainly don't want to elaborate on the humiliating experience that actually took place down the hall a few minutes ago that made us late to her class. I quickly decide that playing the roll of damsel in distress in Mason's story is better than trying to explain how I accidentally bulldozed Tyler Johnson because I was trying to do a good deed.

"Yeah, it's true" I begin. "I got lost down one of the science halls when Mason found me. He offered to walk with me since we were headed to the same place. I apologize for being tardy, it wasn't Mason's fault. I promise it won't happen again." I say sincerely.

"I see...." Mrs. Sanders looks at Mason and I. "Welcome to Romeo, Lila. We're happy to have you. Now if you two could please find a seat I'd like to get back to my syllabus."

"See, I told you I had this covered." Mason whispers to me.

There are a couple open desks near the back of the classroom. Mason grabs the last seat in the row we are walking down. I take the one right in front of him. There is a red headed girl in our row who is seated in front of me. She cocks an eyebrow at me like it's a complete inconvenience to pass papers over her shoulder for Mason and I. Pretty sure she rolled her eyes after looking me up and down too. Was she just sizing me up? What the heck was that for?! The snotty girl is completely gorgeous. She's got the kind of red hair people pay hundreds of dollars for in the salon, pale milky skin which makes her look ethereal and deep green eyes like a rare emerald. I try my best to ignore the slight pit in my stomach she gave me and instead focus on what Mrs. Sanders is lecturing. I don't need another reason for my new teacher to think badly about me.

I start taking notes on the semester's expectations. I'm finally feeling like a normal student again after all the commotion at the start of class. Funny how something as simple as note taking can be comforting to me. I've always managed to get good grades in school but it hasn't been without a lot of hard work. Being the youngest of four and watching all of my brother's excel in different areas of school and sports always made me want to do the same. You can call it self discipline, drive or whatever you want but what I think it actually boils down to is how competitive I am. I never wanted to live in my older brothers' shadows but being the youngest and only girl in our family it tended to happen a lot growing up. School was one area I could buckle down and make my own successes in. The classroom became a place I could stand out and know it was because of my own merit and hard work that I got there, not because of my brother's paving the way for me.

Speaking of my brothers, I really miss those three idiots. This is the first time in my life where I don't have at least one of them with me at school. Tuck is only two years older than me so we've shared a school for most of our lives. This year is his first year away at trade school and I miss him a lot. Of my three brother's, he is probably the most overprotective. I think it's partly because we are so close in age but the other part is because when Charlie and Lucas left for college, Tuck felt he needed to overcompensate or something. Lucky for Tucker, his giant stature made it easy for him to intimidate any guy away from me at school. One time in my freshman year when Tuck was a junior, he threatened a sweet guy in my biology class to the point of tears all because he walked with me to the lunchroom. That kid never tried to do that again, no guys did in fact. Tuck always said he was just looking out for me and none of the guys at our old school were worth my time. Which maybe he was right, but I would have at least liked some say in the matter.

The door to Mrs. Sanders classroom opens and out walks all my previous feelings of normalcy I had settled into at my desk. My stomach drops into my butt. My heart rate picks up and beats like a bass drum in my chest. My hands go immediately clammy and I feel a light blush forming in my neck and rising.

Walking into class is Tyler.

The Tyler.

The one I practically put into a coma and then drooled all over with heart eyes like an airhead, boy-crazed girl not even twenty minutes ago, Tyler.

Why?!

Why me?!

Why does the single most embarrassing moment of my life have to happen today of all the days? And why do I have to share a class with the person I so badly want to never see again?! Scratch that, I definitely want to see him again because, well, look at him! He is so dreamy it should be illegal for someone to look so good. Maybe he won't notice I'm here....

I start sinking as low as I can in my seat. If it was socially acceptable to crawl under my desk I would. I curve my right hand like a visor to try and shield as much of my face as humanly possible and turn my shoulders away from the door.

"Mr. Johnson, so nice of you to join us." Mrs. Sanders announces sarcastically, annoyed with another interruption to her class.

Tyler is standing up front looking apologetic but still completely suave at the same time. His hands are stuffed in his dark wash jean pockets, notebooks stowed under his arm which makes his bicep flex under his black v-neck shirt.

"Sorry I'm late.... Mrs. Fox wrote me a slip." Tyler hands her the note from his pocket.

Mrs. Sanders accepts it and gestures for Tyler to find a seat without a word. He scans the room as does everyone else. Advanced English is only for juniors and seniors so I'm sure everyone knows each other in class, besides me of course. All the girls sit up a little taller and jostle with their hair, shy smiles on their lips, hoping Tyler will pick a seat near them. The other dudes in the class follow bro code and give the traditional sign of their people, the affirming head nod if Tyler looks at them.

I peek over the side of my hand still trying to make myself as small as possible.

BAD. MOVE.

Tyler's eyes lock with mine and he does another one of those adorable side smirks which makes his dimples pop out like when we first met. Next thing I know he is walking down the row one over from Mason and mine. He stops at the empty desk directly to my left. Mason and Tyler smack hands and I think I just swallowed my tongue.

You've got to be kidding me. Is he trying to torture me on purpose?!

"Hey Bruiser, fancy meeting you here." Tyler leans over, whispering to me while he gets adjusted in his seat.

Did he just call me "Bruiser?!" Great. Exactly the nickname every girl dreams of getting from a guy like Tyler.

I don't say anything back to him, I can only manage a faint smile before quickly turning back to the front of the classroom and Mrs. Sanders lecture. Five minutes or more must go by before I even blink an eye. I wouldn't dream of looking to my left if my life depended upon it. The amount of embarrassment I've got bottled up inside is lethal.

Pull yourself together Lila. Take a deep breath. In.....Out.....That's it. Nice and steady. Everything is going to be fine.

Some minutes later after I've steadied my breathing I barely peek to my left to catch another glimpse of Tyler.

Yep, it's still him. Still the incredibly cute guy I pummeled sitting three feet from me. As if he were going to evaporate into thin air if I didn't check to see.

I notice the three small butterfly strips on the cut over his right eye. Around his eye looks a little more swollen now with the start of a bruise forming.

I can't believe I cut him! I hope it doesn't leave a permanent scar. That is not the way I want Tyler to remember me for the rest of his life. Who am I kidding? Why would someone like Tyler spend any time permanently remembering a girl like me? We've only just met, if you can call me tackling him in the hallway as "meeting." He probably already forgot my name and this is just some funny story he can tell all his friends about before forgetting me entirely.

Class is passing by agonizingly slow. I'm nervously watching the hands on the wall clock tick in circles while I count down the seconds until lunch. Just then a folded paper airplane lands on my desk. Tyler softly clears his throat. I look at the paper and then Tyler who is urging me to open it with just his eyes. Inside is a note:

😉

I fold up the note, slip it into my folder and give Tyler a little smile to thank him for the gesture. It's official. I've been friend-zoned. Tyler sees me as another one of the dudes, and why wouldn't he? I've definitely been apart of more living room wrestling matches than the average girl growing up with all of my brothers. No wonder Tyler complimented me for hitting him as hard as I did. I'm forever doomed to be this way I fear. Charlie, Lucas and Tucker don't even have to be around anymore to scare guys away from me, I've learned how to do that all on my own by osmosis it seems.

The only good news in this situation is hopefully if I'm another 'dude' then Tyler will forget all about me and this entire embarrassing day can be forgotten. I can get back to being invisible and can pretend this never happened.

Just then the bell rings. I am literally saved by the bell.

I scoop up my belongings and run out of that classroom as fast as I can. I'm the first one out the door when I'm startled by Payton's cheery face waiting for me. In my rush to leave the room I had forgotten she would be waiting for me.

"Woah, Lila...you ok? Where's the fire?"

I try to keep us walking and change the subject.

"Oh haha, yeah I'm all good. Just an intense class....Going to be a lot of reading...I'll be fine, lets go..."

Then I hear the unmistakable voice of the boy I am trying to avoid.

"Hey Pay! Wait up!"

Payton stops and turns around as Tyler and Mason are jogging up to us.

"Hey big bro...."

Um excuse me what?! Big bro?? Tyler is Payton's older brother?! What was his nickname again...TJ....Tyler Johnson. How did I not put this together sooner? Of course HE has to be Payton's brother. Why wouldn't that happen to me?The only person I have met at this school that I feel like I could genuinely be friends with is related to the guy I am humiliated to be around....

The boys catch up to us which snaps me back into reality.

"Woah! What happened to your eye?! Did you get into a fight? What the heck happened to you?!" Payton reaches towards Tyler's cut but he swats her away.

Here it comes. He's going to tell Payton I tackled him in the hallway like some crazed super fan. I'm sure this isn't the first time a girl has tried to jump him.

Mason starts laughing and Tyler jabs him in the stomach so he stops.

"...It's nothing. I just wasn't paying attention and caught the corner of a locker with my face. It looks worse than it is."

"Seriously?!" Payton busts out laughing.

"Yeah yeah, whatever."

Tyler grabs Payton who is still laughing uncontrollably and puts her into a headlock. Something Charlie would definitely have done to me in a situation like this. While Payton is still distracted I catch Tyler's eye and mouth a 'Thank You' to him for choosing not to further embarrass me by telling Payton what really happened.

"TJ let go of me! You're acting ridiculous in front of my new friend." Tyler releases his sister from his hold. "Thank you." Payton huffs. "Anyways, TJ, Mason, this is Lila. She's new to our school and is going to join my cheer team!" Payton smiles at me with a big cheesy grin to see if I notice how she has already decided I'll be joining the team.

"Oh we've met....." Mason starts to tell Payton but Tyler cuts him off again with another nudge to the ribs.

"I mean....uh, we have Mrs. Sanders together for fourth period. But Lila, you didn't mention that you were a cheerleader. It's the best way to catch all the action on the field from up close and personal. Tyler and I are gonna dominate this season!" Mason humble brags while high-fiving Tyler.

"I'm not a cheerleader, gymnast actually. Or at least I was before coming here. Payton meant to say I might be joining her cheer team. I'm not decided yet" I tell the boys.

"Right, that's what I meant." Payton winks with a smile. "Alright boys, it's been fun but I have more people to introduce Lila to so we'll catch you later."

"Alright later." Tyler says with a smile I try not to notice.

With that the two of us are off. Payton links her arm with mine and starts leading us towards the cafeteria. She's going on about something funny that happened in her last class but I'm only partly listening. My mind can't figure out why Tyler chose to cover for me in front of Payton. It seemed like he was trying to save me from more embarrassment but I'm not totally sure why he would make himself look worse to protect my feelings. I wasn't expecting that.