I woke up to the obnoxious snoring of Angelino.

I groaned in the darkness, mentally cursing Angelino for waking me up...what time was it?

I decided to head to the kitchen for some water and while there, I could check the time. I slowly lifted my head from...who was it? Oh yeah, Zach's lap, who was sleeping peacefully, and proceeded to get up.

Unfortunately, I'd forgotten that my feet were resting on someone's lap, so the sudden movement of my legs had caused them to tangle in his thighs, making me jerk to the right.

Which meant I stumbled out of the couch, and onto...someone's body. My hands landed on top of a hard chest, palms facing forward, causing the person to let out a breathless "oomph."

The person's large hands wrapped around my waist, and easily lifted me off of him. I was gently placed on the floor next to him.

"Princess, is that you?" A hoarse and sleepy voice whispered in my ear, sending sparks through my body. The person was no doubt Ace. No one else called me that stupid nickname. It may be stupid, but you enjoy being called that, my conscience argued.

It was true, though I'd never say it to him. His ego was probably on the edge of exploding, there was no need for me to expand it further.

I pushed myself up using my hands, and slowly got up, ignoring Ace's question. I mean, what was I going to tell him? Yeah, Ace, it's me, your Princess. No thanks, I'll pass.

Besides, if it was someone in the room that had landed on top of him, I'm pretty sure he would've been suffocated by their weight. I'm pretty sure I'm not that heavy, and definitely not heavier than the boys. So of course, he probably already knew that it was me.

I cautiously stepped forward in the darkness, and relaxed a little as no monster came out from the darkness. I took one more step forward, and felt something touch my toes.

Before I could step backward, a hand grabbed my ankle, and pulled it so hard that my legs flew out of the ground, making me scream in terror and sending me sprawling on my back. My breath was completely knocked out of me.

The lights flicked on after a few seconds, displaying the scene in front of me.

Angelino and Zach were both sitting upright on the couch, their eyes looking bloodshot. Jayden was lying next to me, holding on to my ankle, and Ace was crouching next to me, his hand frozen in mid-air, looking like a statue.

I slowly got up into a sitting position.

"What is going on here?" A female voice rang in the room. Jayden let go of my ankle and we all looked up, only to find a slightly grumpy-looking Sarah standing on the top step with her hands on her hips.

My mouth dropped open. When did she come home? Did she see us sleeping like pigs in the living room?

"Ellie, are you alright?" Her look changed into one of concern. I've been getting that look a lot, lately. I nodded, assuring her I was fine. She came down the rest of the steps. "I thought I heard you scream."

I was abashed. How do I always manage to get myself into some sort of embarrassing moment?

"I'm so, so sorry, Ellie, I didn't mean to trip you like that. You just startled me, and it was really dark, so I couldn't see anything. I'm sorry," Jayden looked so guilty, I almost felt sorry for him.

I heaved a sigh. "It's okay Jayden, don't fret over it."

The others all stayed silent, but out of the corner of my eyes, I saw Ace shoot a glare in Jayden's direction.

Sarah shook her head and muttered "Boys" under her breath. Now that the lights were on, I noticed that the clock read 12:02 a.m. My eyes widened, and I scrambled into a standing position.

"I-I have to get home! Mom said she would be back by mid-night-"

"Clarissa (Ellie's Mom) and I came home together from the hospital. As soon as I saw you here, I let her know you were here, and she was okay with it. She gave me the keys and told me to give them to you, so you could use it in the morning before heading out for school," Sarah said tiredly.

I nodded silently, feeling guilty for waking her up. She looked really tired, and had dark circles under her eyes.

"We'll get going now, we were going to leave early anyway. I guess we fell asleep," Zach announced, grinning at Sarah sheepishly.

She smiled back, shaking her head. "Are you sure you don't want to just stay over? You know you boys can stay anytime."

"No no, it's fine. We need to go back," Zach replied.

The others nodded, and all three of them headed for the door when Sarah nodded.

When they were all gone, Sarah told us she'd be in her room, and to make myself comfortable.

"Oh, and Ace, show her to the guest room, and you go to sleep as well. You have school in the morning," she added and left.

I suddenly felt extremely sleepy. I wasn't used to being awake at this time. I usually went to bed at about 9:00 or 9:30 p.m. I frowned at Ace, waiting for him to show me to the room.

He stared at me for a moment, and I had a feeling that something was on his mind. I raised an eyebrow, and a smirk broke into his face. He stepped forward, bent a little, and picked me up bridal style. A surprised squeal left my mouth, and I tried to push him away.

"Let me go, you dumb jerk!" I whisper-yelled angrily.

His smirk widened. "Do you really want me to let you go?" He whispered. That bastard was clearly enjoying this. Then I realized what he said.

"Don't you dare drop me, or I swear, I'll scream so loud, that you won't even have to grow old to lose your hearing," I threatened.

He let out a small bark of laughter. The sound of his laugh was so sweet, it sent shivers deep down my spine, and I found myself smiling a little as well. I've seen him either smile, or smirk, but never genuinely laugh out loud.

He stopped laughing and stared at me, still smiling. He had a mischievous glint in his eyes, and before I could ask what was going on, he withdrew his arms from underneath me. I gasped loudly, and thrust my arms forward, clutching on his neck tightly. He didn't seem fazed.

I was about to let go of his neck, when he picked me up again, and started carrying me up the stairs. I stayed still, not wanting him to drop me on the stairs. The whole time, he had the smirk on his face. Once we were upstairs, he let go of me, and I moved away from him, keeping a safe distance between us.

He gave a half-smile, and pointed to the end of the hallway. I turned around, to see another door over there, half plunged into darkness.

"Why is it so dark over there?" I asked him quietly. The face of the demon flashed into my mind. I shuddered. Nightmares, here I come. Or you come to me.

"The light doesn't work," he responded simply.

I gulped, looking back at the door. It looked eerie from far away, and I had no intention of going there alone. I had always been afraid of the dark, and I still am. I still remember exactly what made me so afraid of the dark. It's not easy to forget anyway.

My mood instantly fell, and I fought hard not to think about it, or I knew I would burst into tears. This is not the time to think about it, Ellie.

I composed myself, and faced Ace again. "Can you walk me to the room?" I whispered to him.

He must have noticed the heaviness in my voice, but didn't say anything. I was half expecting him to make fun of me for being afraid of the dark, but he did nothing of the sort. Instead, he simply walked past me, and I tagged along.

He entered the room, flicked the light switch on, and waited patiently for me to get into bed. I did, and when I turned around to look at Ace, he gave me a warm smile, leaving me breathless.

What is he doing to me?

I forced a smile back at him, and he left my room without another word.

As soon as he left, I lay my head down on the pillow and let the tears fall freely until I was finally asleep.

**********

Sunlight streamed through the window and on my eyelids, making me flinch slightly. I forced my eyelids open, momentarily blinded by the bright light. I rolled onto my side, my back now facing the sun, and grabbed my phone to check the time. It was only seven o'clock.

I sighed. I hadn't been able to sleep well last night, fidgeting in the covers all night long. I probably had dark circles around my eyes. Sure enough, when I got up to use the bathroom, and had a glimpse of myself in the mirror, I saw that my assumption was right.

I left the guest room and made my way into the living room. Hearing weird noises in the kitchen, I poked my head in, only to find Sarah stirring something that looked like batter into a bowl.

She looked up at me as I allowed myself in, and gave a warm smile. I returned the smile. Suddenly, she frowned, looking at my face.

"Had trouble sleeping?"

"Is it that obvious?" I asked, touching the area under my eyes.

She nodded, a slightly worried expression on her face. "Was it something my son did? I know he can be a pain in the butt, but he really is a nice guy-"

I chuckled. "No, no, Sarah, Ace didn't do anything. In fact, I thought he was rather nice last night. I'm just used to sleeping on my bed, that's all," I lied. I was never a good liar, and I could see that Sarah saw through my lie, but she let it go.

"I should leave now, I have to get ready for school as well," I excused myself, getting ready to leave.

"Honey, at least eat some breakfast, you still have time left," she tried to convince me to stay, but I really wanted to leave. It's not that I didn't want to be here, because believe me, I really loved it here.

But I had all my clothes neatly placed in my closet, and I had to search through my outfit for today. It would take me at least five-ten minutes to get it out and put all of the clothes back neatly.

I smiled at her "No Sarah, it's fine. Besides, Mom probably has something cooked for me to eat anyway."

She sighed, knowing that I won't listen.

She glanced at my face, and her eyes softened as she stared at me intently for a moment. Her look was making me uncomfortable. She had this faraway look as she continued gazing at me. Finally, she broke the awkward silence.

"You've grown up so much, Ellie," she smiled softly, her eyes filled with love as she said it.

She had known me since I was born. No, scratch that. She was there when I was born. My mom and her were so close, it was like they were sisters. She used to take care of me when I was a baby, when Mom had extra shifts and she didn't.

A thought suddenly occurred to me. Where was Ace when she used to take care of me? Wouldn't he...I smacked myself mentally. I was a baby, how would I remember if I ever saw him or not? Plus, my memory is...horrible. So, I wouldn't really be surprised if I'd met Ace before.

I chuckled awkwardly. Sarah was like my second mother, and I knew she really loved me as much as she loved her own son. Undoubtedly, she loved Ace more, but still. It was probably the same with Mom and Ace.

"Yeah, everyone grows up fast, don't they? One minute, you're a baby, and the next, you're almost an adult. Time flies by real fast," I said, smiling at her. She walked towards me, and pulled me into an embrace. I hugged her back, feeling a bit awkward but smiling slightly at how sweet she was.

"By the way, umm...if you don't mind me asking...where was Ace all the time? I mean, how come I never saw him? I mean, my memory is horrible and all that, but I must have seen him at least once, right?" I asked Sarah, my curiosity getting the better of me.

Sarah broke the hug, and looked at me with a sad expression on her face. "I used to visit him at his father's house almost everyday before he came here. Oh, he used to live with his father, something about him wanting to take custody of Ace," she added at my confused expression.

"Oh. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to intrude...I just...." I trailed off, not knowing what to say.

Sarah, on the other hand, pulled me into another embrace. "You're like a daughter to me. I don't mind when you ask anything like that, you won't be intruding. You can ask me anything you want," she replied. Awww! She was too sweet!

Someone cleared their throat. "Um...if you guys are done with your emotional outburst, can I please have some breakfast now?" The slightly hoarse voice echoed in the kitchen.

I pulled out of the embrace, and turned to look at a sleepy Ace, leaning on the doorway, his clothes ruffled. His brown hair was very messy, and my hands itched to touch it. I turned to Sarah.

"I'll get going now, Sarah," I grinned and headed for the door.

"Ellie, wait!" I stopped and faced her again. "Ace will be waiting outside for you. He'll drive you to school. Won't you Ace?" She gave a look to Ace which clearly said 'you don't have a choice.'

"But-"

"No buts from either one of you. It's settled. Now shoo!" She waved me away, and I walked out, sticking my tongue out at Ace on the way. He tried to poke me but I dodged and ran to the door.

I hurried to my house, and let myself in after I unlocked the door.

Mom, Jason, and Ulises were seated at the kitchen table, eating eggs and bacon. Yum.

Ulises stood up as soon as I stepped into the kitchen. He came up to me, and lifted me up in a tight hug. He was extremely tall, about 6'4, almost a foot taller than me.

He was in a way, handsome, considering the looks he always gets from the girls when we go out sometimes. He had a muscular body, and to me, he was my big, strong and sweet brother. His eyes are the same blue color as mine, but lighter. We both got our eye color from Dad, while Jason had Mom's hazel eyes.

"Ulises! let me down!" I squealed like a little kid, while Mom and Jason chuckled.

"I missed you, munchkin!" He whined, acting like a little kid to annoy me.

"You saw me yesterday morning, bro," I rolled my eyes. He chuckled and sat back down to finish his breakfast.

"Ellie, did you sleep well? You look like you're going to pass out any moment now," Jason said suddenly, looking at my eyes.

"I'm just so used to my soft, warm bed, that I had a little trouble sleeping last night," I used the same lie again. Somehow, I managed to say it smoothly, so it didn't seem as if I was lying.

It was probably because I was so tired, I could barely stay in one position without my eyelids drooping slightly.

"By the way, Sarah's making her son drop me off to school today so you don't have to, Jason," I added, and quickly left before he could complain.

I got to my room, picked out my clothes, and took a quick shower to refresh myself. I was about to start drying my hair, when a short 'beep' sounded outside my house.

Shortly after that, Ulises came up and told me that Ace was waiting outside for me. I was a bit surprised that he knew Ace, but didn't comment on it. He was older than me, so he probably knew about the whole 'custody' thing with Ace's father.

I checked the time and it was already 8:20. "Crap," I muttered, and quickened my pace. Grabbing a hair tie, I picked my back pack, slinging it over my shoulders, and ran down the stairs, skipping the delicious breakfast that was waiting for me. I had only ten minutes left until the late bell rang.

I jumped down the concrete steps, and practically ran to Ace's...Motorcycle.

I halted in my tracks, looking at the torture device in horror. There was no way I was going to ride that. I used to love Motorcycles...before I fell out of one when I was riding with Ulises.

He'd lost control of his bike, plunging straight into a public water fountain. Luckily, it was water I'd landed into, assuring I had no injuries, but unfortunately, I didn't know how to swim, so I'd almost drowned that day. One reason why I was terrified of water as well.

That was the only time I had seen Mom so pissed off, that she'd screamed at Ulises for 10 minutes straight and had grounded him.

"Are you gonna just stand there, or get on? We have about," He checked his wristwatch, "nine minutes left," he finished.

I shook my head. "I'm not getting on that. I thought you had a car, and that's the only reason I agreed to come with you," I replied, folding my arms across my chest.

He looked annoyed, as he said, "Look Princess, you either get on by yourself, or I'll have to drag you here, which I assure you, I can. You're not heavy."

I knew him well, and I also knew he wasn't kidding. I let out a frustrated sigh, knowing I didn't have any choice.

"Please, God, don't let me die today. I'll go to church every Saturday as well, just let me live," I mumbled under my breath as I stepped on the small rectangle-shaped metal thing with little bars in the middle. My foot slipped a little, and I jerked forward.

To brace myself, I clutched Ace's shoulders tightly. I felt his muscles stiffen, and then relax under my touch. My heart was thumping loudly in my chest, as I swung my leg around the Bike, plopping down on the soft leather.

The engine roared to life, and I inched closer to Ace, my chest pressed against his back rather tightly. Suddenly, Ace reached backward, and grabbed my hands, removing them from his shoulders, only to place them on his stomach.

Correction: on his abs. Butterflies churned in my stomach, and my whole body warmed up as I wrapped my arms around his abs tighter, feeling the hard bumps against my fingers.

"Hey, calm down, your heart is literally hammering on my back," he exclaimed, his voice filled with mirth. He was enjoying this way too much. Jerk.

Slightly embarrassed, but mostly afraid of the death machine beneath me, I shut my eyes closed, and scooted as close to Ace as I could get.

The bike lurched forward, and I tightened my grip around his waist even more, if it was even possible. I rested my head on his shoulder unconsciously, my hair whipping backwards in the wind caused by the bike's movement. I still had my hair tie on my wrist, dangling like a bracelet.

"Let me breath a little, Princess," Ace's voice sounded distant because of the ferocious wind. I grunted in response, causing him to throw back his head and let out a hearty laugh.

I felt like I literally had huge butterflies in my stomach, fluttering around everywhere in a frenzy. His laugh was like an Angel's; sweet, genuine, and full of happiness. And beautiful.

I don't know how long we took, but we were in the School's parking lot already, him already removing his helmet. My hands felt numb from holding him too tightly, and I couldn't quite remove them from around his stomach.

He chuckled, and placed his hands on mine, and removed them gently. He gracefully swung his leg on the ground, and looked at me for a moment. Then his smirk was back as he lifted me by my waist, and helped me down.

A squeal left my mouth, and I slapped a hand over my mouth, feeling embarrassed. Ace clutched his stomach, laughing his ass off, while I stared at him, a small smile playing on my lips. He looked so cute, and for a moment, I felt my heart surge at the thought that I was the reason he was laughing so heartily.