On Monday, there thankfully wasn't any school, so I spent all day at home, either over thinking life or watching some old movies while failing at baking something.

When Tuesday rolled around, I was woken up by my friendly alarm blasting sirens out the speakers from my phone.

Grudgingly, I twisted my body around from the inside of my blanket before landing on my stomach by the ledge of the bed.

After stretching my arm out painfully, I stopped the alarm, and checked the time quickly to see if I had enough time to fall asleep for another five minutes.

Nope.

Falling back, I looked up to the ceiling before getting out of bed slowly, rubbing my sore neck from the sleep I just experienced.

Once I left my bathroom feeling clean and fresh, I dressed into dark black leggings and a maroon sweater, feeling that I needed to wear dash of color.

Even if that color was still dark.

When I reached the bottom floor, I couldn't find my dad anywhere on the first floor, and I bit my lower lip.

Should I go check out his closet to see if I can find anything?

Before my thoughts could process pros and cons, my phone rang from my phone, and I checked it to see it was a notification from Erin.

I'm here, loser. Come out in T-minus 30 seconds before I leave you.

Sighing, I glanced at the kitchen quickly before grabbing a water bottle from the cupboard.

Once I put it in my bag, I felt my stomach grumble inside of me before I pouted.

I can't feed you right now, I'm sorry.

Right when I got outside Erin turned on her engine, and I rolled my eyes at her eagerness before locking my front door.

"You're slow," she stated once I sat on the passenger seat.

My eyes rolled back as I buckled my seat belt. "You gave me thirty seconds, Erin."

"You're still slow," she sang.

"Just drive," I whined.

Thankfully, she didn't poke me any further as she drove down the end of the street before turning the corner.

When we got to school, we exited her car as the cold wind enveloped us, and I cursed the fact that it was February.

Our winters weren't in the negatives, but just under ten degrees celsius.

We both jogged to the front entrance of the school, which we had about ten feet between us until Claire's blonde hair breezed passed us.

I thought that she would continue walking, however, she chose to stop in front of us, her brown eyes meeting mine.

"Hey," she began slowly. "Can we talk?" She asked, addressing me.

Erin narrowed her eyes, still angry about what happened a few days ago, but before she could say anything, I took a step closer.

"Sure," I nodded slowly.

Claire glanced at Erin nervously — probably noticing the hard glare she was wearing — before looking back to me. "Alone?"

I sighed and sent Erin a look, which she returned with narrowed eyes. "You want to be alone with this psychopath? Seriously?"

"Please?" I winced, and she sighed before turning to the direction of the school.

"I'll see you at lunch," she threw over her shoulder, leaving Claire and I alone.

We stood awkwardly in silence, and I rocked back on my heels before looking at the school doors. "Can we talk inside? It's pretty cold," I chuckled nervously, and she nodded.

We both walked inside with a good enough of space between us until we stopped further into the schools hallway.

"What do you want to talk about, Claire?" I asked when I noticed she wasn't planning on saying anything.

Her brows furrowed as a small pout took form on her lips. "I don't understand what happened between us."

My eyes widened. "You're kidding me right?" Claire shook her head, and I scoffed. "I know that you hid things from me, Claire."

"What do you mean, A?" She asked with her eyes slightly widened, and I remembered what Erin said about me being registered as a psychopath from the show Pretty Little Liars.

"I know that you know that I was once friends with him, Claire. You knew of our history, and when you were aware that I thought he died, you didn't tell me he wasn't," I accused, and her eyes were cast down.

"That's not true," she defended after a few seconds passed, looking back up with wide eyes.

My jaw clenched at her dishonesty, however, before I was able to confront her, my back was pressed against a hard chest, and I sucked a large intake of breath.

I didn't have to look behind me to see who it was, I just could look at Claire, who's eyes were filled with envy for a brief moment. But when she blinked, it was as though it never existed.

"Hey baby," Tyler whispered into my ear and I couldn't but smile as my stomach began to feel lighter than air.

Turning around, I looked up slightly, locking my eyes with his, and his lips began to form a smirk, ignoring Claire's presence behind me — which I could sense that it irritated her.

The bell rang after a few seconds, and Tyler looked up as he wrapped his arm around my shoulders lazily.

"Let's head to class?" He asked, and I nodded, not giving her a second glance before falling in line with Tyler up the stairs.

Once there was a good enough distance between us and Claire, Tyler's brows furrowed as he looked down.

"What was that about?" He asked, guiding his hand down from my shoulder to my waist, causing me to shiver as he kept his hold on me.

"N-nothing," I smiled, continuing to walk up the stairs to the third floor.

I knew Tyler wasn't satisfied with my answer because when he let go of me, my heart dropped in my chest, followed by a feeling of sadness swallowing me whole.

What the heck is going on with me?

➸

Over the next few days, it took me awhile to come to the conclusion what my feelings were.

I mean, it wasn't hard to pin point. It was just hard to shove my stubbornness away and admit I'm beginning to slowly fall for Tyler.

But how could I not? I left with him being one of the best people I've ever known, and I came back and he's still the same... but not really at the same time.

I know the accident caused him to feel damaged. Not just physically, but emotionally and mentally.

So while I was still trying to come up with excuses to why I couldn't possibly like Tyler more than a friend, I spent Thursday after school sitting on my living room couch beside Tyler, who was casually eating skittles from the bag.

"Can I have one?" I asked for the third time with a whine, and when he smiled at me, I grinned, knowing that he will finally listen to my plea.

However, when he gave me three green skittles and one yellow one, I looked at him with a hard glare. "What is this?" I asked, and he shrugged.

Snatching the bag out of his hand, I noticed that all the red, orange, and brown skittles were gone. The bag was now mixed with only green and yellow.

I groaned and sat back on the cushion, looking at a photo of my dad and I from three years ago. From there, I started to think of what he was hiding from me.

"When's your dad coming back home?" Tyler asked with a smile as he grabbed the skittles bag out of my hold, obviously feeling victorious.

As kids he knew I hated the green and yellow skittles so he always saved those for last so I wouldn't take his bag.

"Late, apparently. He's going to Hailey and Greg's house for dinner," I explained and Tyler's brows furrowed, not feeling familiar with those names.

My eyes rolled playfully. "Dean's parents," I said, and Tyler's furrowed brows switched to a glare real quick.

"Why didn't you go with him?" He asked slowly, glancing down at his lap, and I smiled at how small his voice sounded before responding.

"I just didn't want to go," I stated simply, and he looked back to me with a laugh leaving him.

Tyler nodded slowly before looking upstairs. "You wanna snoop?" He asked, and I bit my lip to avoid responding to quickly.

"Sure," I casually shrugged as if I wasn't dying to do it already.

We both walked upstairs, and made ourselves enter my dad's medium sized square bedroom.

His king bed was centered in front of the room with his television hanging on the wall right across.

In front of the door was a large window with dark curtains, cutting out all the light from coming into his room.

"Look it's you," Tyler laughed behind me, and I turned quickly to see that he was standing in front of a wide dresser, looking at a picture frame of me playing soccer.

I cracked a small smile as my chest began to sink at the thought of sneaking into my dad's room to find out something that isn't any of my business.

But I'm worried, which is why when I turn back to Tyler, I tightly smile. "Let's look around."

For twenty minutes, we were looking around every possible place that my dad could hide something, but in the end, we came up with nothing.

We both sat next to each other on the floor, only supporting our backs by leaning back on the front of the bed.

My fingers began to play with the carpeted floor, until my gaze shifted to a vent that was in the wall.

My brows furrowed as I remembered watching some movies that used vents to hide things inside.

Deciding to play with my theory, I stood up and glanced at the screw used before leaving the bedroom without another word.

Tyler protested but I ignored it as I moved to the tool box on the other side of the last door in the hall, grabbing a Philips screwdriver.

When I ran back to the bedroom, Tyler was standing up, looking at me with confusion.

Without bothering to explain anything to him, I ran to the vent and unscrewed all four screws.

I placed the screws slowly to the side to avoid losing it, but when I opened the vent, my eyes widened in confusion from what I saw on the other side of the vent.

"A license plate?" I furrowed my brows as I pulled it out.

Why is this hidden?

Tyler bent down beside me and lifted the plate out of my hold before inspecting it carefully.

I sighed and stood up. "That's what he's hiding?" I whispered to myself, and Tyler put it back inside once he finished analyzing it.

I watched as Tyler worked the screwdriver, tightening each corner of the vent before standing up in front of me.

He noticed my pout and chuckled lightly as he wrapped his arm around my waist, guiding me to the exit.

"Come on, let's order some food to cheer you up," he smiled and I slowly nodded.

"Burgers?" I asked, and he laughed before agreeing that he was down too.

Once we ordered from the closest burger place, we placed the screwdriver back in the toolbox before heading downstairs, sitting on the couch with a groan.

Right when I grabbed the remote for the cable, Tyler began to speak. "What are you doing tomorrow? Maybe we could try to figure out what the license plate means."

My eyes rolled as I continued to scroll through the different channels. "First, the license plate probably means nothing, and second," I glanced at Tyler warily before looking back to the television. "My date with Dean is tomorrow."

Tyler stayed silent for a short while and I glanced at him. When he noticed that I was waiting for his response, he laughed. "Just ditch him. I'm way more fun than him."

My lips tipped up before a laugh was let out.

"Sorry big shot. It's too late to cancel now," I said, looking back to the television to find a movie to watch.

He stayed silent until we got our food, and only then, did he start to talk to me once more.

➸

Tyler left only minutes before my dad came home from Hailey and Greg's house, which happened to be at midnight.

When Friday came by, I woke up by the sound of a text message notification, and when I checked my phone, it was from Tyler, who said he would be picking me up.

My alarm would have rang any minute by now, so I decided to turn them all off before heading to the bathroom.

Once I was dressed in black joggers and a fitted, dark grey long sleeve shirt, I went downstairs, seeing my dad by the table. I greeted him with a smile.

By the time I finished eating the eggs my dad made me for the morning, Tyler texted me, saying that he was parked out front.

When I was dressed in my thin jacket and running shoes, I grabbed my school bag and went outside to see Tyler parked on the side of the road while staying inside of his car.

Smiling, I walked to the passenger door before opening and throwing my bag inside. "Hey hey," I greeted, hopping inside.

Once I closed the door, I looked back to Tyler, who was wearing a small smirk. "What's up, baby?"

I shrugged. "Same old nerdy."

Tyler glared at me playfully before looking to the road ahead of him. "Don't hate on me because I'm smart."

I chuckled and looked out the window, and the rest of our ride was silent — not including the soft music playing in the background.

When we got to school, the parking lot was already filled with cars and students walking inside.

Right when we parked, I unbuckled my seat belt and went outside, waiting for Tyler as he got out of the car himself.

"Ready?" I asked with raised eyebrows, and he nodded while shutting his car door.

He locked the car and walked around so he was beside me. We started walking to school silently, and I used that time to observe my classmates.

"I can't wait for it to be spring," I shivered as we walked inside the heated school, and I released a breath when the warmth enveloped me.

"You know other places have it worse, you baby," he laughed.

My head shot to the side to glare at him. "Why do I think you're using that term negatively?"

He rolled his eyes. "I am. Some places are around negative twenty. And that's their warmest," he said. "We're only at five degrees."

"Fine, fine," I mumbled defeatedly. "You're right, I'm a baby."

Tyler laughed in victory, but before I was able to cuss him out, Dean stopped in front of us, causing us to stop as well as everyone behind us who silently cussed before moving around.

"Hey darling," he smiled at me, ignoring Tyler's presence.

"Hi," I smiled politely.

Dean suddenly pulled out his phone, giving it to me. "I forgot to get your address, just write it for me," he winked. "And your number."

My eyes rolled as I typed my information before giving his phone back.

"What are we doing tonight?" I asked, crossing my arms over my chest.

He smirked. "Why do you want to know?"

My brows furrowed at the obvious answer to that question. "Because I want to know what I should wear..."

"Just wear a dress," he shrugged, and I couldn't help but scoff.

"Not happening," I said quickly, and I didn't miss how Tyler smirked slightly.

The warning bell rang, but that didn't stop Dean from furrowing his brows with confusion. "Why not?"

"I don't wear dresses, sorry," I chuckled, and he tilted his head to the side as a familiar smirk began to grow on his lips.

"How about I'll give you some money. I think you have time to go after school to buy yourself something pretty," he said, and my brows raised.

"Still not wearing a dress," I sang lightly, and he sighed in defeat.

"Fine," he mumbled. "See you at eight," he smirked slightly before walking to the direction of his class.

When he was out of sight, I felt Tyler's warmth come closer to me under his mouth was aligned with my ear.

"I like that you only wore a dress with me," he whispered huskily before walking off to the direction of our class, while I stood still, trying to control my burning cheeks.

➸

After school, Erin came over and we hung out for a few hours before I had to get ready for my date, which I wasn't necessarily excited for.

But Erin, being the angel she is, hit me in the back of the head saying, and I quote, "if you don't wanna tap that, I'd be glad to."

Personally, I couldn't see her with him, and that's because of their different personalities.

Erin is way to dark to be surrounded by his brightness. Blond hair. Blue eyes. Way too bright for her dark soul.

When it was seven thirty, I finally decided to get ready — wearing only light jeans and a white, off the shoulder shirt.

Erin suggested to straighten my hair, but after I refused, she sat me down and straightened it herself.

Right when she finished working on my hair, she left, and I quickly put on deodorant and some perfume just before eight rolled by.

As I was scrolling through the news feed, my phone chirped from an unknown number, and I quickly pressed the contact to see what message they sent.

Hey darling, it's Dean.

Hi, what's up?

Not much. I'm here ;)

Shutting off my phone, I walked around my bed, and grabbed my purse before heading downstairs to put on my black boot wedges.

When I opened the door, Dean greeted me with a single red rose and I smiled polietly, not bothering to mention that roses weren't my favorite flower.

"Thanks," I said as I grabbed it from his hold, smelling it just for show.

When I unlocked the door, I turned back to Dean, who was looking at me with a mischivious smirk.

"Are you ready for the night of your life?"

➸