I have been at the bowling alley for the last one hour and it's been really exhausting but at the same time exactly what I needed. There were around ten of us and Dylan and his friends were actually quite nice, surprisingly even the girls were really nice to me. I had my suspicions that it had something to do with Claire giving me her seal of approval but it was nice to be surrounded by a lot of people just talking and laughing about random stuff, it sort of helped with numbing the pain that was in me.

Right now I was seated at a snack bar which was across from the bowling alley with Dylan having a milkshake while the rest of the guys continued playing. We had played a few games and I had fallen a few times so it was all fun.

Dylan had come home to pick me up much to my mum's delight and she was very welcoming to him. Dylan was a natural and said all the right things while he waited for me to come to the door. As I left I looked at mum and I could tell that she really approved of him. She gave me a smile which told me that she was super happy with my choice. Not that she ever cared about my choices, like if I had a choice I would have just really liked to throw on a basic Tee and jeans, but mum made sure I wore tight black leggings with a sequined navy blue top and a leather jacket. She made sure my makeup was on point and my hair was curled. It seemed to have worked because Dylan looked very smitten by me when I got to the door.

Dylan was a sweet boy and the whole way down we talked about what we wanted to do with our lives and our hobbies. If only I could stop thinking about a certain brown-eyed bad boy. But no matter how hard I tried I couldn't get his face out of my mind. Life was so unfair, I had the perfect nice boy sitting right across from me right now, and I couldn't help but wish it was a tattooed annoying, crass boy who had managed to consume my thoughts since my first day at school.

"So'' Dylan scratches his head. "I was meaning to ask you if I could take you out to dinner next week?" he smiles a dazzling smile almost momentarily blinding me

I slurp on the last of my chocolate milkshake "Umm not this weekend, mum's got some guests over so I am stuck at home" I lie, I knew where this was leading and I wasn't sure if this is what I wanted right now, it didn't feel right leading him on especially when I was thinking about another guy.

Dylan's smile drops a little and he tries again "what about next weekend, my parents are throwing a dinner party, Ill invite your parents as well and you can come with me''

I look at him biting my lip, my mum would leave me in peace for one weekend, but if there wasn't any news of Dylan for more than a week, I was pretty sure she would burn the house down with me locked in it. Plus it didn't sound like a date, I was just accompanying him to a family thing where other people were there right. I nod my head and smile as his face lights up "Alright it's a date'' he winks and stands up and walks over to his friends. My mouth drops open and I tangle my fingers in my hair tugging at it as I mutter" It's not a date...aaaargh''.

I push the milkshake glass away from me and walk up to Claire and her friends who were standing a little far away watching Dylan and them play. "Hey, babes'' Claire smiles fakely as I reach near her. " Hey, Claire'' I don't even bother with my fake smile. I was tired. She bites her lower lip while her two girlfriends stand behind her almost as if they were waiting on a cue from her on what to do next.

"You and Dylan huh, you guys look good together, I approve" she smiles at me. I wanna roll my eyes and punch her in her face for acting like she was the queen and everyone needed her approval to do things around here. But I remember my oath to stay out of trouble so I smile tightly at her " Thanks Claire''. I turn around to find Dylan so we can leave, it was getting late and I just wanted to go home and mope some more.

As I turn around I hear Claire's voice behind me all snarky "By the way Ryder is off-limits, just so you know he's mine" I stop, my body tensing and I close my eyes waiting for her to complete " I saw you and him yesterday at the party" I turn around with a blank face "What do you mean Claire"

She tilts her head and looks at me "I mean that you should be happy with Dylan. He's just your type, you know plus your too vanilla to handle Ryder, me and Ryder we have a wild history if you know what I mean" she giggled and her minions also joined her in giggling She looks at her manicured nails and continues "Also we were about to have sex when you got into trouble and he had to come to help you... Actually, I told him to come to help you, you know so you owe me. I gave up on some great sex with him last night, he's really amazing "

My heart was breaking into a hundred pieces but I didn't show it on my face. For once I was glad that my mum taught me to be fake. I gave her the brightest fake smile in the whole world " Yea, you don't have anything to worry about, Claire, Ryder's not even my type'' I lie and turn and walk towards Dylan my face a mask of indifference while on the inside my composure was cracking.

When I get to Dylan he turns around and throws his arm around me in a friendly gesture" You ok, you look a little pale to me, did something happen?" I just snuggle into Dylan's side, I know it's wrong but he was the only thing that was keeping me from falling to the ground screaming and crying right now. Dylan seems surprised but he draws me closer into a hug. "You ok?" he whispers again resting his chin on top of my head "Yea" I nod my head and look up at him smiling.

I make an excuse of not feeling well with a headache and Dylan immediately insists on dropping me home although I told him I'll get a cab home. He quickly says bye to his friends and he walks me to his car.

On the way back I make polite conversation with him but my mind was full of what Claire had just told me, the thought that she and Ryder were about to have sex was disgusting to me, and the fact that he only came to save me because she told him to really hurt. I think about the other girl Gisele, who also told me to stay away from him. I wondered what Ryder saw in me. Just a blonde bimbo probably that he thought would be an easy lay but then he decided against it, maybe he wasn't attracted enough to me, maybe he went back to Gisele's house.

As soon as we get to my house, I jump out of the car and wait for Dylan outside my gate as he gets out of the car and makes his way to me. "Thank you Dylan I had fun " I smile at him genuinely. He closes the distance between us and gathers me into a hug "I don't know why but I feel like you need this " he releases me and looks down to smile at me. I smile back at him gratefully "Thanks Dylan it's been a rough two days" I laugh awkwardly. He looks down at me his eyes twinkling "No worries, I'll see you in school yea, call me Anna" he makes the call me hand sign, gets into his car and drives away.

I stand there waving at him and once he is gone, I turn around to open my gate when I hear a voice behind me.

"Didn't take you long enough to run into his fucking arms, makes me wonder if you're really an angel like you pretend to be or a cold-hearted bitch "

I turn around and gasp as I see Ryder right behind me rage contorting his features.

Well, fuck my life.