UNEDITED

"Can you please pass me the fork?"

As long as you don't poke my eyes out with it and roast it over the fireplace.

"Sure." I saw slowly passing the fork to my sister beside me hoping that no one noticed how I winced when she took it.

We were all siting together as a "family" around the table after a very long time. Sure my parents had come time to time but Michella hadn't even visited once after she had left. I mean I am not complaining but after a while you tend to miss eating with your parents and your dear loving sister.

Not.

"So Clara." My mother says from across the table,"I hear you and Jake are together and growing stronger."

Yeah sure, why not lets go with that.

I don't miss the slight glance she gives Michella who is currently stabbing her potatoes with her fork.

The potatoes are probably my face.

But the funny thing was that two years ago this was the exact same situation around the dining table back home. Except I was the one poking the potatoes while Michella ranted about Alec.

"Mom, he is the perfect boyfriend." I echo the same words Michella used to say to purposely get on my nerves,"On our one month anniversary he...."

I go on to make up some wild romantic tale about how he took me to a picnic and made me grilled sandwiches while in reality I am pretty sure we must have spent that entire day avoiding each other or fighting, celebrating the day we had decided to put on this godforsaken ruse.

But it was pissing the hell out of Michella so I was loving it.

"And then my scarf flew away and we ran and caught it and ended up falling on each other." I say.

Okay I was pretty sure that I was plagiarising some book Rebecca had made me read out of her Romance section.

Sue me I was bored.

"And the it started raining just as the sun set." I continue on with my story,"And then he kissed me-"

"You don't have scarves." Michella suddenly speaks up interrupting my perfect fantasy of a date.

"You haven't seen my closet foe two years." I say quickly,"And this was the gift Jake had given me. Oh! Did I forget that part? He gave me a satin scarf which was absolutely beautiful."

Michella doesn't back down.

"Which brand?" she asks.

Fuck. I am completely illiterate when it comes to this.

Oh come on Clara, your mom is a bloody fashion designer stop being an idiot.

Does Prada make scarves?

"Jimmy Choo-"I start but then at Michella's narrowed expression I stop.

"Shoes and a Dolce and Gabanna scarf."I say slowly.

Michella has that suspicious look on her face as I continue saying,"Oh he gave me shoes too."

Michella was about to say something else but was interrupted by my mother," Well even I have to admit that the Dolce and Gabanna scarves are absolutely gorgeous. Their winter line is really cutting into our sales. But of course our designs are the best.."

As my mother continues ranting about how she wanted to blend bright colours in the new collection.

"Clara, I hope you wore something good." My mother says briefly glancing at my father who was typing furiously on his phone with a wistful expression,"Jake is seems like a very big romantic although I would be damned because all he ever did her was go out and party."

It was at that point Michella abruptly got up from the table and left. My dad for the first time during this entire dinner looked up curiously but almost immediately turned his attention to his phone.I tried to hide a triumphant smile but failed miserably. I did feel sort of guilty that maybe Michella really likes Jake and I am being a total bitch by rubbing it in but this was payback time.

"Clara did you hear me?" My mom says snapping her fingers near my face,"I am going to take you the store tomorrow and pick out your clothes."

I almost spit out my potatoes at her comment but manage to swallow it before saying,"What?"

"You heard me." She says tucking her neat blonde hair behind her ears,"Your wardrobe is simply abysmal not to mention plain dreary. No daughter of mine will be parading ratty clothes that look like they have been borrowed from homeless men on the street."

Look this is why I was willing to jump across the two houses to get clothes. The last time I had gone shopping with my mother had resulted in me nearly trying to commit suicide by jumping in front of a bus and her almost tearing her hair out in frustration.

"I think my clothes look perfectly fine." I say defending my fashion sense.

Homeless men on the street was taking it a bit too far.

"Clara, I am sorry but you have no taste in fashion." She says is like she is delivering some life altering news to me like I have cancer or something.

Yes, my family is ridiculous.

"Okay great?" I say unsurely.

"You finally have a boyfriend now." She continues."I was starting to worry about you.

Ouch.

"Its about time you start dressing up like a woman." She says,"And-"

"Will saying yes put an end to this speech?" I ask not wanting to hear another one of my mothers famous talks that makes me feel like I am a hobo on the road.

"God I hope so." My father says and I am shocked that he has finally put down his phone and his attention is focused on me.

"Well, she needs to learn someday." My mother says clearly offended by my fathers remark.

"She will darling for now let her be." He says,"Anyway she has agreed to go with you.Right Clara?"

I am to busy staring at my father with my mouth wide open in shock.

Did my dad just help me?

"Yeah." I say my voice sounding slightly strangled.

"So how is school?" My dad asks.

"Um good?" I say slowly trying to remember the last time He had looked up from his phone long enough to say two sentences to me.

"And you are still dating Jake?" He asks looking genuinely interested.

"Yes, it was the topic of discussion for the past twenty minutes." My mother said shortly.

I try to ignore the staring match my parents have that clearly said that they were debating on something. It was my father who gave up first by simply sighing and getting up from the table.

"Well, goodnight Clara, I'll see you tomorrow for your internship."He says.

Wait what?

"What internship?" I say confused.

My father looked at me as confusion flashed between his eyes before he shook his head and rubbed his temples.

"Oh I am sorry I forgot to tell you that for the next two weeks you will be interning in the company."He says looking at me expectantly.

"Seriously?" I say blinking twice.

"Yes." My dad says giving him one of his rare smiles,"Swing by the office after your little shopping trip and I'll brief you."

"Thanks." I say grinning from side to side.

"Well, I'll have to leave it to someone someday." He mutters darkly before exiting the room.

My smiles drops at his comment and I look expectantly at my mother who clearly didn't look like it was anything ordinary for my father to say such an ominous comment.

"What was-"

"One of your fathers friends has hit a bit of a rough patch in health and your father is taking it very hard." She says interrupting me,"Just ignore it."

"Oh ok." I say still slightly troubled.

"Well, I think you better get to your room." My mom says,"You are sharing one with your sister."

"What?" I gasp.

This is bad this is very very bad. She will probably kill me in my sleep. Do my parents want me to die?

Okay don't answer that.

"Is that a problem?" She asks her eyes narrowing slightly.

Despite the fact that my sister and I blatantly hated each other my parents never noticed.

More like they haven't been around us enough to notice.

Which is why when I was about to say yes of course I simply put on a fake smile and said,"No, of course not."

Liar liar pants on fire.

So as I dragged myself across the hallway to what seemed to be Michella's room I thought of all the ways she could possibly kill me and make it look like an accident.

I think asphyxiation was the most likely. I mean sure Michella was more like the poison type but I personally think she would enjoy death by a pillow way more.

I open the door almost expecting her to be holding up a pillow ready to kill me.

It's sounded way more creepy in my head.

My sister instead had her earphones on and was typing furiously on her laptop.

"Hi." She says taking her earphones out and closing her laptop with a small sound.

"Hi." I say scanning the room.

The room is smaller than my room back home. I guess that's what you would expect in New York with its matchbox sized apartments this was a place here.

It had three bedrooms and long hallways that you could run a marathon on. It covered an entire floor of the building and and this room could probably fit in an apartment of its own but I kind of missed my old room.

With its black and white sleek-

Wait that's Jake's house I realise with a start.

"Hello Clara?" My sister calls out.

"Yeah." I say my voice faint as I sit on my bed as Michella curiously peers at me.

She unconsciously lifts her pillow up to adjust herself better and I wince.

Okay so maybe I was overreacting.

I quickly change into a pair of shorts and a T-shirt trying to make myself comfortable. I reach for the bottle of water on my dresser and take a long sip of water.

"I am sorry if it looked like I don't support your relationship with Jake." She says and I start choking on the water.

It takes five minutes for me to get over my coughing fit and I give my sister a thumbs up after she comes over to me and genuinely looking concerned.

"I know we haven't been really close but I hope we can change it." She says fiddling with her hands,"And I don't want any boy to come in between, so you can date Jake."

Yes, because I totally want your permission.

"I hope we can be the sisters we could have been." She says sincerely looking at me with grey eyes.

"uh ok." I say not sure what her end game was.

She squeals and hugs me. It's something we haven't done for a long time and I almost recoil but I force myself as she hugs me tightly.

She smiles and I am greeted with a site that would probably have most boys on their knees by now.

Alec fell for it. So did countless others.

Why didn't Jake?

I mean my sister was smart and pretty. She wasn't those girls who tried too hard either. She was a natural at being pretty. Sure she had her bitchy side but other than that my sister was the perfect girlfriend material.

"I can't wait." She says as she walks across the room towards her bed,"I am coming shopping with you tomorrow and then we have to go and try on your bridesmaid dress."

"Bridesmaid dress?" I say my voice still hoarse from my choking session earlier.

"Yes,." Michella says,"The wedding remember. The only reason you came to New York."

I don't miss the change of tone in her voice when she says only reason. It's a clear message from Michella delivered in the subtlest way possible:

This is my show and you are just a temporary guest.

I don't know if she is talking about New York or Jake but it's clear that Michella's up to something with her sisterly act.

But the thing is Michella had always been like that. She was extremely nice too me when she wanted something bit when she asked me to do something in the nicest way possible I could always detect her message that I really had no choice but to do it.

Michella was the kind of girl who people were jealous. Who I was jealous of. She was perfect really except for her mood swings. But that was the kind of Michella most people saw. The pretty sweet blonde who had an extremely hot body along with the brains.

I always saw always so the worst in her the worst in her. The cold hearted sister who I didn't want to be anything like.

Yet I did.

Growing up always had been a battle of approval for me. My parents had always made it very clear that given a choice between her and me it would always be her and after sixteen years of constantly living under her shadow I had wanted only one thing:

My sisters approval.

It was pathetic yes but somehow I had realised that if my sister even once looked at me. Really looked at me and acknowledged me for someone other than her lackey who helped her skip curfew I would finally be approved by my parents too.

And Alec.

"Okay good night." She says happily turning the light off leaving me on my bed staring off into the dark.

And right now I realised one thing. Dating Jake or fake dating Jake was something that had finally made me gain her grudging approval in some small way.

-----------------------

"I should be honoured." Jake says smiling,"After all your first dream is about me."

"I dream I just happen to not remember them." I retort back," and besides how do you know that is not real? After all you are still your cocky self."

"Well, number one you absolutely adore me being cocky and your sub conscience proves it. Do not tell me you actually dreamt about me because I will never be able to let that go." He smirks,"And number two we are back here, while you in reality are in New York City sleeping next to your dear sister."

I look at my surroundings and realise that we are siting on the docks back home looking at the beautiful lake in front of us under the twinkling stars.

"Interesting that your dream takes to the very place I kissed you." He says lying down on the dock and staring at the sky.

"I have kissed you thrice Henderson." I retort as I lay back looking at the twinkling stars that look like polka dots on the inky black canvas,"Don't flatter yourself.This place is beautiful and unforgettable "

"Exactly." He says rolling over his side and looking at me with his eyes that looked like emeralds in the moonlight, deep fathomless and infinite.

"The thing is Wilson none of the others kisses really meant anything to you. Then why was this different?"

"It's not." I sputter out.

"Try telling it your face." He says smiling.

I look at him and my resolve melts. The Jake in front of me is absolutely perfect. He is nice and kind and yes has his cocky side but the best thing is that he smiles genuinely. Unlike the real one who always puts up a veil of sarcasm that always results in a smile that doesn't not quite reach his eyes.

His beautiful emerald eyes.

"I don't know." I slowly admit.

"And don't you think you should give yourself a chance to find out?" He says giving me the same smile that makes my heart beat faster.

"Wh-what do you mean?" I stutter slightly suddenly aware of the distance between us.

Dream or not Jake had an effect on me that I don't quite get. Alec makes me feel truly happy and like I can do just about Anything with but Jake its like my heart is going to explode. From the excitement or the sheer sense of dread.

"What I mean is that isn't it about time that you give me a chance?" He says,"give the feelings you have for me a chance."

I stare at the sky trying to mull over what he just said.

"But - but I like Alec." I say my voice sounding whiny and more like a statement that I had rehearsed a hundred times.

"And no one said no." Jake says slowly touching my cheek with his rough long fingers and slowly turning my head so I am forces to look at Jake,"Alec is a constant point in your life Clara and no matter what you do who you like you try to hide behind it."

"What are you trying to say?"

My voice comes out as breathless.

"Its time you stop mixing Alec and I together." He says,"Its time you realise that there is a part of you no matter how small who likes me and you have got to stop hiding behind the fact that you like Alec too."

I stare at him for a while. His messy black hair and his hard angular jaw line. His slightly crooked nose and his tanned skin and his eyes. Eyes that his nothing from me.

"But you are not like this Jake." I whisper softly,"The real you isn't the boy who is here. The real you can't let anyone anywhere near his real emotions. The real you keeps secrets and most of all the real you would probably just walk out of here and never acknowledge the fact we had this conversation."

"Did you try?" He says.

"What?" His question throws me of balance.

"Did you try to acknowledge the fact you kissed me?" He asks.

"No but-"

"Then what makes you think that I would?" Jake,"If you don't the-"

"You apologised okay!" I burst out propping myself up on my elbows and looking at him,"He I mean you apologised for kissing me."

He props himself in his elbows and turns towards me,"Did I say I specifically apologise for kissing you? It could have been anything. I haven't had the best track record when it comes to you."

"But-"

"You jumped to conclusions." He says sighing,"You always do when it comes to me."

"That's not t-"

"Clara I am your sub conscience." He says,"Don't you think if I am saying it you know it too."

"More like you are telling me what I hope to be true." I say shaking my head.

"Aha so you hoped that the kiss meant something." He says his green eyes glowing.

"Look I like Alec, okay?" I say,"Always have always will."

"Look around Clara." He says,"there's no one but you and me. Don't you think there is a reason for that? Because this is about you and me NOT Alec."

"So what do you want me to do?" I say siting up,"what do you want me to oh my great sub conscience in the form of Jake who doesn't exist."

"Give yourself a chance with me." He says simply," And stop comparing me to Alec. Stop suppressing something-"

"Okay okay." I sigh,"I'll do it. I don't know how but I'll do it."

"Oh that's easy." Jake says a smirk forming on his lips,"All you have to do is wake up."

Before I can give him a weird look he pushes me into the lake and I wake up with a start.

"Are you all right?" My sister says already perfectly dressed in a pretty purple dress with not a hair out of place.

I groan and collapse back into the bed holding the pillow to my face.

I don't remember my dream very clearly but I know it had something to do with Jake and the lake.

Oh god I'm dreaming about him now and the thing is that I don't even have dreams.I try to remember the dream but it all mixes together creating one big colourful mess.

But something had changed. I don't know what but something had changed. I don't why or what made me do it but I grabbed my phone and dialled Jake's number.

AUTHORS NOTE:

Author: Not too happy with this chapter but its kinda a filler chapter for the rest. I hope you guys like it.

Jake: *smirking* You're dreaming about me now.

Clara: *tries to strangle herself with a pillow* This is not happening.

Jake:It us baby.

Michella:*rolling her eyes* Thats digusting.

Clara: Thats my line. Stop stealing my line.

Michella:Oh yeah stop stealing my boyfriend.

Clara: He is not your-

Author: *stepping in between.*Guys save this for the next - i mean later.