"Here you go." Alec says handing me a small parcel wrapped in plain white paper.

My gaze flickers to the black present on the dining table.

Black and white, Jake and Alec, how ironicaly accurate.

"Thank you." I say giving him the best smile I can muster.I'm about to unwrap it but he quickly stops me.

"Open it after we come back?" He asks and I nod setting the box on the table as far as away from the other one as possible.

This is ridiculous. I need to get over this.

"I still can't believe I agreed to do this." I mutter as he leads me out.

"I know, this is probably added to the list of the things I already owe you." He says and I stop abruptly.

"You owe me nothing." I say and he stops to look at me for a moment before saying,"I owe the fact that I'm standing here in front of you right now in one piece."

"I've been your friend since forever , Alec." I say softly,"If I hadn't looked out for you who would?"

He looks down at his shoes,"I know. But I let you go. I let you get hurt, I-"

I give him a small kiss on his cheek,"You're perfect Alec. You're kind sweet and funny and like everyone you make mistakes but what hapened in New York wasn't a mistake you made, okay?"

"If I had just not been a coward and asked you a long time ago-" He starts and I shake my head.

"You are not a coward. It's okay to be scared." I say,"Being fearless makes you stupid. Trust me."

He keeps quiet for sometime as we head towards the car. He opens the door for me like the perfect gentleman he is and I get into his car.

"You look beautiful tonight." He says smiling and I give him a smile back.

"Thank you."

I hadn't overdone it this time. I was in a black dress with my blonde hair let loose and the white converse shoes Alec had given to me during the winter ball.

"The shoes are my favourite part though" he grins as he runs he flattens his blonde hair. My mind flickers to how Jake did the exact opposite when he was nervous, instead of flattenting it he used to run his hand through his hair as if making an attempt to make it messier than it was.

Oh god, I need to stop comparing them.

And yet my gaze flickers to the speedometer in his car which showed that he was going 35 miles per hour.

Just under the speed limit.

"Clara?"

"Huh?"

He smiles,"Sorry you seemed to have drifted off."

"Yeah, sorry typical me."

He smiles again,"I know."

"How do you have it in you to smile so much?" I blurt out and then I realise what I had just said,"You know what just ignore I just-"

"Thats okay." He says, the smile never leaving his face,"You make me smile. The fact that I'm finally sitting across you and not pretending that we are just friends helps. A lot."

I laugh at that,"You had actually made conscience effort for that?"

He blushes a deep red,"Yeah trust me the stuff I was thinking trying to get my attention of you wasn't pretty."

Its my turn to blush."I never knew."

"Yeah Jeremy told me to try out for the school play, he said after looking at me with you made him feel friend zoned."

That shocked me,"Jeremy knew?"

"I'm pretty sure everyone except you knew."

My mouth fell open,"What?"

He sighs,"Yeah the both of us are pretty blonde that way."

"Pun intended?" I ask the corner of my mouth tugging into a smile.

He looks at me confused for a second and then laughs,"Nope, I just got it."

I smile as he grins showing me his dimples, teeth and all.

How many times had Jake done that?

"But seriously everyone knew?" I ask and he nods.

"I always thought you did too which is why you acted so skittish around me."

I turn around so that I face him completely,"We were such idiots."

"No, i was." He finally says,"I should have been smarter than that."

I look at him and raise my eyebrow just slightly,"Yeah you should have."

"Yeah but in the long list of me being the dick of the century that ranks number two." He says his eyes on the road.

"What's number one?" I ask.

"The fact that when i finally got the sense to tell you how I actually felt at the worst possible moment." He says,"That was probably the shittiest thing I had done, put up you in a position like that."

"Okay." I say finally,"Let's make a deal. Let's just stop apologising to each other. We both clearly have a lot to be sorry about so let's just call it even and forget it."

He visibly relaxes,"Deal."

_____________

"You came!" Rebecca more or less launched herself at me hugging me so tightly that I could barely breathe.

"Yeah I did." I say,"But if you're going to suffocate me-"

"Im sorry." She is flustered as she lets go of me, her eyes are sparkling and her face is in this impossible grin. Even Jeremy who is currently talking to Alec is smiling as he pats his back and nods in agreement.

What's with all the smiling, today? Did people always smile this much?

"So a date with Alec Evans, finally." Rebecca sighs and I roll my eyes.

"It's technically not even a date, he's just asked me to tag along." I say exasperated.

"But still-"

"Rebecca." I say impatiently,"Please don't do this again, not after last time."

Hurt flashes through her eyes and she nods,"I'm sorry I just got a bit carried away."

I instantly feel bad but that's the thing I don't want to get my hopes up. For the first time in a month I wasn't feeling like some sad mopey little girl and it was all because of Alec. I was scared that if I screwed it up with Alec in a very Claraesque way I was going to end up like that forever.

Or at least a very long time.

But honestly looking at it now I saw why Alec ran away from us. It was downright terrifying. What if one of use did something wrong? What if one of us screwed up so bad that we stopped becoming friends?

But the thing is that I already had. Screwed up and got screwed over, royally in fact but he was still there. He was still here for me and in the end that's what made me get my hopes up even more.

Sometimes it takes two chances to get it right.

"You don't need to apologise, I've heard enough from Alec to last me a lifetime." I say softer,"Plus you don't have to be sorry about anything, okay?"

She nods as Jeremy finally comes up to her and gives her a grin,"May I have this dance ma lady?"

She blushes,"Of course you can."

She grabs his hand as he leads her to the dance floor. She turns her head around and gives me a wink before disappearing completely.

Alec grabs my hand and says,"Come on."

"Me dancing that's not a good idea." I say shaking my head,"I'll probably end up falling down."

Alec grins,"Okay I'm going to tell you a little secret that strictly violates the bro code."

I raise an eyebrow,"I'm listening."

He leads me slowly to the edge of the crowded dance floor and he pointedly ignores all the looks we are getting.

"So guys totally hate dancing." He says putting his arm around my waist and I circle my arm around his shoulder.

I look at him amused,"Uhuh."

It's at that moment that I step on his foot rather ungracefully. Although he doesn't say anything I immediately push back turning red,"Told you it was a bad option."

He doesn't let me pull away though and he pulls me closer and I'm washed over by his typical scent of mint.

"Don't worry we can fix that." He says softly and he tightens his arms around my waist and lifts me up really gently so that when he sets me down I'm standing on his feet. He then moves slowly with me holding him on to him tightly.

"See? Problem solved." He says and I hug him tightly.

"I missed you." I say resting my chin on his shoulder.

"I know." He breathes,"But not nearly as much as I have."

I close my eyes taking in this moment. I was with Alec and he was with me. There was no one else in the picture.

Just him and me.

Alec and Clara.

The way it always meant to be.

The song changes into a slow tone that I recognise and I smile to myself.

"My moms favourite song." Alec says,"The one that used to blast through the house whenever she was baking."

I nod,"whenever I heard this song I used to run to your house."

"I remember." He says,"We've known each other for so long. I honestly don't remember a time before."

"I don't think there was a time before." I say agreeing,"But despite knowing each other for so long how come we were so stupid when it came to each other?"

Alec says silent gently moving with the music and it's a while before he finally speaks,"During New York I had a lot of time to think about that and it took me a while but I finally got it."

"We know the tiniest things about one another." He continues,"And we are so caught up in the details that we miss out on the very glaringly obvious ones. Some more than others."

I shake my head and laugh,"Yeah its sad that I know that I know the fact that you read Captain Underpants every time you're nervous before an exam or a game the next day."

He chuckles,"Well I know that you every time before an exam whenever you are nervous you jump on your bed with a hairbrush in your hand and start rapping to the most ridiculous songs ever. I know that till date you spend every Thursday night you watch reruns of Tom and Jerry and yell some pretty interesting profanities at Jerry every time something happens."

My eyes widen in shock and I pull back slightly so I can see Alec,"Ho-how?"

He smiles,"You're not the only one with a window Clara."

He's about to say something more but just then the Principal takes the stage,"Welcome to the annual Valentine's Day Dance. As we know as per tradition we have the varsity quarterback come up and gives the start of season speech. So students please welcome Alec Evans."

I groan loudly but let go off him even I know better than to mess with Seaview High Tradition.

"Be right back." He gives me a wink and then runs off towards the stage with everyone cheering for him.

"So you got everything you wanted huh?"

I jump at the sound of her voice.

"Hiding in the shadows and creeping up on people is really not your style, Natalie."I say. We were at the back of the crowd which had completely grouped towards the stage where Alec stood.

Natalie twirled her hair and looked at me curiously,"As far as I remember being the bitch was never your style."

"Things change people change." I say turning my attention towards Alec.

"I'd watch it if I were you. The old Clara would have never underestimated me." Natalie says as she starts walking ahead.

I raise an eyebrow,"Is that a threat?"

Natalie stops and smirks,"You used to know me once upon a time. What do you think?"

With that she disappears into the crowd.

What a colossal bitch.

"-last year we didn't have much luck." Alec continues,"But this year the State Championship is ours because our team is stronger than we've been in years and we are not giving up until we win.Go Seaview Lions!"

The entire crowd goes wild cheering and I find myself cheering with them. Alec was always a natural at this getting everyone riled up and together. Take me for an example I have like zero school spirit, quite rightly so considering the fact that I can't wait to get out of this school, but I still find myself cheering as loudly as I can with them.

Jeremy then climbs up on the stage and snatches the mic out of Alec's hand.

"Okay so vice captains never get a speech so I decided to make one up." He says and everyone laughs,"Mostly I should go on about how we totally support our captain and stuff but his year we've decided to show it."

He then looks straight ahead and says,"Hit it."

All the lights go off except one white spotlight that searches crazily all around the crowd it stops for a moment before focusing.

Right at me.

I stand there blinking frantically against the bright light trying to move but I'm stuck there in a mixture of shock and confusion. The entire crowd turns to look at me.I'm like a deer caught in headlights.

Literally.

Another spotlight comes on this time and it focuses on Alec who is grinning on stage as if he has just won the lottery and when his gold green eyes connect with mine if possible he smiles even wider.

Just then a boy who I recognise as a sophomore from the football team comes up and hands me a single orchid which I accept without thinking.

"So there are many ways that I had planned on doing this." Alec starts not taking his gaze off me,"But I decided on this one because I wanted everyone to know how i feel about you."

Another boy from the football team comes up and hands me yet another orchid.

"Clara we've known each other forever." He says,"I know what makes you laugh when I know you're about to cry. I know you're crazy adorable quirks and I've seen you give me a smile that can light up this whole town. "

And I'm handed yet another orchid but this time I don't take my eyes off Alec.

"You know all my favourite songs and I tell about you about my hopes and dreams." He continues,"You laugh at my shitty sense of humour and you know my story and you forgive all my stupid colossal mistakes."

Another orchid.

"You've always been there for me Clara Wilson." He says,"Through thick thin, good bad and I finally see it. I finally see that you're the one that understands me and you're the one that's been there for me all along."

It's Jeremy who gives me the orchid this time.

"I finally understand it Clara ." He says keeping his gaze sturdy,"And I think I know where you belong and I think you know it's with me. You belong with me."

The final orchid is given to me by Rebecca who gives me a small wink before disappearing into the crowd.

"So I know I'm late. I know I've been an absolute idiot all these years." He says,"And I know that I've probably most definitely gone over the top but Clara Wilson, will you be my girlfriend?"

The entire crowd goes wild some aweing the others screaming and telling me to say yes. But I'm frozen.

Until I start smiling.

Until I have a grin so wide on my face that it feels like my face is going to explode.

Dude if you had asked me to marry you like that I would have probably said yes, forget girlfriend.

The crowd is still going crazy and I'm about to say yes, yes, yes when as if on que a sticky wet substance falls from top drowsing me from head to toe in front of everyone.

Never ever underestimate Natalie Anderson.

__________