"So, what's the deal with you and Kyler?" Sky asked.

They were hanging out in Sam's room - for the first time. They'd had history together and as it had been the last lesson of the day, Sam had suggested that she'd come and visit her. Sky, of course, had agreed. This was only her second week in West Valley High, and even if she'd been hanging out with Yasmine, Moon, and Sam every day at school, there was always that invisible line to cross - the line of being just schoolmates versus being real friends who did stuff together after school too.

Stuff like talking about boys - even if Sky still didn't like Kyler at all and was secretly wondering if she should tell that to Sam.

"Me and Kyler?" Sam blushed and worried at her lower lip with her teeth. "I don't know."

"You do know that he's constantly checking you out?" Sky asked. "Like, when he thinks you're not looking..."

"He is?"

"Uhhuh."

Sam's blush deepened. "I don't know. I mean, he's hot–"

"Obviously." Sky noted, which was true. Kyler was hot, but he also seemed like an asshole. But maybe this wasn't the best time to bring that up.

"--but I just... I guess I don't know him that well."

"Well, that's why they invented dating." Sky said. "To get to know someone. So, has he asked you out?"

"Not as such," Sam replied with a shrug. "But you know, the school dance is coming soon, so maybe we'll go there together."

Sky blinked a couple of times.

"A school dance?" she asked.

"You know, for Halloween," Sam replied. "Oh, haven't you heard?"

"The perks of starting a new school mid-semester," Sky muttered. "I don't know anything useful. I mean - a Halloween dance and I didn't know?"

"Don't worry, you'll still have time to get a great costume. I'll help you if you want. Yasmine, Moon, and I are gonna go as Laker Girls - you could join us."

"Laker Girls?" Sky arched a brow.

That sounded kind of boring, but it wasn't like she was going to say that to Sam, who'd been nothing but nice to her and had invited her into her house and introduced her to her family and all. Those were things that real friends did, and she wasn't going to ruin it.

But Halloween as a Laker Girl with Yasmine and Moon?

Suddenly Sky felt hollow inside, aching for the Halloweens of her childhood when she'd gone trick or treating with Kat, dressed as Ghostbusters or Harry Potter characters and they'd eaten so much candy they had puked all over Kat's front steps so that Kat's grandma had yelled them in Portuguese so frickin loud that the whole block had heard and a neighbor had called 911 thinking it was a real emergency.

Oh, memories.

It had all ended, though. Now Kat was gone, and she was here and there would be no more trick or treating or running away from Kat's angry grandma.

Maybe she should just accept Sam's invitation to go to the school dance as a Laker Girl and start a new Halloween tradition. It wasn't like she could get her childhood back, no matter how much she wanted to.

"I'll think about it," she said, and Sam replied with a smile.

This dance could be awesome, though. Not because of Halloween, or getting a stupid Laker Girl costume - but because that would give her a chance to actually meet people outside of school hours, even if it was a school thing.

Maybe Eli would be there too...

Come on, still thinking about him? Not smart, girl!

Perhaps not smart, but Sky couldn't deny that the best parts of these two weeks in West Valley High had been the classes of advanced chemistry, sharing a table with Demetri and Eli.

Demetri was just so much fun. That kid was blessed with a sense of sarcasm and a witty tongue - both things that reminded Sky of Kat, and thus things she greatly appreciated in a friend.

And then there was Eli–

And I'm not going to think about Eli.

NOT THINKING ABOUT ELI!

But he was so damn cute it was really hard not to think about him. His shy smile could make Sky's heart skip a beat all too easily, and that was NOT a good thing.

After what had happened with Matt—

Well, Sky had sworn not to fall in love again, not to even look at a cute guy for too long. And even if Eli was the opposite of Matt, who had been cocky and arrogant and volatile whereas Eli was shy and kind and funny - well, there just wasn't any point in playing with fire.

No guys. Not even one guy. Not even Eli, even if he is cute as Hell–

"So, is there anyone you like? You know, a guy from our school?" Sam asked as if reading Sky's mind.

Sky blushed fiercely and pushed the image of Eli's face into the furthest corner of her mind.

She could hardly admit her crush to herself. If she admitted it to anyone else - well, that just wasn't an option. She did like Eli, but she didn't like him enough to make a social harakiri.

At least not yet.

"No, not really," she said, not meeting Sam's eyes.

"You don't think Kyler is handsome?"

"Sure." Sky replied. "But you can keep him."

Sam answered with a small laugh. "We'll see about that. Maybe after the school dance..."

She kept prattling on, but Sky's mind was wandering. She was thinking about the Halloween Dance, about possible costumes - and if Eli was going. What was his costume going to be? But he was so shy - maybe he wasn't going at all... Or at least he was going to wear something that hid his face. Which was a shame, for Sky really liked his face. That scar was actually really good looking, and sometimes Sky caught herself wondering how it would feel to kiss that scarred lip, to run her tongue over it–

NOT THINKING ABOUT ELI MOSKOWITZ, FOR FUCK'S SAKE!

Sky rolled her eyes to herself. She really needed to get a fucking hobby - collecting butterflies or whatever, but something to take her mind off Eli Fucking Moskowitz.

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