The past two days were spent at a snail's pace as Chris and I worked on our biology paper, while things with Evan were smoothing out. Breanna has another date with Luke tonight, so she's coming over to get ready while I have a movie night with Evan.

When the doorbell rings, I hum along the theme song of Phineas and Ferb. I open the door to a full on grinning Breanna who suffocates me with a hug.

"Not your boyfriend, but definitely your girlfriend." I say in a sing song voice as I hug her tightly, wrapping my arms around her and just in that embrace, we backtrack to the living room as I switch singing to theme song of Frozen.

"Oh boi, do I even want to know what is happening here?" Evan enters but I don't let go of Breanna.

"Jealous, Evan is jealous. You hear that, Breanna?" I sing.

"Oh my god, woman! You are shouting in my ear, I hear every fucking word." She tries to push me off but I shake my head, tightening my hold on her, refusing to let go.

Evan shakes his head but comes to wrap his arms around both of us and we move in circles in my living room, with Evan and I singing 'let it go' at the top of our lungs while Breanna is sandwiched between us.

"Olaf." I scream and Evan chuckles.

"Let's dethrone Elsa." Evan screams back.

"Would the three of you shut up? I can hear you across the street."

My head snaps to the front door and Chris is standing there with an annoyed look. I look back at Evan, and he grins at me before putting on a serious face.

"Abort mission, abort mission!" Breanna yells but we ignore her.

"Attack?" I look at Evan and he nods.

"Attack."

We both let go of Breanna and run towards Chris who looks confused. But he's not fast enough as both of us bump into him at the same time and he stumbles back, and falls down on the porch floor with a string of curses.

"Perhaps attack will be our always, my love!" Evan says in a fake sentimental tone and I wipe my fake tears.

"Let's die, shall we?"

"Please do." Chris says from underneath us.

Evan and I look at each other before bursting out laughing, but neither of us attempts to move, at all. "Oh my god, your bones are poking me, Claire." Chris whines and I grin, poking my finger on his cheek.

"Like this?" I ask and he grumbles, making me laugh more.

Chris uses all his strength as he pushes off the two of us and my head bumps into the porch banister. "Oh fuck." I hear Chris mutter.

"It hurts." I cry, obviously faking it. I barely bumped into it. But Chris doesn't know that.

"What? Really?" Chris scoots down on his knees as he examines my head.

"I am seeing black spots." I whisper with restrain.

"Oh hell, don't close your eyes, Claire." He says, panicked but Evan chuckles behind him. So with a frown, Chris looks at him, "Why the fuck is this funny?"

"She's shitting you, man!" Evan says and I glare at him.

"No cookie dough for you tonight, you have been a very bad child." I scowl at Evan who pouts at me.

"Then I get all the ice cream." He shoots back.

"Hah, in your dreams." I stick out my tongue at him, but then my eyes move to Chris and he's glaring at me.

"You are a big old child." He huffs, standing up and offering me his hand which I take.

"Contradictory statement, you ass!"

He scowls at me, "You are an ass!" He shoots back and I smirk.

"You love my ass, and don't even try denying it, I have seen you check me out more than once now." I say with a triumphant grin and he squint his eyes, giving me his narrowed eye look.

"I don't like you, you are very annoying." He huffs.

"On the contrary Jay, you like me too much." I wink at him.

"I liked it when you were scared of me and ran down the hallway after bumping into me." He says.

"That was Breanna's fault!" I scream at his face and then turn to an annoyed Evan, "Speaking of which, where is she?"

"Must be doing her make up." He shrugs.

My eyes widen, "Ooooh! Evan, can I do your make up tonight?" I ask and he glares at me.

"Absolutely not!" He says, raising his index finger at me.

I pout, "Rude."

Chris walks down the porch and I frown at him, "Where are you going?" I ask.

"Got a better ass to tap." He smirks.

"You are not a bad boy, Jay, stop pretending. It only makes you look like an idiot." I say.

He smirks even wider, "Do you want me to TP your house tonight to prove a point."

I gasp, "You wouldn't!"

"Yes, yes I would." He nods more persistently.

"You both need to stop shitting each other." Evan says from behind me and then keep his arm on my shoulder, "Bye Chris!" He waves at him and drags me inside, closing the door behind him.

"Okay now that he's gone, can I seriously do your make up?" I ask, getting in return a flick on my forehead from him. "Ow bitch, watch it!"

"You are not doing my make up. And by the way, if Breanna has to get ready herself, why didn't she do it at her place?" He asks, moving us to the couch and we both settle down, switching on the television.

"Because it's a school night, and her step mother would have said shit about going on a date on school night." I shrug, "And she's trying to keep things smooth at home."

He nods, "I haven't talked to Breanna in a while now, I miss that girl."

"Yes, because you both are busy making out with your partners." I grimace, "If I ever date, I am never going to indulge in as much PDA as you guys do in a relationship." I tell him.

He frowns, "An, being affectionate with your partner isn't a crime."

"It is when you are sucking faces in front of your best friend." I argue.

He shrugs, "You can always look away."

"Trust me, I'd rather walk away, which by the way, in case you haven't noticed, I really do." I pause and then continue, "Oh wait, how will you notice? You are busy smooching off your girlfriend." I pinch his side and he yelps.

I grin at him and he shakes his head at me, "You're impossible, woman!" He breathes.

I shrug and we settle on watching Dirty Dancing, because we both know halfway through it we would end up practicing our own dancing moves, and failing miserably. It's always fucking fun, so with a coy smile on our faces, we play hit.

We are not even fifteen minutes into the movie when the door bell rings and I hit pause, "You get the girl, I'll go ask him about his intentions." I give him a sinister smile, making him laugh before he trots upstairs to get Breanna.

I open the door to find a semi-formally dressed up Luke. When his eyes meet mine, he immediately smiles but when he notices that I am not returning it, his smile falters.

"Hey, is Breanna ready?" He asks and I look him up and down, aware that it would unnerve him.

"So, what are you intentions with her?" I ask.

He frowns, but then the realisation hits him, making him roll his eyes, "We already went through this Adri."

"Ms. Brooks for you, you boy." I say and Evan comes behind me.

"Honey, is that little boy already here to take our daughter away?" He says, and I try not to burst out laughing at Luke's expression. His eyes are turned wide.

"Yes, my dear. Would you like to speak with him?" I play along.

He nods, and then goes on to crack his knuckles, "I'd much rather let my hands speak for myself." He says, eyeing Luke up and down.

Evan takes just one step forward when Breanna comes behind the two of us, and her both hands each hold an ear of ours, but then she twists it, making us both yelp in pain.

"Ow!" Evan yells.

"Fuck!" I curse.

"Stop harassing my boyfriend, you two." She says through gritted teeth and I manage to get out of her hold.

"We are just looking out for you, dear. You are our responsibility." I tell her in a condescending tone.

Evan finally wiggles out of her grip and eyes her, "Is that what I have taught you? To manhandle me?" He asks.

Breanna glares at the two of us, "If you two want to play house and act as parents, go make babies while I am out." She says and I know she's only kidding but when Evan winks at me, a blush rises to my cheeks so I cough out loudly to sober up.

"Okay, you hear that An, our daughter is going to be out, we have the house to ourselves." He says and I smack my head dramatically against the wall.

"No, Bri, don't leave me with him. Your father is cruel." I cry, melodramatically.

Breanna chuckles while Luke wears an amused look. At my words, Evan's mouth falls open, "Hey!" He argues and I grin.

"Okay seriously, get her home by eleven thirty," I tell Luke and he nods before Breanna gives me a hug and I wave her off.

Evan just rolls his eyes and then closes the door behind him. I turn to him, "Last one to reach the couch makes the popcorn." I yell before I start running.

I defeat him, and he groan before going to the kitchen and comes back with a bowl full of popcorn as I resume the movie. He plops down by my side and we both devour the popcorn, our eyes stuck on the television. I am not sure when I got so absorbed in the movie that I stopped paying attention to Evan, but when the credit rolls in, I look at him and he's leaning on my shoulder, dozing off.

I smile a little, he must have been tired as hell. Due to the game tomorrow night, Coach has been drilling the team and especially because Evan is aspiring for co-captainship, its harder for him. I sigh as I study his face, his lips are slightly parted and a crease is forming between his forehead. Almost unconsciously, my fingers draw upto to smoothen that, and then I touch his skin, its warm underneath, sending a sense of calm and mess all at once to my insides.

He stirs a little and his eyes snap open, and that's when my brain registers how close we are, how close he's sitting besides me and how my mouth is leaning over his. His eyes adjust, coming to study my face, our eyes meet before his eyes flicker to my lips, causing me to do the same to him. I gulp, but when I look up into his eyes, he's still staring at my lips. When they finally flicker back to my gaze, there's something I have never seen before, and I know from the look beneath that he wants to kiss me. It's clear in his eyes as a daylight, but I just can't seem to close the three inches of spaces between our lips.

I know it would be everything that I have ever wanted, if I could just muster up the strength to move, my dream would come down to reality. But it would also make Evan a cheater, and me a home-wrecker. I can't do that to him, I definitely cannot do that to Rose, no matter how much I want this.

It takes all my will power to close my eyes and shift back, my head meeting the back of the couch as I retreat to myself. He takes a minute to compose himself and then rubs his eyes, trying to erase the awkwardness, "Did I fall asleep?"

I nod, "Yup, you missed our dance routine, so I did it alone." I shrug.

He grins, "Really? Who lifted you up?"

"I lied down on the coffee table like I was in the air and wobbled like a dying whale." I say and he barks out a laugh. I give him a small smile, "You tired?" I ask.

He nods, and keeps his head in my lap. "I am nervous for the game tomorrow." He admits, his eyes closed and I try to capture this perfect moment in my memory when Evan's head is in my lap, and it's just the two of us.

"Why? We both know you'll do great." I tell him, forcing my hands to not wander in his hair, but the temptation is too much, so I start playing with my fingers instead.

"I know it's only the first semester of the senior year, but I heard Coach talk that some people will be there for tomorrow's game, not to pick but just to observe, you know?" He explains and I nod, studying his face, "You know where I want to go, right?" He asks.

"University of Kentucky, Evan. You want to take this beyond school, I am aware." I say, my voice low.

He nods, "Yeah, my parents are the only ones who know how much I want to make this into a profession. Well, Sawyer does too, but he doesn't take me seriously. He thinks I am joking, and shit like that, he's failing to accept the fact that I am already in senior year." His shoulders slump even more.

"Have you told Rose?" I ask, and his eyes snap to me, anxiety clear behind them as he gulps.

"We don't discuss future." He says, making me frown, "It's just, we don't even know where this whole relationship is headed, An. She makes me happy, and we are good together, I care a lot for her but that's just it. I am not sure if this is the long run thing."

"Like I said earlier Ev, you're just in high school to figure out long term relationships yet."

"Sometimes, I feel like being single is the best thing. I mean, look at you, you don't give a fuck about anything. And I love seeing how carefree you can be, I love to see you smile."

His words sends my insides into knots as I grin at him, he always says the sweetest things to me without being aware of it. I know how much Evan frets over the thought of college, and University of Kentucky is his best shot if he wants to play it further, but I also know that they only pick one player from our school. If Chris wasn't in the picture, I would have said without a blink of an eye, that they would choose Evan, but Chris is just as good as him, if not better. Although I am not sure if he has the same plans as him.

"You still wanna go to Penn State?" He asks, breaking my course of thoughts and I frown at him.

"When have I ever mentioned Penn State?" I question.

He scoffs, "I know you much better than you think I do."

Well, I really shouldn't be surprised that he knows. The thought of University is scary, a lot scarier than I could imagine but somewhere in the back of my mind, I know the passion I have for reading is going to direct me somewhere in the career. I think, well I am not sure, I might want to study literature and Penn State has amazing course, like the best.

I shake my head, "I don't know where I want to go, or what I want to study."

"You'll get to know in time, An." He whispers but then shoots up. "I am going to go home, now. I need to catch up on some sleep. Big game tomorrow." He stands up, and I follow, immediately missing the comfortable position we were settled in.

When we reach the door, he leans down, his breath fanning my lips and I suck in a surprised breath, almost afraid of what he will do next, but he presses his lips to the corner of my mouth, almost too close to my lips and I close my eyes, savouring the moment as his lips linger on my skin.

"I missed you." He says and I move to give him a hug.

"I missed you too, you idiot."

When he leaves and I close the door behind him, my hand goes upto my chest and I realise how every time the topic of University comes up, a small pain settles in my heart - because I am aware that Evan and I would be states apart, and I can't even imagine the thought of not seeing his face daily. Maybe that is a huge reason I am afraid of University. But I know better, I would never think of going to a different college if I get in Penn State just to be close to Evan. It wouldn't be fair - I wouldn't be fair to myself.

•••

double update!!

i have an exam tomorrow, and i am yet to pick up my book to start studying. but, here's a chapter for you to read.

vote. comment. support. x.