"Then she fainted," Emma says animatedly, eyes wide as she recounts her story of the latest fashion week show she attended with her mother over the weekend. "On stage. Everyone was wondering what happened to her, and apparently her pants were buttoned so tightly they ended up cutting off her circulation or something. It was, like, crazy. My mom was humiliated. I mean, pants aren't supposed to be that tight, you know?"

To this, Peter snorts. "Because that isn't obvious, Emma."

Emma merely rolls her eyes, as if Peter is some annoying fly that has zipped past her and she's waving it aside. "That's not even the worst part. After the model fainted, the next girl came out and broke her heel walking down the runway. It was so—"

As Emma drones on, I absentmindedly begin to tune her out. My friends don't seem to have noticed yet, but Luke has entered the cafeteria. I haven't seen much of him since we made our toleration truce a few afternoons ago, as it's not like the two of us are suddenly friends after sharing one moment where we didn't necessarily want to kill the other. However, though I'm not sure exactly what it is, something between Luke and I has definitely seemed to have changed.

Shortly enough, Luke has approached the table I'm sitting at now—where he used to sit, as well—and begins pulling out a chair. Our three mutual friends gape up at him as if they've seen a ghost, clearly shocked to see Luke here.

Since a word has yet to be said, I decide to be the one to put an end to the awkward silence hanging in the air around me. Braving a smile in Luke's direction, I say, "Hey, Pretty Boy."

I'm shocked, though pleasantly so, when Luke actually returns my smile. It's probably the most genuine smile he has ever offered me, and his blue eyes shine with warmth instead of the icy gaze I have since become used to from him.

"Hi, Clumsy," Luke replies, tone soft.

It's only once Luke has spoken that our friends seem to break out of their trances.

Peter furrows his eyebrows and glances from Luke to me as if he can put his finger on what is different between the two of us, though he can sense that something is. Clearing his throat, he mutters, "Wait, so you have a nickname for Luke now, too? I thought I was the only one."

"Please. You're not special, Strange Boy," I tease, to which Peter laughs.

"Does that mean I am?" Luke prompts, raising an eyebrow almost suggestively. I don't know why, but this causes me to blush.

"What is going on here?" Piper suddenly blurts, staring at me and Luke as if she doesn't know who the hell either of us are. "Are you two actually . . . getting along?"

Luke and I glance at one another and share a knowing smile. It's strange, being within a foot of him and not feeling the need to claw his beady eyes out. But maybe that's a good thing. After all, Luke and I will definitely be seeing a lot of each other in the future. We are neighbors, plus our fathers are business partners. Along with this, we have the same friends, and I often hang out with his sister. My bedroom window faces his. I sit in front of him in English. Whether we like it or not, it's basically impossible for Luke and I to escape each other.

Luke shrugs then, a secretive smile crossing his lips. "Clumsy and I have a truce," he reveals, blue eyes gleaming. "No matter how much we want to kill each other, we've agreed to resist the urge. During school hours, at least."

"So . . . that means I can try to kill you anywhere else?" I question in mock-innocence, batting my eyelashes at him as I hold back a smile.

Luke merely laughs, running a hand through his hair. "Not if I kill you first."

I roll my eyes as if I'm already bored of this conversation. "You can try," I muse, "but I doubt you have it in you."

"We'll see about that, Clumsy," Luke remarks teasingly, his attention drifting to the salad placed before him.

Our friends strike up conversation around us, Luke and I joining in whenever we have a comment to add. At one point, the both of us open our mouths to speak at the same time, resulting in each of us stopping abruptly to stare at the other. I'm almost certain that Luke and I are going to revert back to our old ways and begin bickering, when Luke surprises me by saying I should speak first.

Shortly afterward, I notice Emma stiffen next to me. I glance over at her and notice she wears an almost trapped expression, brown eyes shining with what can best be described as horror, lips pursed so tightly they've become translucent.

"What is it?" I question in a whisper, thinking that Emma might not want the others to notice her currently freaked state.

"Oh," Emma says, shaking her blond head. "You'll see."

As she says this, I notice a boy a few feet to the left of our table. He's definitely attractive, with dark hair and sharp facial features, tall and broad, a muscular frame that hints at athleticism. His brown-eyed gaze seems focused on our lunch table, and he seems to be heading in this direction.

"Bradford!" the very boy cries, as if he's calling to a lost friend. I instantly pick up on the way Luke tenses in his seat when he recognizes the boy speaking to him, rolling his eyes as if the dude's presence has ruined his mood.

"What do you want, Wellington?" Luke snaps, not bothering to look up and make eye contact with the approaching boy as he speaks.

And, suddenly, it hits me. Wellington. As in Liam Wellington. The guy Piper once mentioned was Luke's, like, mortal enemy or something.

"Well, that's no way to talk to an old friend," Liam teases, very obviously attempting to get under Luke's skin. I can't help but notice that my friends seem just as annoyed by Liam's presence as Luke does. Emma stares down at the table, lips drawn in a tight line. Piper glares up at Liam as if looks can really kill. Peter leans back in his seat shaking his head, expression seeming to say: Here we go again.

"That's probably because we're not friends." Luke finally glances up and meets Liam's gaze, his glare colder than the stares he usually reserves for me. Liam only smirks, as if this is the reaction he was hoping to elicit from Luke.

"I just wanted to introduce your friends to Crestwood's newest lacrosse captain," Liam gloats, smirk widening as he speaks.

Luke clenches his jaw, a fissure protruding in his temple from the effort. "You're not captain, Liam."

"Not yet," Liam admits thoughtfully. "But I will be, considering I don't have much competition."

To this, Luke doesn't comment, though he looks as if holding his tongue is the hardest thing he's ever had to do.

In the silence that follows, Liam appraises the rest of the table. When his gaze falls on me, his expression changes slightly. His smirk shifts into somewhat of smile, eyes gleaming with a friendly light.

"You must be Jade." The way Liam says my name seems to imply that he's heard quite a bit about me, and I don't doubt that he has. I'm certain that nothing he's heard has been good, and this makes me shift uncomfortably in my seat. As if he can read my mind, Liam adds, "I've heard a lot about you."

"Well, that's great," I mutter, somehow managing to maintain eye contact as I speak. "I'm sure you've heard wonderful things about me."

Liam chuckles at my sarcasm, and I notice Luke tense at the sound out of the corner of my eye. Turning my eyes in his direction, he holds my gaze for a few seconds before quickly glancing away, eyes downcast.

"It hasn't been all bad," Liam reassures me, his smile causing my heart to flutter slightly. "Besides, the enemy of my enemy is my friend, right?"

Risking another glance at Luke, I'm surprised to find that he's blushing somewhat. I'm unsure of if he's blushing because of what Liam has just said, or because what Liam has said is relatively true.

Returning my attention to Liam, I murmur, "Well, I don't know about that . . ."

"Really?" Liam shifts his weight as he rests a hand on the back of Luke's chair, offering me a knowing smile. "Well, we'll have to change that, won't we?"

Suddenly, I'm the one blushing. It's apparent by Liam's tone and the suggestive expression painted across his handsome features that he's flirting with me. In front of Luke and our friends. And I'm not entirely sure how to feel about this.

"I guess we'll just have to see about that, won't we?" I tilt my head to the side as I glance up at Liam, my gaze locking with his. In this moment, I get the feeling that I will be seeing more of Liam in the future. As to what I'll be seeing him as, I'm not sure.

Noticing the way Luke glances between Liam and I with a calculated expression, I find myself wondering if Luke has come to the same conclusion.

»»----- -----««

A few weeks after the encounter with Liam Wellington during lunch, I walk into my room after school to find Luke Bradford sitting on my bed. Needless to say, I'm so startled by the unexpected sight that I end up dropping my book-bag on my foot—which hurts—with a scream of fear trapped in the back of my throat.

Luke jumps into action as the beginning notes of a squeal exits my lips, kicking my bedroom door shut and covering my mouth with the palm of his hand to drown out the sound of my scream. I stare into his eyes with mine wide in shock, wondering what the hell is happening here.

Without thinking, I bite his hand.

Luke pulls his hand back with a wince, staring down at his palm which is now a faint red color. Expression bewildered, Luke glances over at me as if I'm the crazy one here.

"Did you just bite me?" he exclaims in disbelief. I feel guilty, though only a little. I mean, Luke scared the literal shit out of me. I have so many questions as to what he's doing in my bedroom, and why he thought it would be a good idea to grab me and shove his hand in my face. Seriously, what did he expect?

"You scared me!" I defend myself, ignoring his previous question. "What are you even doing here? Who let you in? Why are you in my room? What—"

Luke covers my lips with his hand once again, an effective move to get me to shut up. He doesn't pull back even when I lick his hand, which says a lot about his determination to keep me quiet. However, he does wrinkle his nose in disgust.

"When I remove my hand"—Luke holds my gaze intently, as if trying to emphasize that he is being serious—"are you going to be quiet?"

I swallow before nodding, keeping my green eyes wide to appear more innocent than I am. Luke studies me for a brief moment, then slowly pulls his hand away from my lips. I glare at Luke as I suck in a deep breath, waiting for his explanation as to what this is all about. I'm tempted to scream, though there isn't much point to do so. My parents are out doing Lord knows what, and Kendall is at school attending one of her club meetings. I'm completely alone with Luke Bradford, and the thought is not pleasant.

"I'm here because I need to talk to you about something," Luke explains, appearing sheepish. "Your mom let me in on her way out. She said I could wait for you in your room if I wanted. I didn't think it would take you so long to get home."

"There was a lot of traffic," I mutter beneath my breath, still taken aback by the events that just occurred. Besides, since when does Luke Bradford seek me out because he needs to talk to me? "Anyway, what do you want to talk about?"

"Well, it's less talking to you than needing to ask you something." Luke suddenly looks uncomfortable. He crosses his arms over his chest, glancing down at me as I take a seat on the edge of my bed as if he's unsure of what to say next.

"Well, it must be really important if you willingly came to my house to see me," I remark sarcastically, glancing up at Luke expectantly. "Are you just going to keep me waiting?"

"I need to ask you for a favor," Luke reveals in a single breath, eyes trained on mine.

At first, I think Luke is joking, so I don't hold back my oncoming laughter. I mean, seriously? After he's been basically nothing but rude to me countless times, Luke Bradford thinks I owe him a favor? As if.

"You want to ask me for a favor?" I question, as if I haven't heard him correctly.

Luke rolls his eyes in annoyance, though he seems to have expected my reaction. "Yes. It's hilarious that someone like me would ever need help from someone like you, isn't it?"

This comment sobers me instantly. I shoot Luke a glare as I snap, "Well if you need my help so badly, maybe you shouldn't insult me before I've even agreed."

Luke blushes at my remark, which I find rather amusing. Shuffling his feet, Luke crosses his arms once again before muttering some sort of weak apology. He then bites his lip, seemingly lost in thought.

"Well?" I prompt in exhaustion. "What's the favor? Do you need help with your homework or something?"

Luke snorts, as we both know that he needs no help academically. In the short time period I've known Luke, I've come to learn that not only is he extremely attractive, but he is also some sort of genius. His numerous talents are aggravating.

"This is going to sound crazy," Luke admits, running a hand through his hair as he averts his gaze from mine. With a deep breath, he blurts: "I need you to pretend to date Liam Wellington."

For a long moment, I can't seem to do anything but stare at Luke. I gape at him as if I've never seen a boy before, unable to process what he's just proposed. When Luke said that he needed to ask me a favor, I did not expect him to mention anything like what he has just said.

"Let me explain," Luke is quick to continue, understanding that what has just left his mouth sounds completely insane. "I need the position as lacrosse captain, Jade. Not only will it complete my resumé for Harvard, but I just can't risk losing to Liam. And I know I sound crazy and I'm asking you for a lot, but I really, really need this Jade."

I want to ask about the mention of Harvard, though I'm much too preoccupied with everything else Luke has just dropped on me to even attempt to speak. Shaking my head, I wonder what on earth I got myself into the moment I ran into Luke Bradford walking down those stairs.

I rise from my bed slowly, walking up to Luke without any real intention.

"Let me get this straight," I mutter, crossing my arms over my chest as I meet his gaze. "You want me to pretend to date Liam Wellington just so you can become captain of the lacrosse team?"

"Yes," Luke says much too quickly, oddly at ease with what he's suggesting. "I need him to be distracted for a little while, and you're perfect for that job."

I raise my eyebrows at his remark, wondering if he's seriously just insulted me again whilst trying to ask me for such a big and insane favor that I'm honestly not sure I should ever consider agreeing to.

"What is that supposed to mean?" I snap, narrowing my eyes.

"I don't mean that in a bad way," Luke says, stumbling over his words. "It's just . . . you're really . . . distracting." I begin to notice the way Luke's eyes trail me, how his cheeks have tinged slightly pink.

I once again cross my arms over my chest, this time self-consciously. Clearing my throat, I mutter, "I'm not sure I understand what you're asking me to do, Luke."

"It's simple, really. I mean, you're no stranger to flirting with him, anyway. And Liam has made it clear that he's open to flirting with you. I've been thinking about that for a while now, and I thought up a flawless plan. All you have to do is get Liam to fall for you. Which shouldn't be hard. And then you can distract him from his focus on becoming lacrosse captain. You know, like planning dates that interfere with practices or tryouts. The more time he misses, the more he loses his chance at becoming captain. I'm not asking you to do anything extreme with him or anything. Just toy with him, I guess. And this doesn't have to last long, if you agree. Tryouts are next week, and team captain is announced the week after that. The second I become captain, you can break the whole thing off. Liam never has to know the truth."

Though I knew Luke and Liam disliked each other, I had no idea they hated each other this much. What Luke is proposing . . . it's rather extreme just in order to become the captain of some high school lacrosse team.

"Jeez," I whisper, unsure of what else to say. "You really thought about this, didn't you? What are you, some sort of evil genius?"

Luke smirks as if he thinks I am trying to compliment him.

I'm not.

"Look, I know how crazy this sounds, Jade. And I know I'm asking a lot of you, especially considering we've never . . ." Luke trails off, shaking his head. "But . . . this is really important to me. I'd never go so far or drag you into something if it didn't matter."

Unfortunately, I can see how truly important it really is to Luke to become lacrosse captain. I don't know why he's willing to go to such extreme measures just to be assured the spot will be his, though he's clearly dedicated. On top of this, he is literally standing before me now, pleading with me to help him out. Luke Bradford is asking me—Jade Montgomery, a girl he can't stand—for a favor, which is how I know that he's being totally serious right now.

I have to admit that part of me feels inclined to help him. Sometimes when I'm around Luke, I don't know what happens to me. Even when he's rude to me, I've always felt this sense of comfort, like I'm around someone I can trust. Which is odd, because Luke has never given me a reason to believe I can trust him, but rather the opposite. Or maybe Luke's unbearable attractiveness is starting to mess with my head, causing me to think these delusions in the first place.

Yet, despite all of that, I just don't see how I could do something like what Luke is proposing to Liam. I mean, I hardly even know the guy. And whatever vendetta Luke may have against him does not apply to me. For all I know, Liam could be a real sweetheart. And I'd be using him, not to mention robbing him of his chance to become lacrosse captain, and for what? Because Luke Bradford asked me to? How can I do that to someone?

Staring into Luke's disturbingly beautiful blue eyes that are gazing right back into my own expectantly, I can't stop myself from thinking: How can I not help him?

"I don't know, Luke," I manage to say after a long moment, voice hoarse as I strain to get the words out. "If I do this for you . . . well, what's in it for me?"