"Where did you run off to Friday night?" Emmie asks me the following Monday in gym class as we run laps around the gym for about the millionth time since the school year started.

"Yeah," Saige pipes up, which might be the most she's said to me in days. After our, um, disagreement we haven't exactly been on the best terms. I don't know if this makes me a bad friend, but I've been a little too preoccupied with the very boy Saige hates to care. "You just, like, disappeared."

I don't point out that it only took fifteen minutes into the party for us to lose sight of each other. They didn't even try to find me then, and we were in the same house. The thought makes me hurt a little, but I tell myself it doesn't matter. I mean, it's not like I didn't have fun either way. Besides, Saige and Emmie are my friends, right? I should just get over myself.

"Oh, I just called an uber and decided to call it a night." I don't meet my friend's gazes as I speak. It doesn't matter how long I've known my friends, I can't tell them who I was really with and where I really went. It's not that I don't want to, if anything it's the opposite. I'd love to have someone to talk about the guy I'm crushing on, just like the girls in the movies. Whereas Emmie might be excited for me, I know Saige would be a bitch about it. So I keep my mouth shut.

"It was probably better that way, anyhow," Saige mutters as we come to a stop after Coach blows his whistle.

THERE SHE GOES AGAIN!!!! My subconscious screams as I whip my head up, glaring at Saige. A month ago, I probably would have let the comment slide. But now, things are different. I don't know exactly what's changed with me, but something has. And now there's absolutely no way I'm going to let someone who is supposed to be my friend talk to me like that.

"What the hell do you mean by that, Saige?" I snap rather loudly, hands on my hips.

Saige looks smug as she holds my stare, biting back what looks like a smirk. "It's just, parties aren't really your thing, Mia. I kinda didn't even notice that you'd left. Emmie and I actually forgot to check for you before we left. We were already gone when we noticed you were missing."

Whatever defiance—whatever fight—I had in me moments before disappears. Suddenly, I feel just like the old me. I feel like a shy, invisible girl who doesn't know how to speak her mind. Because what Saige just said hurt. Badly. And by the look on her face, I know she meant for it to.

I don't know why she's been acting this way toward me lately. Saige and I have known each other since preschool. We've always been friends. We've never intentionally hurt each other. But then again, she's not used to me being this way. She's not used to saying one of her mean bitchy comments and actually getting a response. Out of the two of my friends, Saige has always been the most pushy. And now that I'm pushing back, she doesn't like it.

And she can shove that attitude up her fucking ass.

"Hey!" Emmie snaps, glaring at Saige as she crosses her arms over her chest. It's not like Emmie to jump into the middle of a fight, but I'm kind of glad she does. "That was way harsh, Saige! And not even true!" There's a fire in her eyes I've never seen her regard anyone but her mother with. Emmie turns to me, gentler than she was toward Saige.

"I'm sorry, Mia. That's not true. I spent an hour looking for you, but we couldn't—"

"It doesn't matter," I tell Emmie. At this point, I don't care. I don't give a damn if Saige wants to hurt me. I don't give a damn if they looked for me or not. I won't give my "friends" the satisfaction of seeing me at my weakest. Never again will I let someone else tell me how I'm supposed to feel. Never again will I allow myself to be manipulated into staying silent; into being someone I'm not.

"You know what, Saige?" I step forward, forcing myself in her face. By the silence around us, I can tell that I've started to attract the eyes of my classmates. In this moment I'm not invisible. And I couldn't care less. "You win. Did you hear me? You win!" I throw my head back as I let out a dry laugh that hurts my throat. "I'm tired of fighting with you. I thought we were friends, but I guess I was wrong, right? No wonder my mom always liked you so much, you're just like her." I pause before crying, "You're both bitches!" Saige's eyes widen in shock as I scream at her, like she can hardly believe I'm really saying the words that I am.

That makes two of us.

With that, I spin on my heel. I ignore the stares of the people around me. I don't turn around when Emmie calls my name. I don't even listen to my coach when he tells me to come see him that instant. I just let my feet take me out of the gym, down the hallway, and out of the school. I don't stop moving until I'm all the way on the other side of the building, by the wall next to parking lot.

That's when the whole situation starts to replay through my mind. Suddenly, I don't feel so bold. I just feel . . . sad. Saige was my friend. So much for that, right?

I feel myself falling to the ground, burying my face in my hands. Before I know it, I'm crying.

I don't know how long I sit outside of the school, bawling my eyes out. I don't keep track. I just cry, wondering why it hurts so much. Saige was my friend, yes, but she was a total bitch to me more times than not. She's kind of a bitch to everyone. So why can't I just get over it already?

I don't look up when I hear the sound of footsteps. I assume that it's just Emmie, coming to check on me. I wonder what she's going to do now. It's either Saige or me, and I have the sinking feeling that I'm not going to be the friend she picks.

"You didn't tell me you were having a party, Sunshine," I hear a male voice saying, startling me. I look up to see Thorne's silhouette crossing the parking lot, heading toward me. He doesn't know that I'm crying, and I don't want him to. I wipe away my tears quickly just as he reaches me, clearing my throat and trying not to look miserable.

"Please," I croak, my voice hoarse. "I'm really not in the mood for games, Thorne."

He studies me for a moment, realization dawning on him. I've never been a good actress. The light in his eyes softens as he bends down to my height, our gazes dancing around the other's.

"Are you crying, Sunshine?" Thorne asks gently, pressing his lips together.

Just the question makes my eyes well with tears again. "No," I say, my voice quivering.

"Give me anything, Sunshine," Thorne mutters softly. "Punch me, scream at me, tell me you hate me, but don't give me tears. I can't handle tears."

I try to hold the tears in, but they start to fall anyway. I don't sob like I was before, but my shoulders do shake. Why am I so hurt by what happened? I don't know. I wish I wasn't. For the first time in my life, I would rather feel nothing at all.

Thorne takes a seat next to me, leaning against the wall. He balls the end of his gray hoodie in his hand, turning my face to his gently with his thumb. "It's all right," he whispers, wiping away my tears with the end of his sleeve.

"You don't have to do that," I tell him, though I don't pull away to stop him. "I don't want to get mascara all over your sweatshirt."

"You're literally crying, Sunshine," Thorne snorts as he continues to wipe my tears. "You think I give a shit about mascara on my hoodie?"

"Don't try to make me laugh."

"Wouldn't think about it." Thorne leans back slightly, studying me closely. "What happened?"

So I tell him. I tell him what Saige said about not even noticing that I was gone after I left the party. That she and Emmie supposedly left without me (which was obvious, but still hurtful to say). Then I tell him about my outburst, which I kinda feel bad about—but not really.

"I just don't know why I'm so hurt over it all," I finish, biting my bottom lip. "It's stupid, right?"

"No offense, Sunshine," Thorne mutters. "But your friend is a bitch." He says the words so aggressively, he almost sounds angry. Looking up, I notice that his features are slightly pinched, too. There's a wild gleam in his eye, similar to the look he gave Wells Friday night after he said it was "interesting" that Thorne and I weren't together.

"She's not worth it," he adds, shaking his head. "I hope you know that. Because, you're genuinely an amazing person Sunshine. You shouldn't have to deal with shit like that. I hope you're not sill going to hang around her."

I don't know if he meant to, but he's somehow managed to make me feel better. He's actually a really good listener. And he just called me an amazing person. Whether he was saying it just to make me feel better or because he really means it, I don't care. It feels good to hear him say it all the same.

"Did you just call me amazing?" I tease, bumping my shoulder against his. I expect him to deny having said that at all, but he just looks me dead in the eye, a serious expression on his face as he says, "I did. And I mean it. You're so . . ." he trails off, looking down at his hands. Looking back up, he takes a deep breath. "When I'm around you, Sunshine, I feel . . . I dunno, it's just like you make everything else around me—all the shit I've got going on in my life—disappear. You don't have to believe me, Sunshine, but you're a good person. You're so bubbly and carefree, and I wish that I could be like that, too. I guess that's why I hang around you so much. I know I shouldn't keep coming back to you, Sunshine. I know that I can fuck up your whole life with one look. But I can't stop myself."

I want to cry again, but for completely different reasons. I don't know how he did it, but I couldn't even think about Saige right now if I wanted to.

"Do you really mean that?" I whisper, holding back a smile.

"Every last word," Thorne whispers back, his gaze falling to my lips before bouncing back up to my eyes. There's an electric charged moment between us then, and I'm almost positive he's going to kiss me.

Instead, he clears his throat and stands up. Extending his hand, Thorne's eyes gleam brightly as he says, "Why don't we get out of here, Sunshine?"

I place my hand in his, smiling the widest I ever have. "I'd like that."

★★★

Before I met Thorne, I had never spoken back to anyone in my life. I'd never said sarcastic things to strangers or skipped class or gone to a party or lied to my mom or stayed the night at the house of a person I'd just met. I'd never cuddled with a boy I liked but wasn't with, I'd never known what it felt like to have my heart race by having a boy just look at me. I'd never slept in a boy's sweatshirt and I'd never felt so un-invisible in my entire life.

And maybe I shouldn't be cutting class or lying to my parents, but I say that more good has come out of meeting Thorne than bad. If anything, he's changing me for the better. He's turning me into the kind of girl I always wished I was.

And—thinking back to what Charlie told me last Friday about him—maybe I'm changing him for the better, too.

"Hey!" Jay cries when Thorne and I appear in the doorway of Charlie's apartment, as the door was left unlocked for us. "Look! It's our favorite couple that's not a couple!"

Thorne rolls his eyes, though he does meet my gaze, giving me a knowing glance. I shoot him a small smile, which he returns with his signature smirk.

"Yay!" Charlie cries, throwing her arms around me with a squeal. "You're back already!"

"Um," I hear an unfamiliar voice saying. "Should I be jealous?"

Charlie pulls away, and I look up to find probably the most beautiful girl I've ever seen standing in the entryway to the kitchen. Her black hair is long and thick, with purple streaks at the bottom. Her skin is the color of creamy black coffee, and it's smooth and flawless. Her dark, almond-shaped eyes study me closely, but she doesn't look too alarmed by my presence.

"Of course not, V," Charlie says to the girl with an eye roll. "Mia's just a friend. Mia, this is my girlfriend, Violet."

"Hi," I say politely, grinning. "Charlie talked my ear off about you the first time we met."

"All good things, I hope," Violet teases, her brown eyes sparkling as they land on her girlfriend. Violet crosses the threshold into the living room, giving me a quick hug. "It's so nice to meet you! And it's good to see you again, Thorne."

"Likewise," Thorne mutters from where he sits next to Jay. Wells walks into the room then, frowning as his amber eyes wander over the crowd that's gathered.

"Hey," he pouts mockingly. "No one told me there was going to be a party?"

"Shut up," Charlie teases. "You've been here since twelve!"

"That reminds me." Wells turns to Thorne and I, pointing at each of us questioningly. "Shouldn't you two be in school?"

Thorne and I share a knowing look. I know that I can trust him not to tell his friends why we're really here. He gives me an I've-got-this look. Leaning back on the couch, he clears his throat. "Since when do I go to school and stay there?" he asks with a smirk.

"Fair enough," Wells says at the same time Charlie says, "Since you met Mia." Everybody except for Thorne and I laugh at Charlie's little joke. I can feel Thorne's eyes on me as he sits in silence, not denying or agreeing with what Charlie just said. I just blush, pressing my lips together.

"Nice shirt," Wells says to me, tugging on the hem of my New York Giants t-shirt that I wore to gym. I look down at my outfit, realizing that I'm still in my slightly-too-small gym t-shirt and leggings.

"Uh, thanks," I say, blushing harder. "My dad's a really big Giants fan, so . . ." I trail off, shrugging. Wells' amber eyes gleam as they meet my hazel, smirking faintly. "Really? That's funny, because the Giants are my favorite team, too."

"Since when?" Thorne scoffs. I can't tell, but he looks kind of miffed that I'm talking to Wells. That weird fire is in his green eyes again, and he's suddenly leaning on the edge of the couch.

"Since I saw Mia in that shirt," Wells says, winking at me. That's when it dawns on me that he's flirting with me. In front of all his friends. Since when do boys flirt with me? Have I changed that much?

I'm too nice to reject him—because I can't say that I don't like Thorne. So I just blush even harder and giggle, Thorne's fiery gaze burning my skin. When I look back over at him his jaw is clenched tightly, his eyes suddenly on Wells.

"So, you're a senior, right?" Violet asks me. I can tell that she can sense the tension in the air the same way I can, and I'm glad that she changes the subject.

"Yep," I admit with a grin. "One more year before I'm free!"

Violet laughs lightly, taking a seat next to Charlie. "That's how I felt about school, too. I work as a hair stylist now, if you couldn't tell." She smirks, fluffing her purple streaks.

"Your hair is so cool," I admit. I perch myself on the edge of the couch, as Jay and Thorne take up most of it. "I wish I could pull something like that off."

Thorne pulls me into him suddenly, his arms wrapping around me protectively. "You'd look hot with purple streaks in your hair, Sunshine," he says after a moment, thoroughly surprising me. I think he's only calling me hot to get Wells to back off, but that doesn't mean I don't have to kind of like it.

"You think?" I raise an eyebrow at him, the hint of a smirk dancing on my lips.

"Yeah, in, like, a badass way." I recognize the teasing glint in his green eyes, making me roll my hazel eyes.

"Right." I nod. "I see you, Thorne."

"I'd hope so," he says innocently. "Or else you'd be blind, which would suck because you wouldn't be able to look at me anymore."

"Someone's cocky."

"Not cocky, Sunshine. Confident. And that's a good thing, right?"

"Not when you're too confident."

Thorne pretends to gasp, a shocked expression on his face. "You can be too confident?"

"Ugh," I groan, pulling away from him. "I can't with you." I go to stand up, deciding to just sit on the ground across from Wells to prove a point. Thorne, sensing what I'm about to do, grabs my wrist and pulls me back. "Not so fast, Sunshine."

"Say sorry," I tell him, holding my ground so that he can't just pull me back into his arms. Thorne purses his lips, silent for a moment. Finally, he mutters, "I'm sorry."

"Whoa," Jay gasps as Thorne's arms find me again. "You're good, Mia."

"What do you mean?" I ask Jay, confused.

"Nobody can make Thorne say sorry." Jay shrugs, smirking at his friend. "Except you, apparently."

"Shut up," Thorne growls, grabbing a couch pillow and whipping it at Jay. Despite the fact that he's obviously embarrassed, I find myself smiling. Maybe I'm not the only one with the crush here.

Minutes later, Jay and Wells have wandered into the kitchen for drinks and snacks and haven't yet returned. Charlie, Violet, and I start talking about the regular things girls talk about (in other words, they're telling me about this girl, Taylor, that they don't like). Thorne, clearly bored and uninterested with girl talk, shifts beneath me. I'm kinda surprised that he doesn't join Jay and Wells in the kitchen. And, despite the fact that the whole couch is now free, he still has his arms wrapped around me.

The next thing I know, Thorne is burying his head in the crook of my neck, leaning back against the couch. I can hear his breaths becoming even as he drifts off, making me smile.

This day started horribly, but I don't think it could possibly get any better.