Jason Blunt is avoiding me.

I'm not looking for him either, don't get me wrong, but anytime we make eye contact in the hallway, he averts his eyes and pretends like he wasn't just staring at me zero point two seconds ago.

He just did that right now and it's starting to get on my nerves. He was all talk about how I'm 'his' at Ryan's party and now he's avoiding me? I really don't understand boys. Speaking of Ryan's party, I've been thinking about our conversation that day and he said he knew I had a boyfriend. That should have startled me at that moment, but I was a bit…preoccupied. How does he know I have a boyfriend? Does he know it's Bob? If he does, which is highly impossible because we've been very careful, why hasn't he said anything?

Also, is he weirded out about our almost kisses? If he is, then he doesn't have to make it so obvious. Why can't he just have a conversation with me so we can talk things out and move on?

Boys.

...

"Okay class, we'd be wrapping up our discussion on Demand and Supply and I want you all to turn in your assignments before Tuesday. This counts for fourty percent of your grade so I expect you to take it seriously. Do I make myself clear, Mr Blunt?" Mr Finkle, our Economics teacher asks, making the whole class laugh. Jason barely does homework. I'm surprised he's still the captain of the basketball team and his grades aren't really slipping. Sure, he may not be in the top five percent in class rank, but he surely isn't at the bottom.

He raises his head from the table with a sigh. Economics class is boring as hell so I can understand the sigh. Listening to Mr Finkle's voice is like watching a movie with slow internet connection. "Yes ma'am."

Mr Finkle nods in satisfaction, but his face is laced with a frown. He always has a frown on his face. I know that teaching teenagers can be a hassle and teaching spoiled, rich teenagers is almost suicidal, but it won't kill him to smile a little more because Adelaide pays more than the regular public high school. He's pushing sixty and retirement is crouching at his doorstep, so he needs to be a little less…grouchy.

"Good. You are all dismissed."

I pack my belongings into my bag and bolt out of that class because it's the last class of the day which means I can go home and relax. Then go to work. Paris is beside me, books pressed against her chest, as we walk to her locker which is closer to Mr Finkle's class.

"Jason keeps looking at you, you know.'' I turn my head back and sure enough, we make eye contact.. He's at his locker, talking to Bea, but he doesn't seem to be paying attention because he's looking at me, this time, he doesn't divert his eyes. Clad in the school's tracksuit (they probably have basketball practice) he winks at me before focusing his attention to Bea.

I blink rapidly and feel a nudge on my side. ''I saw that, the telepathic eye connection.''

''There's no tele-anything, Paris. You are imagining things.'' She's not imagining anything because I felt something too. Fuck, I've been denying it for so long, but I felt it too. I felt it when he rescued me from Khalil, I felt it when we were alone at Ryan's party and I'm still feeling it now.

This 'it' needs to go away, and fast.

''He literally winked at you.''

I wave my hands dismissively. ''He probably thinks I'm a new notch on his proverbial belt because he almost ki-''

Me and my big mouth.

"HE WHAT!'' She screams, drawing the attention of the nosy highschoolers, including Jason who is looking at her like she is bat-shit crazy. Well, she has to be since we're best friends after all.

With a dismissive wave, she shouts. "Don't y'all have homes to be in? Nothing to see here but my dramatic self, so scram." They all listen to her and go back to whatever it is they are doing. I shake my head and she pulls my arm, dragging me all the way to janitor's closet. Locking the door, she folds her arms across her chest and gives me a look that tells me that this is going to be one hell of an inquisition. "You are going to explain to me how you kissed Jason Blunt: thorn in your side, enemy since 9th grade, the Joker to your Batman.'' She kicks a bucket accidentally. ''Need I go on?"

Dramatic much?

"I didn't kiss him, Paris.'' I explain. ''He made an attempt to kiss me, thrice, but I declined because I refuse to be labelled a cheater."

Her jaw slacks open. ''Did you just say thrice?'' I nod slowly and she leans on the wall. ''Holy, bloody shit. When were you going to tell me all this?''

''The opportunity never came up?'' I offer weakly but she doesn't buy it. ''Okay fine, there were many opportunities, but I didn't feel like it was important enough to tell.''

''I'm your bestie, even the minutest details of your life are important to me.'' Fair point. ''First thing's first, when did the 'almost kisses' happen?''

''Twice at the resort and at Ryan's party.''

''At the resort? When you TWO shared a room? Don't tell me you bumped uglies?''

I give her a disgusted look. ''Are you crazy? The only thing I bumped was his head because he irritated the fuck out of me.''

''Well, if he almost kissed you that means he wasn't as irritating as you-.'' The stink glare I send her way makes her shut up, but then she smiles again and I narrow my eyes. I do not want to be talking about Jason right now. I'm hungry and a hungry Melody is an irritated Melody.

''How did the almost kisses make you feel?''

''Repulsed.''

''She wags her middle finger. ''You're a bloody liar.''

''I'm not lying.''

''I know you better than you know yourself, Mel. You're blushing.''

I feel my cheeks and sure enough, the twins are warm and betraying me. Paris and her perceptiveness! ''I'm not blushing. My cheeks are flushed from the heat.''

''The air conditioner is on.''

''Well, it's not cold enough.''

Her eyes wiggle notoriously. ''Will you stop denying it already? You like him and he likes you too from the look of things.''

"No he doesn't."

"Yes he does."

"Noooo"

"Yessss"

"You know what? It doesn't even matter if he likes me or not, I'm with Bob now so I don't care.'' Yes, Mel. Keep telling yourself that. You even have a ring to prove that! ''Speaking of which, I have work in a few hours so can we go now.'' I whine, tired of the inquisition already. Paris can be real persistent when she wants something, but I'm just over it. Jason and I are completely different people entirely, we live in two separate worlds and we live different lives. Even in an alternate universe, he and I can never happen, no matter what my…feelings are for him. Paris is my ride home because Cameron is at the repair shop,

"This conversation is far from over."

"Yes ma'am."

....

All through the ride home, Paris wouldn't stop trying to divulge 'important' information out of me but I refused to give in, not in the mood to really discuss it mainly because…well because I don't know how to feel. The three times that Jason and I almost kissed felt...good. It almost felt right even and for a second there, I almost forgot about Bob.

Here I am, not wanting to be labelled a cheater, but I'm thinking of another boy.

''His abs are certainly not boyish at all.'' My subconscious says.

I need to get my priorities straight.

I walk into the apartment, completely torn and exhausted. Dumping my bag on the nearby counter, I move into the living room to see Sophie watching Never Have I Ever on Netflix. Sophie and this streaming service are best friends. "Hey Soph, when'd you get in?"

"Twenty minutes ago."

''Who dropped you home?''

'Brittany's mum did.'' She says, not taking her eyes away from the TV. ''She even baked us cookies.'' Brittany is Sophie's best friend in 9th grade. I've never met her before but she seems to be a big part of her school life because everytime mum comes home, it's always 'Brittany did this' and 'Brittany said that.'

''That's nice of her. Tell her I said thank you.'' Sophie doesn't respond, too engrossed in what she's watching. I move to the TV set, blocking her view. ''You came home and the first thing on your agenda was to watch Netflix?" I say with my arms crossed. She knows the rules in the house. Mum allows her to get away with a lot of things, even going as far as bending the rules to suit Sophie's taste, but I'm a lot stricter than her. Sophie has no choice because as long as she lives here, and as long as mum isn't home often, she has to deal with me.

She pauses the TV and scoffs. "Well I don't have any homework and mum's not home yet so, zip it." Liar.

I grin widely. "Didn't mum say you were banned from watching Netflix till 'further notice' because you never do your homework? I bet she'd have a field day if I call her right now and tell her that you're doing the one thing she told you not to."

At that moment, my phone rings and it's mum calling. What a coincidence. "Well then Soph, must be your lucky day because mum's calling right now."

She grumbles in annoyance. "You're an annoying older sister."

"You're stuck with me, champ. Go upstairs and do your homework.'' I point to her bag on the Persian rug. ''Also, take your bag with you."

She stomps upstairs, bag in tow, and slams her door while I pick up the phone. "Hey mum...Soph's in..she's doing her homework...Yea, I'd make the Spaghetti Tacos before I leave...love you, bye."

Spaghetti Tacos it is.

....

I looked at my watch and realize it's 7:10pm which means I have about fifty minutes to get to work: thirty minutes to get ready and twenty minutes to walk there. Despite dating the boss, I take my job very seriously and I don't expect Bob to treat me any different just because we are dating. We always keep it professional so as not to draw attention to ourselves.

30 minutes later.

"Hey Soph, I'm off to work. Mum would be home in twenty so lock the door please. I also made Spaghetti Tacos in case you're interested.''

"Whatever, Mel.'' She yells from her room.

Kids.