"Why'd you choose here?" I asked Nice-guy as we pulled up to the Carnival that was downtown on Wednesday night. If I had to get to know everyone I the group, I'd start with the one I could actually tolerate. However, just to throw them all off, I was going to act in a way not too compatible with them. It'd be hard to handle that role with him because he was so sweet and could actually get through my defensive walls, but I'd manage.

"I don't know. It's my favorite place, I guess," he answered. "I know I asked this yesterday during school, but what's your last name?"

"Lindros," I answered. "Tell me your name."

"Eli," he answered.

"I asked for your name. Meaning full name," I asserted. He gave me a look as he raised his eyebrows.

"Eli George," he answered.

We didn't play any silly carnival games or ride any rides, because I shot down all of Eli's offers. So instead, we were now sitting on the corner somewhere with a box of popcorn. There were nine questions left for each of us.

"Numero dos, favorite color?" Eli asked, cheerfully.

"Black," I lied.

"Why?" I'm counting that as question three.

"Because it's dark," I answered. Eli looked at me briefly and then shook it off.

"Favorite food?" he asked.

"Undecided," I lied. Without a doubt it was chocolate.

"Favorite place?"

"Home," I answered with another lie. I guess I didn't really have a favorite place...

"Aw," Eli muttered.

"What?" I asked, monotone.

"I thought that since now you know me from class, you'd say school..." he pouted with a hint of humor.

"And you're supposed to be an influence on that decision?" I asked, wondering about his response. As soon as I said it, I determined that I didn't actually want to be mean to Eli no matter how much I wanted to throw off the group's impression of me. He was the nice one after all.

"Geez. Never mind..." he mumbled. And there goes the potential for anyone in The Group to like me. I wanted to just yell out: 'I didn't mean it, I think you're great!' but I knew not to. "Why do you like home so much?"

"Because I can finally be alone instead of at school with thousands of other students," I answered his sixth question. Hmm. I guess that wasn't a lie.

"But I thought you had a sister," he reminded.

"I do..."

"Then how are you alone?"

"Well I'm alone compared to being with thousands of other kids," I noted.

"Sucks for your friends then," he immediately replied. I gave him a questioning look. "Well I mean with you at home so much, they must never see you."

I attempted to laughed once, breaking my façade. I contained myself though.

"I only have one true friend," I informed, "which is the same girl that your jerk-of-a-friend keeps messing with."

"Jasmine," he said. Not only did he say it, but I detected a slight raise in his voice.

"Yeah..." I replied.

"So you let her be at your house, but not us guys?" He asked his eighth question, as if offended.

"Of course," I answered.

"And why's that?" Question nine...

"Because we've been best friends since elementary school and I just met you guys? Not to mention the fact that your group includes someone horny as hell, someone confusing as f*ck, and one of you is just plain weird," I replied.

"Which one am I?" He asked his tenth question.

"And my answer to your tenth, and final question, I have to say...I didn't mention you," I informed. "You're actually quite...nice."

"Well thanks," he said with a smile. "Even though you cheated me out of my questions, it's your turn."

"Alright," I shrugged. "Why do you hang out with your friends?"

"We're sort of like a family," he answered, looking down at the pavement. "Even though we have our dose of crazy..."

I didn't know what he meant, but I continued with my questions.

"How old are you?" I asked.

"I just turned seventeen," he answered. "Oh. And just to save a question for the other guys, we're all seventeen."

"Ah..." See, there he was being the nice one. "Favorite band?"

"The Maine," he answered. Sweet.

"Favorite food?" I asked, stealing his question.

"Anything edible," he answered. We paused for a mini-second before laughing slightly. I threw popcorn at him and he caught some of it in his mouth.

"So why is the carnival your favorite place?" I asked.

"Because unlike you, I like being outside of the house with people," he joked, poking my side. "It reminds me of the fun in my life...my childhood...it's just wild and unique and has this ability to distort time when you're here."

His answer confirmed his innocent nature to me, even if I couldn't stand the rest of his friends. I actually wanted to learn more about him, not because I was obligated, but because he was genuine even when I was trying to be passive.

"Where are you from?" I asked.

"My mom," he answered with a grin. I almost smacked his head for his sarcasm.

"Smart ass..." I noted. "Why'd you move here?"

"To meet girls like you," he answered with a straight face...but not for long. He started smiling seconds later. "I'm just kidding. It's a new place I guess? We're not from very far from here though."

"But do you like it here? Or at least at school?"

He flashed a smile at me.

"Of course," he answered. He looked down and I couldn't help but think there was a separate reason for him liking it here of all places. Maybe it had to do with the fact that he said he wasn't from very far from here. Maybe he liked it because it wasn't really that different from wherever he originally came from.

"Oh...last question," I whispered to myself. I needed to think about this one. "Why are you so nice?"

"I don't see a reason to be mean," he answered honestly, looking into my brown eyes. Suddenly, like yesterday, he took me in a hug around my waist. My arms snaked around his shoulders and he squeezed. "Alicia Lindros, I see us becoming great friends..."

"Hopefully Jasmine won't be pissed at that..." I humored, breaking my façade of the night.

"I'm sure she'll overlook it," he replied, still in the hug as his heavy head rested on my shoulder. He pulled away as I still felt his heat that produced from his body like yesterday. "I suppose I should get you home."

"Sure," I said, smiling behind his back as he stood up and offered a hand to help me up. And then he drove me to the school, where Jasmine waited for me in her old car.

"Young sir, if you did anything to mentally, physically, or emotionally harm my best friend, I will have to make a citizen's arrest," Jasmine said to Eli as I walked around to get in her car and she talked to him through his open window. Once in the car, I looked to Eli's face. Instead of scoffing or smirking like his friend Jerk-face, he smiled and replied to play along.

"I'm sorry, ma'am," he replied. "I promise I've done nothing of the sorts."

"And when the potential victim is taken into questioning and can confirm your statement, you will be free of charge," Jasmine said, hands on her hips as she tried to act threatening.

"Jasmine..." I said, warningly. "Stop grilling him. He's alright."

"Uh huh. How do I know that? I can't just have you going out with some stranger," she said as dramatic as possible when she turned to me. "Guilty until proven innocent!"

"Then I guess I'm guilty," Eli said, still looking at Jasmine even though her back was turned. I'd assume he was staring at her ass, but he's too nice for that... "But if I ever need to prove you otherwise, give me a call, Sheriff."

"I'll be sure to," she said, saluting him. "Innocence is only a privilege."

"I'd like to prove that I deserve that privilege," Eli replied to her, playing along with a smile. Wait, were they...flirting? "How about we have it proven this Saturday?"

"Alright," she said, dreamily. She coughed. "I mean...I'm sure we can schedule some sort of...session."

"Sure thing," Eli winked. He looked to me and then lightly hit his window frame and had a faint smile. "Well you girls drive safe and be sure to get home. Good night."

"Night," I replied.

"Good night..." Jasmine said, dreamily as he pulled away.

And just like that, I knew that Jasmine and Eli had it bad for each other...normally, I'd object to anyone liking her or her falling too fast, but come on? It was Eli. He was a nice boy. But...then again, all of Jasmine's boyfriends had been "sweet" at first.