"So which new boy at school do you crush on?" a post on Facebook that immediately got several likes and comments. The only one I cared about was Jasmine's because she was the first one to type "ELI

And then suddenly, I got four new friend requests.

Eli George. Chase Cane. Mason Russell. And last and most certainly least, Wes Knight. Of course I friended all of them immediately, but Wes. I noticed that none of them had a profile picture and they weren't friends with many people. Even though I'm sure they had a few dozen friend requests from girls that noticed who I was now friends with, I noticed something about them. Mason had his relationship status confirmed to being with someone, but I didn't recognize the girl's name. Eli's relationship was on there to...but with a familiar name on it: Jasmine Fisher. That was cute. But he still better not hurt her in any way. Chase's profile was interesting. He had absolutely no information on it except for him being in a relationship. But either way, I still didn't dare to look at Wes' page.

"Hey, Lili," a greeting chimed. I turned in my swivel chair to face Zoey and Jasmine.

"Are you stalking their Facebook?" Jasmine asked.

"Nope," I semi-lied.

"Sure..." she figured.

"So you and Eli?" I prompt.

"Me and Eli," she repeated with confirmation.

"How is it that you're in a relationship with someone who you haven't seen in a week?" I asked. She bit her lip. "Jasmine...?"

"I've seen him," she announced. I cocked an eyebrow. "Little bits of time...and it's not like he doesn't have a phone!"

"Jasmine..." I whined.

"Shh," she shushed because she knew what I was about to warn her about.

"Jas—"

"I think that if someone has communication with someone else, they can still have a relationship," Zoey mumbled.

"What?" I asked. She bit her lip and looked away from me. "Oh come on, Zoey. Please don't tell me you're having some secret relationship with Micah...he's a bad guy—"

"It's not Micah," she blurted.

"Oh really?"

"Yes really," she started to shout.

"Then who the hell would you be in a secret relationship with!?" I shouted.

"Chase," she answered. I stared at her. She was going out with...Chase? I was silent just like everyone else in the room. Zoey got up and left the room with a roll of her eyes. Why was she going out with Chase? All this time when I accused him of not giving a damn about some random person the first day of school, and now I find out they're going out? But then why did he pin me to the bed and...UGH. Stupid confusing boy!

***

"You and you. Come with me, now," I told firmly to Eli and Chase at school. They looked to each other and shrugged before following me.

"What the hell is your problem?!" I whisper-shouted at them once they were away from their little group. They shrugged. So I smacked their hard shoulders with my left hand. It didn't shake them.

"Are we supposed to know what you're referring to?" Eli asked, confused. I glared.

"You're. Dating. My. Best. Friends," I spoke to both of them.

"Technically, he's dating your sister," Eli said, pointing to Chase. I glared once more.

"Same difference!" I squealed.

"Why are you upset about it?" Chase asked, looking down to me.

"I'm not," I lied through my teeth. And yet suddenly, like Wes, he cornered me into the lockers, but didn't touch my waist.

"Oh really?" he whispered down to me. Not only was his breath the heavenly scent of chocolate, but it had a hint of mint to it. It was just another thing drawing me to him and now, knowing he was dating my sister, I couldn't do anything about it. "It seems like you are."

My breath was faint and I didn't know how to respond.

"Jasmine!" Eli's voice said with happiness as he took Jasmine in a hug around her waist. After looking at the uniting couple, I looked back to Chase whose face was inches from mine. With a sigh, he backed up and then it was as if he knew Zoey was coming, because he added an arm around her shoulders when she arrived from down the hall. I watched as the two couples walked away.

"You're jealous," a voice said down to me. I looked up at the person I hated most.

"Leave me alone," I said as I walked away from him.

"Hey—" he said as he grabbed my arm. I jerked out of his grasp even though his address towards me seemed like concern after his little taunting went unnoticed due to my frustration with Eli and Chase.

"Look. If you're messing with me to see my reaction, you've succeeded, okay? Be a jerk to me. Be the biggest asshole in the world out of hatred or boredom—whatever. I don't care," I told him, looking into his dark blue eyes that seemed almost black. "So might as well just stay away from me."

I walked off and hoped to God that he would oblige.

During the week, Eli and Jasmine went strong even though every girl interested in Eli was jealous. Eli was basically my best guy friend. He was just that awesome. He and Jasmine deserved each other. Chase and Zoey were weird though. During school, they didn't really show any affection, but they talked side-by-side and hung out after and before school sometimes. He still stared at me occasionally. Since he and Wes had the most classes with me, it got sort of strange. Chase with his strange behavior and Wes with his two-way silent treatment with me. And then came English class on Thursday.

"So this group's paper was...interesting," our teacher told us. We all shrugged as our arms were crossed.

"You boys weren't even in school last week, so how was it possible for Alicia to write this paper?"

"Via Phone?" Mason answered.

"Via Facebook?" Chase muttered.

"Via Text Message?" Eli added.

"Dude. That's what phone means," Mason said, hitting Eli's shoulder.

"With a broken hand?" our teacher asked.

"We typed it for her," Wes lied.

"Right..." our teacher said doubtful. "There's another paper due this Monday—"

"This Monday?" I asked. I know it was five days away, but considering that I only talked to these people in school, it only gave me until Friday.

"—and you need to write about a memory that you had together," our teacher finished.

"Easy," Mason replied.

"That you all had together," our teacher rephrased.

"But we haven't had any memories all together," I reasoned.

"We sit in class together..." Wes grumbled.

"Go out. Have fun at the park or movies. Throw a party. Anything," Teacher-man suggested. With them? Yeah right. As if they even go out in public...let alone with me. Our teacher walked off with a stressful sigh that matched my own.

"Well we are having that—" Eli started.

"No," Chase shot down.

"Having what?" I asked.

"A party—"

"I said no," Chase repeated.

"Chase, I think it would be a good idea," Mason said.

"What a good idea?" I asked, clueless. Oh no. These boys and their ideas.

"Mason, I said—"

"A friend of ours is throwing a small party on Friday, maybe you should come," Eli interrupted.

"I wouldn't want to go to someone's party who I don't know..." I said sarcastically.

"You would know us," Eli reminded.

"And?"

"And that's enough for you to go," Mason added.

"Eh..."

"I still don't think she should go—"

"It's her choice," Wes cut-in. He flashed his eyes to me.

"Well I mean, honestly, I don't want to be some place with people I don't know except for you guys. It'd be so awkward," I started. "And if you don't want me to go, then I won't."

Chase sighed out of stress, just like our teacher.

"Fine," he said out of nowhere.

"Wait what?" Wes and I asked at the same time. He looked to both of us.

"You can go to the party...under one condition," he clarified.

"Um alright," I allowed.

"We'll be your escort," he said. My eyes widened.

"Oh no, no, no, no, no," I denied. The four boys sighed at my stubbornness.

"Why not?" Eli asked. "We'll show you around at different times. That way, no one should question why you're there."

"Eh..." I whimpered. Chase got up and walked over to my desk. Just like Wes had, on the first day of school, he blocked me into the desk. He placed his lips at my ear.

"So you're gonna let all the boys have their own hang-out time with you, but me?" he whispered. He started to ease up and then I grabbed the front of his shirt to pull him down.

"Considering that you're dating my sister, I'm sure she can tell you all that you need to know," I reminded. He pulled up to look at me with his eyebrows pulled together.

"You're going," Eli insisted.

"You know what? Fine," I spat at them.

"Great. A family outing with Alicia," Wes commented sarcastically as he stretched his arms out above his head as if to celebrate facetiously.

"And I'll be sure to make the most of it..." I thought I heard Chase whisper. But when I looked up, it was as if no one said anything.