“So how much did Jake see?” Amy asks with a smirk as she looks at me then the road. The first five minutes were silent when we got into the jeep, but I guess now she’s breaking the silence. I ease up and smile a little. “Just my underwear. And I had a shirt on.” I say looking forward. She gawks her head back as though she thought it stupid. “That’s it? He was as red as a tomato, and that was all he had seen? Jesus, he made it seem like he saw you in your birthday suit.” She said, and we both laugh. She then shrugs and continues. “Then again, it may have been because Cole’s warning.” I look at her, “Warning?” I ask confused. She nods. “Yep. He said girls have to play nice, and guys have to back off. Well, the guys and me.” She says looking at me with a wink. Annnd she’s a lesbian. I can’t help but laugh.

She smiles and nudges me. “There we go! A real smile finally.” She says amused looking at the road. “Why would he have to tell you guys that though?” I ask not really sure what I was even asking anymore. I can’t think of what it really was I was asking. She looks at me with a raised eyebrow as though she were surprised I don’t already know. “You do realize how attractive you are right? And just like with Blake, the guys totally want to fu-” she cuts herself off from cursing- for my sake? “I mean, screw the alpha male’s girls.” she says and this time it's my turn to gawk at what I thought stupid. “Alpha male’s girls, as in his girls? Connor’s?” I say, and she nods. I frown rolling my eyes. “I belong to no one.” I growl looking out the window. She laughs and nods in a whatever-you-want gesture, and with that whatever-you-say tone she said “O-kay…”

“Hey, Amy?” I look back to her. “What is it reeses pieces?” She says and I fight a smile. “How am I involved in all this?” I ask in a small voice. Her lips pressed together, and I know it's in sign that she knew. “Cole hasn’t told you?” She asks in a low tone. I shake my head. “Sorry, I can’t say then.” She says in a sad voice. I nod in understanding and look around, recognizing the area we were in. “Uh, can you stop here?” I say, and she frowns. “This isn’t where you live though.” She says and I nod. “I know. A friend of mine does. Don’t worry, tell Connor you dropped me off at home if you want.” I say as she parks and I get out. Closing the door she shakes her head. “Can’t lie to the alpha En.” She shortened my nickname which was odd since my name was Enicabie, Enic for short, and she now just shortened it even more. I nod and turn on my heal. “Be careful Reeses!” She calls as I start walking towards a large two story house. I knock on a large gray door that opens after a long moment. “Enic!? It’s so nice to see you. Where you been? How are you? You never answered my texts or calls.” A low but geek-ish voice says.

It's Claude. Before the accident, he was like the older brother I never got. After the accident though, I just couldn’t stand to see any of my friends other than Milani. I didn’t even see Isaiah much, and I live with him now. Claude pulls me into a big hug. Just like everyone else, other than Blake it seems, he towers over me. He had perfect peach colored skin, sandy brown hair, and green-blue eyes. His jaw strong just like him. His figure bulky from working. His lips were pink and full. Not only that but he was also rich. He was a perfect guy and every girl thought he was hot at school. And I’m sure that if it weren’t for the fact that I knew him when he was the exact opposite of who he is now, I’d probably have a crush on him too. But no. To me, he still looks like the sweet kid I hung out with in wood-shop class in the seventh grade. The geeky one that still had his baby face and braces and struggled with keeping acne away. He's still nice but in public he was the perfect… “fuck-boy! Just say it Enic. You know that’s the only word for it!” I can hear Milani say.

It's true. In public he was full of himself and teased others and flirted with random girls. His smile never faltered in the public's eye. Not even in front of his parents did he do anymore than a frown. I’ve seen past that though. When we were younger he was picked on a lot for a stutter he had when he was shy, or his baby fat, or even his braces when they had food stuck in them. A week or so after I had met him, I saw three guys picking on him on my way to class for the first time. I hated the look on his face. It was embarrassment, sadness, and shamefulness all rolled in one look.

I had yelled at the guys for it and told them to stop. They were shocked at the moment. My guess is because no one had probably stood up to them before. Let alone a small girl half their size. They had said something about me but only in a whisper. I had asked if Claude was okay and when he said yes, I left. That memory is one of the few memories that have been burned into my brain. “Sorry. I was-” I say but Claude cuts me off with a shake of his head. “Don’t worry about it. It’s okay. I’m just glad to see you. You weren’t at school the first day. We have a class together.” he says with a smile as he leads me into the big house. “We do? Sweet.” I say looking around as he closes the door. I haven’t been here in a long time. We used to study together and work on wood-shop projects together.

“So what brings you here?” He asks walking up a staircase. I follow him up, chatting as we walk. “Nothing really. Just missed your geek-ness.” I say with a smirk. “Ah I think you mean my good looks.” He says as we step into his bedroom. He closes his door and I sit at a spinning chair that's set at a desk. There's some papers on it but I don’t pay any attention to them. He sits across from me on the foot of a large queen size bed. “Right. Cause you’re such a looker.” I say with a laugh. He rolls his eyes then frowns. “How are you?” He asks, and I know what he's referring to. “Fine.” I say looking down. The hardwood floor is so shiny I can almost see my reflection in it. “How’s it been with your parents? Still fighting?” I ask him and he shakes his head. “Nah, they’re getting a divorce.” he says laying back on his bed. “Thank god!” I say with exasperation. He sits up smiling. “I know right! Took them five years but they finally became smarter.” He says standing up and walking over to a cameo print beanbag chair that sits next to another blue beanbag chair that had a rose pattern on it. I sit in that one. It was- is- mine. “So...Connor Neige huh?” Claude says with a smirk. I scowl at him, leaning over and hitting his arm.

Aside from me, and occasionally Milani, Claude was the only person that calls Connor by his name. Well, usually. “No! He’s a complete jerk. You of all people should know that.” I say looking at him knowingly.

Yep. Unlike with Milani, I told Claude how heart broken I really was when Connor broke up with me last year. I told Milani I was hurt but that I was fine. I gave her the sum of it because I felt she didn’t really like when I- or anyone really- complained about relationship problems. With Claude, he asked me if I was doing okay once a day for the whole week. Every day I got better, and by the end of the week, he stopped asking, and I had gotten over it.

“Well how long do you plan on staying? I can drive you home if you need a ride?” He asks and I nod. “I have a little less than an hour. Wanna watch a horror movie?” I say with a smile. He smiles back and nods getting up. “Yeah. You put the movie in. There’s some leftover pizza in the fridge. I’ll warm it up.” He says walking out. I stand up and walk over to a little cabinet under the TV we sat in front of and look through the movies he has. Some were new since the last time I came over. The rest we had watched at least three times each. I pulled out The Grudge and pop it into his Xbox One, turning on the TV. He returns a moment later and we sit in the dark room eating pizza, both of us trying to scare the other throughout the movie. After thirty minutes, his mom walks in.

“What is going on in here? Sounds like someone is getting murdered!” She says and we both look back at her. On the TV it showed someone screaming as they ran away from something. His mother frowns, “No wonder. Someone is getting murdered.” She says and the three of us laugh. His mom is nice and always loved me. Claude’s father on the other hand, absolutely hated my very existence. He said I keep Claude away from family and school, when in all reality it was Claude who keeps me in school. Can't deny I kept him from family though. Or better said, I was there when he didn't want to be with family.

“Are you spending the night Enic? We have a spare room now.” I’m guessing Mr. Elkon’s Office is now the spare room. I shake my head. “No thanks Jane. I should be getting home soon.” I say getting up. She smiles at me and nods. “Alright. It’s good to see you dear. How have you been lately?” She asks me. “I’ve been doing good, thanks.” I say, hearing Claude standing up. The sound of metal scrapes against wood, and I know he's grabbing his car keys. “I’m gonna drop her off, okay mom?” He says walking ahead. Jane nods and steps aside letting him pass. “It was nice seeing you. Come back any time. You can even spend the night if you’d like. Where are you staying right now?” She asks tilting her head. “Oh. I live with a friend of mine and his mom.” I say walking out of the room. She nods. “Ah, that’s nice of them. If you or them need any help with money or anything else, just come to me, alright?” She says touching a hand to my shoulder, a gesture of support. I nod and walk down the stairs, catching up with Claude.