"See the world as it is, not as you wish it would be"

― E. Lockhart, We Were Liars

"Now," Isabell smirked and brushed passed me. I closed my locker and glared her.

Last night she dared me to ask out Jasper to Winter Ball. Which I did not want to do. Even though I wanted to be friends with this kid, he did scare me. A lot.

I grabbed her arm and pulled her to me. "I can't."

"Why? Nervous?"

"No." I said. "Annoyed."

"Aw, come on. I'm pretty sure he'll say no anyway. You won't even have to go with him."

She was right. Jasper didn't in fact like me. Let along did he want to go to a public dance with me? Maybe I should ask him to get it over with.

"You know what? Fine. I'll do it, just to shut you up."

Isabell smirked and threw her soccer bag over her shoulder. "Pleasure doing business with ya, love." With that, she disappeared into the large crowd.

I was headed on my way to the Math when I was stopped by some blonde chick wearing the shortest dress I've seen. She flipped her hair and smiled at me. "Hi."

"Ugh, hi?"

"Your Ryan right?" I nodded and she smirked. "The girl who killed her father."

Here we go.

"And who are you? The girl who's a major slut?" I shot back. She frowned and crossed her arms.

"You have no idea who I am do you?"

"I think I just made myself pretty clear, no?"

The blonde shook her head and eyed me. "I'm not the one who killed my father. Why did you even come back? The embarrassment and guilt wasn't enough for you? How does it feel?" She asked. "Watching your father beg for his life right in front of you? You killed him cold-blood."

I clenched my fist and fought back the tears. No, they weren't tears of sadness. But tears of frustration. I was seconds from punching her in the nose.

Opening my mouth to say something, I was soon cut off by a very familiar accent. "Cindy, shut the fück up. Just shut the fück up."

I turned around to see Jasper glaring at the blonde.

"This has nothing to do with-"

"Cindy," He took a step forward. His lips were set in a firm line and his jaw was tight. "I swear to God, I will make you."

The blonde took a step back and turned her attention to me. "Having the bad boy fighting your battles, huh? How cute. Ihre wertlos." She rolled her eyes and walked in the other direction.

I frowned and looked up at Jasper. He pushed his slick hair back and groaned, walking pass me.

"Wait!" I called out. Only Jasper didn't turn around. Instead he pushed passed everyone. Where was he going? Our class was two doors away.

I didn't bother to ask, I just went on and followed him.

"Why the fück are you still here?" Jasper snapped, turning around lighting a cigarette.

"I was calling your name. You just kept walking."

He blew on his cigarette and eyed me. "Thank you for stating out the obvious."

How was I going to ask him to Winter Ball?

"Why did you say what you did back there? To that girl?"

"Because that girl, is fücking unbelievable and I hate her."

"Hate is a very strong word."

"And?"

I shook my head. "I just wanted to say thank you. That's all."

Jasper twisted the cigarettes between his fingers and shrugged. "You said it, bye."

What was wrong with this kid?

"And to think I had to ask you to Winter Ball." I mumbled turning on my heel. I didn't go very far until I felt a tight grip on latch on my arm.

"Repeat that, Blue."

Crap. He heard me.

"N-Nothing I said nothing." I tried breaking free of his hold, but I couldn't.

"You said something. What was it?"

"Nothing." I spat. "Now can you let go of my arm? You have a tight grip." Only he didn't. Instead he made the grip tighter. He cocked his head waiting for me to answer. "Will you go to Winter Ball with me?"

He smirked and let go of my grip. "What? Chasing the tatted guy now?"

I frowned and shook my head. "Anything but that."

Jasper licked his pink lips and threw the bud on the ground. He pushed his hair back into place and shoved his hands in his pockets. "Do you not understand it when I say, I don't necessarily like you?"

That hurt..

"Your not such a charmer either, Jasper."

He rolled his eyes. "Leave me alone, Blue." He said. "And tell your fücking friend that was a stupid dare of hers."

How did- how did he know?

**

Through out the whole day I couldn't focus right. Isabell and I arranged the dare at my house, late at night. And also this morning, but he wasn't no where around, was he?

Surely Bell would've told me if he was just lingering around..

"So," Someone bumped me. "How'd it go?" I looked up and saw Bell standing over me smiling.

I rolled my eyes and looked back down at my book. "I asked him."

She screamed and pushed my shoulder, almost making me tilt over. "No fücking way? What did he say?"

"Nothing, just that-"

"Ssh!" Some random red-haired said as she passed us with her nose stuck into a book.

"Oh, shut the-" I clamped my hand over Bell's mouth before she got to say another word. Looking over the red-haired girl, I mumbled a 'sorry' and she rolled her eyes while continuing to keep walking.

I felt something wet move across my palm and drew my hand back quickly. Glaring at Bell, I cleaned my hand. "Are you sick?"

She didn't know where my hands have been, and she just decides to lick them? Not that my hands are dirty, its just strange that she would do something like that.

"No," She laughed. "But that fücking book wasn't that dämn interesting. She was reading Harry Potter. The lamest shît ever."

I honestly had nothing against Harry Potter. I've never read the books, nor have I watched the movies. I always skipped past them. So, I have nothing to say.

"Now, where the fück was I?" Bell asked rubbing her chin with a smirk on her face. "Oh! Jasper. What'd he say?"

"Nothing."

"Nothing?"

"Nothing." I repeated.

"So, he just ignored you? Some nerve that-"

"He didn't ignore me. Not really, but he dodged the question and said something else."

Bell rolled her eyes and groaned. "What it is with...guys." Bell words seem to drift off. I looked over at her and followed her gaze. There was that Thayer kid. He walked in like he'd never been inside an Library before.

"Go ahead and talk to him." I nudged her.

"What?" She gasped. "Are you crazy? I can't just walk to up Thayer Smith. People just don't walk up to him."

He's not freaking God, Bell.

"And why's not? People aren't 'talking' to him are they? No. Just you."

"How do you know if I'm the only girl Thayer is talking to? If he's anything like Jasper he has more than a hand full of girls blowing up his phone."

"I'm not so sure about that, I mean I just got here, but I see that almost everyone is afraid of Thayer, Jasper, and Ethan." I said. "And that includes girls."

Expect for that one girl Cindy.. Who was she? The Queen Bee or something?

"That's besides the point. Those guys have girls numbers on speed dial. If they tell a girl to jump, she'll do so."

Not me.

I stood up from my seat and Bell grabbed my hand. "What are you doing?" She asked with panic in her voice.

Grabbing my things I jerked my hand away and smiled down at her. "If you wont talk to him, then I will."

"What? No!" Before she could stop me again, I strutted off toward to Thayer, who was frowning upon a shelf of books. Cooking books at that.

"Thayer right?"

He ran his fingers over the base of the books never looking up, "Who's asking?"

"Ryan."

I saw him frown again. "Ryan?" He straightens up. Once he looked up at me, he rolled his eyes and groaned. "You."

I gave him a smile and nodded. "Yes me."

"What the fück do you want?" He growled.

"I couldn't help but notice your in the cooking section.." He raised an eyebrow and shook his head.

"That explains a lot. No wonder why I couldn't find a book on King Author."

King Author? Oh, that's easy.

"I actually know someone who is a master on that subject." I smiled.

Thayer cocked his head and eyed me. "I don't necessarily like you."

A ringer for Jasper, eh?

"I know that-"

"Then you should get the fück out of my face." He leaned forward and whispered something in my ear. "If I see you anywhere near those fights again, I swear you'll regret it."

Fights? Oh- the underground fighting.

"Ethan invited me."

Thayer rolled his eyes and clenched his fist. "And it was pretty stupid of you to tag along." He said. "This isn't your typical underground fight baby."