“Am I ugly?” I don’t know why I suddenly blurted that question out to Nora as we stood before the mirrors in the JCPenny’s fitting room. We were clad in prom dresses even though neither of us had gone to a prom since our senior year. We had left the food court and wandered for a while before seeing the prom dresses in JCPenny’s. I had always liked trying them on and since I was in such a foul mood and needed a lift we grabbed a load of them in different colors and styles and went to the fitting rooms to goof off and try them on.

Right now I was in a floor length, sparkling, forest green number that was strapless, with a corset bodice and pleated skirt. It had a slit up the left side that was far too high to be modest as it ended three quarters of the way up my thigh. I looked myself over and frowned deeply. I knew I wasn’t the prettiest girl in the world, but I had never thought of myself as ugly. Maybe I’d always been overconfident in my looks, deluded… My hair was a brownish color with red tints in some areas. My eyes were a dark blue-grey. I wasn’t skinny, but at a size ten you could hardly say I was fat either. My skin was rather pale – which might not have been overly attractive – I just didn’t tan. Even as I reevaluated my appearance I still didn’t think I was ugly and in the dress I thought I looked pretty damn hot.

“Why would you ask me that? Of course you aren’t ugly, you idiot.” Nora rolled her eyes at me and looked me up and down. “If you mean in that dress, hell no. I did like the blue one better, but that one still looks amazing on you.”

“I meant in general. I don’t know. It’s just that Macen had that tone to his voice earlier… I just got the impression that he thinks I’m unattractive. Ugly.” I shrugged and ran my hands over the dress idly.

“Oh, please. If he sounded like that – which I don’t think he did – it’d only be to get under your skin… which seems to be working.” She raised an eyebrow and scrutinized my facial expression thoroughly. “Why do you care, anyway? You were the one who rejected him…”

“I don’t care… I was just wondering if I wasn’t as pretty as I thought or if he was mental. Clearly, according to you, he’s just mental.” I rolled my eyes and avoided her gaze as she ‘mhmm’ and walked back into her dressing room to change. I sighed and did the same until I had exhausted my selection of dresses, bought one for no good reason, and then headed home later that evening.

-#-

I pulled into my driveway and stared at the car parked on the street in front of my house. It was a champagne colored SUV that I didn’t recognize. Maybe a friend of my father’s. I didn’t think much of it until I got into the house and saw my mother pouring cups of iced tea for four.

“Oh good, you are home! I thought you would be soon so I poured you a glass.” She motioned to the four she had before her.

“Who’s here?”

“Hm? Oh, just Macen. He offered to help your father with some yard work.” She said it so casually I almost just nodded and walked away, but then her words hit me. Macen? Macen was at my house… her had offered to do yard work. What. The. Hell.

“What?!” I nearly screeched. My mother winced and then smiled lightly.

“Macen was over this afternoon helping your father move some antennae and clear out some brush from the back yard. They just finished up for the day.”

“Why is he here?”

“I just told you…” She said, sounding a bit as if she thought I was mentally challenged. You know, speaking slowly and clearly.

“I mean why did he offer to help dad with some yard work?! Why did he know dad might need help?!”

“Oh, well I talked to him before your meeting with him – since it was at a concert I wanted to make sure you’d somehow find each other – and we got along well. He’s really a nice boy, despite what you think. Anyway, I’ve still been keeping in touch and we got onto the subject of homes and I mentioned how your father was doing a lot of work on the yard lately and he offered to help some time. So he came over today and did just that.”

I stared at her, my jaw slack and my eyes wide. “Are you trying to ruin my life?” I asked her as I recovered from my shock. The calmness and sincerity was clear on every syllable. I was dead serious when I asked. I honestly thought she was trying to ruin my life.

“I am not trying to ruin your life. He offered to help do some yard work so I let him! Just because you don’t seem to get along with him – because of your own poor attitude – does not mean everyone has to hate him, Asabella!” She hissed and grabbed a tray, putting the drinks on it. She then shoved the tray at me and walked to the patio. “Bring those out.”

“Hell no!”

“Do it, or I’ll stop paying your tuition.” I paled and glared at her retreating for. She wouldn’t really stop paying… not over something as stupid as me refusing to bring out a tray of drinks, but somehow I was so shocked that I ended up following behind her gawking.

My shock subsided as I descended the last step onto the brick patio. My eyes immediately fell to Macen who looked torn between amusement and something else – probably annoyance. I walked over, shifting my gaze from him to my father, and put the tray down before grabbing my own glass and heading straight for inside.

“Asabella, hun.” I stopped in my tracks and turned to look at my father, forcing a smile.

“Yeah?”

“Stay and chat. I haven’t seen you all day.”

“It’s one day dad. I’ll talk to you later.” I laughed and took another step, only to be stopped again.

“But I’ve got a meeting later and work all week. I haven’t had a proper conversation with my little girl since Christmas!” I cringed and sighed, my shoulders slumping.

“Alright. Fine.” I turned back around and took a seat at the glass patio table – the only one left – which was between my father and Macen and across from my mother. Joy. I looked to my father, waiting expectantly for him to start our conversation so it could be over that much sooner. He just smiled and sipped at his iced tea. “So… how’ve you been, dad?”

“Good. Busy with work, but good.” I nodded. “How’s college been?”

“Uni has been uni. It’s boring classes and tons of pointless work, like usual.” I laughed half-heartedly and took a long draw from my glass.

“And London? Have you gotten situated yet?”

“London? As in London, England?” Macen interrupted, sounded intrigued. I didn’t answer, but I didn’t have to. My mother broke in.

“Oh, yes! I never mentioned that, did I? Well, no… I figured she’d mention it herself in conversation with you, but that didn’t go as planned, now did it?” She smiled, but still managed to glare at me at the same time. “Asabella goes to an American school in London.”

“That’s cool.” And for once Macen sounded genuine as he said something positive. From the corner of my eye I could even see him smiling a bit. I scowled and shrugged.

“It’s alright. London isn’t all that exciting though. Now that I’ve made friends over there I have more to do, but when I first got there all I did was sit around on my laptop all day and surf the web. And when it rains there it’s dreadful. It’s all gray and dull.”

“I think the last time I talked to you, you were going to a concert over there. How was that?” My dad asked, his eyes darting to Macen as he mentioned concerts.

“Wonderful. Concerts in London are by far the best.” I smirked a little before continuing. “Never seen a good concert here in the states really. I mean, they’re alright, but the concerts in England are amazing!”

Macen glared briefly at me as I chanced looking at him. My smirk widened and I rolled my eyes.

“Asabella, don’t be rude.” My mother interjected. I frowned at her and shrugged.

“I wasn’t trying to be. I was only being honest.” I was so totally trying to be rude.

“That’s enough.” She warned. I sipped at my iced tea and looked away indifferently. “So Macen, what are you doing for dinner tonight? If you don’t have any plans, why don’t you stay? I’m making fried ravioli and spaghetti Bolognese.”

“I’d love to.” I nearly choked on my drink as he replied. He’d love to? Who was he trying to kid? Where was the ‘but sadly I can’t’? He just said ‘I’d love to’ and smiled brightly at her while drinking.

“I think I’m going out--“

“No you’re not. You’re going to help me and then you’re going to stay and be polite.” Honestly. My mother was trying to ruin my life. She knew I couldn’t stand Macen, but she still tried to get me to be nice and spend time with him. What I wouldn’t do to have been born to another family…

-#-

Dinner wasn’t bad. Macen carried on a light conversation with my father about electronics and computers while I had a glaring match with my mother. I had hoped that would be the end of that, but my mother invited Macen to stay for dessert which she traditionally didn’t serve for an hour or two after the main meal – to let our stomachs settle. She then promptly grabbed my father and led him away after Macen agreed to (with much coaxing on my mother’s part).

Thus I ended up stranded in the living room with Macen and I staring anywhere but at each other. After a minute I started heading for my room, but Macen grabbed my arm. It wasn’t forceful or tight, he just gently grasped my forearm to indicate that he wanted me to stop… and for whatever insane reason – I did. “What?” I asked, turning back to look at him.

“Well, you aren’t going to just leave me in your living room alone are you?” He asked. He sounded offended, but maybe even a little worried. Not enough for me be positive of it though. I raised an eyebrow. “It’s not polite and it’d be awkward.”

“In case you haven’t noticed I don’t like you and thus I am not polite to you. I also could care less if you found it awkward to be left alone in my living room.” I rolled my eyes, pulled my arm away, and headed for my room again. I bounded up the stairs, but was acutely aware that he had followed me. As I reached my room I hurried to enter and shut the door, but he managed to slip in right behind me so that I was too late to shut him out. “What are you doing? Get out!”

“Why? You’re the hostess. You’re supposed to keep me company and keep me entertained.” He smirked in a cocky manner. I wanted to slap the look right off his face.

“I am not the hostess. My mother is. Go find her.”

“I’d rather bug you.”

“Well, you’ve succeeded so you can go now.”

“I’m not done yet.” He stated calmly, stepping forward and pushing my bedroom door shut. I glared at him, but he was unphased as he moved closer and pinned me to the door he had just closed.

“Let go of me, you fucking psycho!” I yelled. He just leaned in closer, causing my breath to hitch in my windpipe. I opened my mouth to say more, but he just kept smoothly inching closer and closer. I knew my face had to be bright red. He was smirking more and more. There was mirth glittering in his emerald eyes. I fully expected this to be when he stopped and laughed at me. I expected him to pull away, make some smart ass remark, and then leave.

He didn’t.

In a split second his lips connected with mine. I was so stunned I couldn’t move. My whole body just froze, rigid against the door. His hands found my waist and he pulled me up against him, never breaking the kiss. I didn’t know what to do. My brain wasn’t functioning. His lips just moved against mine in a way I was wholly unaccustomed to and meanwhile I remained as still as a statue.

When his hands fell lower and held my butt, only to squeeze it a minute later, I finally snapped out of my daze with a gasp. Macen didn’t waste time in taking advantage of said gasp to slip his tongue into my mouth.

And that was the end of that.

I pulled away in horror and stumbled backward until I hit the door hard. He stared at me in confusion a moment and then a mask of amusement slid over his handsome features. I was touching my lips in uncertainty and disbelief and he started laughing. Thankfully his laughter ignited my anger and helped me forget my embarrassment. I glared and balled my hands into fists. “Get. The. Hell. Out.” I hissed through clenched teeth.

“Aw, don’t be angry. You know you liked it.” He teased, his cocky smirk back in place.

“Get out!” I shrieked.

“I can’t.” He retorted with ease.

“Why the hell not?!”

“You’re standing in my way.”

I looked behind me to see the door, which I was blocking, and then turned back to him with fire in my eyes (and on my cheeks) as I moved out of the way and he casually opened the door and sauntered out.

“If you ever want a repeat session – just ask.” He winked and caused me to flush. That only made the smirk on his lips widen. I slammed the door in his face and refused to come out for the rest of the night.

A/N: Sorry that nothing much happens in this chapter. It was sort of just a filler... And I know it was also pretty short. I'll try and make the next one longer and more interesting/action (or snappy dialog) packed.