We sat in the living room waiting to put our plan into action. Jared sat beside me and we were resting up before we started. I leaned against him and his arm was around me, holding me to him. "This is nice," he whispered in my ear. I just nodded.

"Will you two cut it out?" Bentley groaned.

"We’re just sitting together!" I exclaimed.

Jared grinned. "Oh shut up Bentley."

I smiled. "We don’t need your shit."

"So what’s this prank?"

I grinned more, if possible. "You’ll see my dear man, you shall see."

There was one problem. "I’m faced with a decision."

"What is it?" Jared asked me.

"My mom asked me the other night if I want to return home next year. I don’t know."

"You’re welcome here," Jared reminded me.

"I know," I said, "but you won’t be here."

"I’m going to be twenty minutes away, hun," he reminded me. "I will be staying at home."

I nodded softly. "We’ll talk later," I told him, unwrapping myself from his arms. "Let’s do this shit."

It was just going to be Bentley, Jared, and I this time. I bit my lip in anticipation. Much to the guy’s delight, I had decided to wear the black leather pants for this mission, but for an entirely different reason. This time I wasn’t trying to not get caught. This was about getting even, not pulling off a complicated prank and hide for hours afterwards, hoping I wouldn’t be caught. I needed to stand her up and look good, thus the leather pants and rather skimpy top that I’d borrowed from Skye.

We headed for Jared’s car and he drove us to the large warehouse where this shit was gonna take place. Entering through the back, so no one would see us, we went inside. Bentley’s dad owned this place, and needless to say we were in there after hours. I knew we shouldn’t be there, but it was just too good of a location for a prank. I couldn’t help it.

Bentley had called Rachel earlier and invited her to a party. Heh…party my ass. It would be highly celebrated when we were done though. Bentley cranked up some music on a boom box that he’d brought. The warehouse was dark, except for one single light in the middle of the place.

Let’s just say it was about to get reaaaaaaal good.

I heard someone enter and call out hello. I held back an evil smile. She was there.

Her footsteps echoed in the empty warehouse and she stepped up into the light, calling out for anyone who was there, claiming it was some sick prank. I tried to hold in my laughter, but I couldn’t help it. I felt evil laughter burst from myself and someone grabbed my arm to silence me. I knew it was Jared just from his touch. I couldn’t help it, I laughed more.

"Who is that?" Rachel demanded.

"Oh honey, you’re done for," Bentley shouted and the next thing I knew, he’d pulled a string and there was a huge vat of honey dumped upon the poor prep. She let out a scream, but just stood there. Now let’s see…wouldn’t you have moved? Isn’t that the clever thing to do?

We could have stopped there, we really could have, but I just couldn’t help it. I was going to get my two cents into this and make damn sure that she knew who I was and that Jared wasn’t leaving me anytime soon.

I stepped forward into the light and glared at her. Her mouth opened in shock.

"You know, hadn’t you just stayed away from him, I wouldn’t have had to have my guys do that, but you know what? You didn’t know when was enough, so I’m telling you myself…BACK OFF. Jared is mine, bitch and if you dare try to talk to him again, I will make sure that something much worse than a bit of honey gets in the way," I warned.

Rachel just steamed even more. "He’s mine!" she screamed.

"No he’s not!" I yelled right back. "I know you were given the chance and didn’t take it! So fuck off and go screw someone else! You’ll never have him!"

"And what makes you think he’d stay with you?"

Oh no. Good question…however, the answer was clear to me. "He loves me," I told her simply. "He loves ME and not you, so that’s why."

I turned to leave and she didn’t say anything. Instead she kicked some of the honey that was pooled at her feet in my direction. I turned slowly.

"Do it," I shouted, getting out of the way quickly. A second bucket fell in her direction…this time ants covered her and I had to laugh. I wouldn’t have normally gone that far, but she’d pissed me off.

Jared and I stayed behind to clean up that night. Rachel left in a screaming rampage and Bentley had gone to go hang out with Skye. Those two were on the road to becoming more than friends. The single light was still on and I walked around in the dark, trying to put the mop back in its place, when I felt a pair of strong arms wrap around my waist. I sighed happily.

"I love you, huh?" he whispered. His breath tickled my neck.

"Jared, I said it because…"

"Shhhh…" he said even quieter. "You weren’t lying."

I turned quickly. "What?"

I couldn’t see his face but knew he was grinning. "Come on, let’s get you home. You’ve got to be freezing in those clothes."

Jared and I sat on the beach in his backyard. He was lying, holding me, on a blanket in the sand. "So what are you going to do?" he asked me. I looked up at the stars above.

"About what?" I asked.

"About staying next year."

I shrugged. "I don’t know what I want to do."

"That’s not it, entirely. I know you aren’t telling me something."

"There is one more thing…" I trailed off. "But if I say it, I don’t want you to get mad at me."

"I won’t," he whispered.

"I need to know that there’s a reason for me to stay here," I insisted. "I don’t want to be here, just to be here. I have this thing where something has to be tying me down."

"Is this about us?"

I nodded slowly. "Yes. I want to know that you will still want me here next year."

"I told you…"

"I want you to tell me you want me here, that you still want to be a part of us, or else I’m going to be going home."

"I thought you knew…"

"Jared," I started. "I honestly have never felt this way about a boy before. I think I’m in love with you, but I’ve never been in love, so I’m not sure and I want to keep us together so I can figure it out and if it is love, then we can still be together, but if…"

"Shhhh…" he said, grinning, silencing me by putting a finger over my lips. "I love you," he stated boldly. I looked into his eyes and saw nothing but honesty. "I want you here more than anything in the entire world, but if you feel you have to go home…" He stopped a minute. "I’m not going to lie and say that we can try this long distance thing. It’s torn people apart and I just…if you’re going to leave, then you’re leaving me behind. I know that’s a terrible thought…but…"

"I get what you’re saying."

"I just wish you’d choose to stay here, because losing you would be the most awful thing I think I could go through."

"Why?" I asked, curious to know.

"I love you," he repeated. "I love you more than life itself. Whatever I felt for Rachel was just…it was nothing, I realize now. What I feel for you is real and incredible and…I just feel like I can live when I’m with you."

I smiled. "I’m not ready to say it back," I told him. "I need to be totally sure that that is what I’m feeling," I said honestly. "But trust me when I say that I’m damn near close Jared. I made my decision."

His eyes looked hopeful. "And…"

"I’m going to stay."

He grinned. "Gonna test out the waters?"

"You could say that."

He laughed. "I’m going to give you as much time as you need. I know how hard it is to say those words."

Silence passed between us for a moment. "How do you do it?" I asked.

"Do what?"

"How are you so good at this?"

Jared laughed. "If you had my dad as your father, you’d be patient."

"What ended up happening there?"

Jared shrugged. "They’re getting married. It’s not like I’ll be able to stop them. I’ll just avoid that situation as much as possible."

I nodded. We fell into a comfortable silence this time and the next thing I knew, Jared’s lips were on mine.

I might not have been able to tell him I loved him yet…but I knew I felt it. It would take time and some courage…but hey…I’ve got time now. I’ve got all the time in the world.

Finished on October 15, 2002.

Julie E. Miller

Author’s Note: Well that took me long enough to get up! Sorry about the delay! I hope the ending is alrite…I suck at endings, trust me on that one. Hmmmm…what else to say…oh yeah! Thanks to anyone who read and reviewed this! It means a lot to me! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!