A/N: I couldn¡¦t resist. That chapter I wrote the first time was way too serious¡Kso I decided to go all out. This is the alternative ending to Innocent Love. Thank you everybody for all the reviews and support you gave me. I thank you so much.

::Chapter Fifteen::

~~The Beach~~

I blinked back at the note and read it a few more times to make sure I wasn't hallucinating. Brian was asking me out? I couldn't sit up here forever and not throw a pebble down. He'd probably still be waiting there for my answer. I had no one to talk to about this right now because it's in the middle of the night and everyone's sleeping. Then I thought about back at the hospital. I had said I loved him. I loved Brian. Was that true? Or was that just some crap I made up? The answer was obvious. Yes, I did love him, which was kind of new for me. I did not know what this feeling meant. He said he was in love with me. His statement had been running through my mind over and over again this whole day. Suddenly, everything became obvious. The sparks I received from touching him, the awkward feelings I had towards him, his actions towards me, his jealousy about Jorge...everything became clear to me. I had been so blind. I hadn't seen these signs the whole time. Brian loved me. And I loved him. I knew at that moment exactly which pebble to throw back. I picked up the pink pebble and threw it out the window.

A few seconds later I heard a somewhat loud clonk and then a "OW!" I poked my head out the window and saw Brian rubbing his head.

"Oh no! Did it hit your head?!" I called out.

"Yes..." he mumbled and bent down to pick up the pebble.

"SORRY!" I exclaimed. "But you deserve it!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You hit me too!"

"It's fine...but don't be too loud. You told me not to be too loud...look at you..."

"Oh hush!!!" I said.

He took one look at the pebble and a huge grin lit up on his face. He looked back up at me with his huge smile.

"Come on let's go!" he exclaimed. I smiled back and said, "Okay!" I stuck my head back into my room and crept downstairs, heart thumping loudly against my chest.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

As I stepped into the cold night air I felt Brian's warm embrace and hugged him back. The first thought that ran through my mind was, 'A week ago I probably wouldn't have thought I'd be here...'. I inhaled Brian's fresh scent of lavender soap. He must have just taken a shower because his hair was slightly wet. It felt good to be back in his arms.

"Let's go," he whispered in my ear. Oh, right. I forgot. Too distracted.

"'Kay," I mumbled and let go. He took a hold of my hand and we walked on our way to the beach. We didn't speak the whole time we walked there. I knew both of us were just happy to be in each other's presence. When we reached the beach he led me down through the rocks instead of down the stair steps. When we were little we'd always go down through the rocks, because we had our own little place there, behind one of the rocks. Brian, Geena, and I would always play in the sand there when our parents brought us to the beach. It was our own little place.

Brian led me to there now. I let go of his hand. I sat in the sand and leaned against one of the rocks. He stood. There was a moment of silence, then both of us spoke at the same time.

"Look I need--" he began.

"Hey I have--" I started. We both stopped speaking, then chuckled slightly.

"You can go first," he said, being a gentleman.

"Uhm, alright. Well uh I guess i just kind of think this is a bit awkward. I mean, sure we kind of talked. Back at home. But we've just been like, silent, so I was wondering what you were thinking..I guess," I said really quickly.

"Could say that again? Maybe a bit slower?" he asked and crossed his arms.

"Um. Okay. I was wondering what you were thinking," I summed up, slower this time.

"Oh...uhm..well..I guess I'm just glad to be here with you..I was going to ask you something, actually," he said, slightly blushing. I smiled a bit at his blush, knowing he wasn't too experienced with this type of stuff. But neither was I, even though I wasn't blushing as much. I think. Oh, God, hopefully I'm not blushing.

"What were you going to ask me?" I said in a tiny voice. Is he going to ask me out? I mean, he practically did with the pebbles. But what if he didn't mean that? What if he just meant to hang out with me tonight? What if he wasn't asking me out? Then again, what if he was? I shoved the thought out of my mind, knowing I had just lead myself to think he just might ask me out, even though now I was pretty sure myself he wasn't going to. Or was I?

"Well..uh, can we walk around? I mean, just so I can...well it's easier...um..." he stuttered.

"Heh...sure," I said and got up. We started walking, further away from the water, then closer and closer. It felt like it'd been an hour already--I completely forgot to put on my watch so I didn't know the exact time.

I was afraid to break the silence...though it wasn't much silence because of the waves crashing against shore. It was still dark out, but it was all a tint of blue. The sun wasn't all that near rising yet and the full moon shone brightly above the water. The water itself had a reflection of the moon, waves making the circle look slightly deformed. The mood seemed romantic, but I didn't want to believe it. Nothing so far was all that romantic, except maybe the pebbles. But he was outgoing and happy then. Now, well, Brian seemed very quiet. Like he was thinking. Well, that's a first. Just kidding...

I chuckled quietly to myself.

Brian stopped walking and stared at me in the eye. "What? Did I do something wrong? What's so funny?" he said almost frantically.

"What? No, just something I was thinking of," I said.

"What were you thinking?" he asked me.

"Well, I was thinking about how pretty the beach was at night," I replied, mentally kicking myself. How could a pretty beach be funny?

"Yeah, it's nice, isn't it?" he said, looking out to the water.

I did not respond for I supposed it was a rhetorical question. I kicked off my shoes and put them near some rocks away from the water. I took off my socks and stuck them in my shoes. I walked on my bare feet closer to the water, feeling the sand in between my toes.

"Uhh..." Brian said under his breath, looking at what I was doing. "What are you doing?"

"What's the point of coming to the beach if you're going to wear shoes?" I said, and grinned.

"Suuree..." he muttered. Then he mumbled under his breath, "Girls..."

"Hey don't say that..." I said.

"Whatever."

"Are you okay?"

"Fine."

"You're way too quiet to be fine."

"I'm FINE..."

"No you're not. You're..thinking."

"Why can't I?"

"I didn't say you can't...I'm just wondering what you're thinking of."

"Well, you didn't exactly tell me what you were thinking of. You thought the beach was funny," he said.

"Shut up," I said, playfully pushing him into the water lightly. Unfortunately it wasn't that light because he toppled over and landed in the water. His shirt was immediately soaked and his sixpack showed clearly through his white tee.

"Oh you're going to get it," he said as he got up. Then he charged at me and started tickling me.

"Hahahhaa...stop stop seriously...hahahahahhaah..stop!!!" I squealed. He picked me up off the ground and ran to the water. He dropped me into the water and I was completely wet.

"Oh my God you did not just do that to me!" I said. I got up and tackled him, but I wasn't very successful due to the fact that he was about twice as heavy as me.

When I tackled him he merely picked me up and put me next to his side.

"Ah, good times," I said. We were both soaking wet and the sun was about to rise. The sky was getting brighter by the minute.

"Um," Brian said.

"What?" I asked.

"Uhh..well..um, I have a question..well, a comment...well it's a bit of both?" he said, smiling shyly.

"Really? And what is that? Why'd you bring me out here tonight? And with the pebble thing...was that asking me out? I mean..if it was...well. I'll get there in a second. I don't think it was...fully. Was it? Brian? HELLO?" He wasn't responding to anything I was saying. He was really quiet even though he said he had a question.

"Wha?" he said.

"Why'd you bring me out here? Oh wait you're the one answering the question. No wait, you're the one asking the question. I'm supposed to answer it. Aren't I? Wait, what were you going to say? Did you say something? Well seriously why'd you bring me out here? And with the pebbles...I thought that was cute..." I was rambling on and on about nothing, not thinking or anything. I couldn't stand the silence...well, silence with the sound of crashing waves. "Brian why were you all pissed off when Jorge asked me out? And why the HELL did you go after him? Was he cheating on me? Oh my God I bet he was. Brian was he? And the whole thing with Jorge..I mean I heard he, like, moved away or something. Is that true? Okay back to the topic...why'd you bring me out here? Well I have a few things to say to you..."

"Yeah?" he said.

"Oh you're listening? Heh.."

"What things were you going to say to me?"

I suddenly felt really really uptight. I was now scared, not hyper or happy. And I was wet and cold. Horrible, I tell you. "First tell me what you were going to tell me."

"Um, alright..." He looked at me straight in the eye. "Okay, well. You're a really cool person. You listen to me. You're...beautiful, and smart, and...everything a guy could want. I never noticed the unique characteristics you had until recently. I was confused with my emotions and feelings for you at first, but now I think I'm pretty sure what I feel."

"Um, wow..." I mumbled.

"I suddenly feel really embarrassed, but can you tell me what things you were going to tell me?"

"Alright..well..." I started, with a small voice. "Throughout all of this...Jorge Caitlin you thing..., I was completely blinded from your feelings. You know, about you liking me. I never really liked someone seriously, and I've never been out on a date before. I didn't know what it was like to have feelings for someone. I was unaware of the emotions I were having for you. There were times when things happened and I didn't know how they happened. After thinking for a really long time I...well I guess I started sort of liking you more than a friend. You were my best friend and all, because you have been since the day you invited me over when I moved into my house. I never knew love, and I don't think I do now either, but I think I know more about it than I did before. And..well..I think I'm--" I was cut off by Brian's interruption.

"Willyoubemygirlfriend?" he said really quickly.

My heart started beating really fast against my chest. I tilted my head to the side and went, "What?"

He sighed and ran his hand through his hair. "Will you be my girlfriend?" Uh, what? Did you just..HELLO! He just asked me out--holy. Wow.

That was a bit random, though I have to applaud him for his leading to this sudden question. I knew it'd come up sooner or later, but did he have to ask right when the sun began to rise? I have to admit though, he did look pretty stunning with the sunrise behind him, and the whole reflection in the water thing.

"What did you say?" I said. I mentally kicked myself and thought, 'You heard what he said you dork!!!' I thought and backed up. I started over. "Are you asking me out?" I said curiously, somewhat amused.

He looked down at his shoes. "Well..yeah.." Brian mumbled.

"AWWWWW!" I squealed. Yeah, that's right. I squealed. How weird huh? And I used to be the cool suave person...hah..

I ran up to him and threw my arms around him. I couldn't resist. He just looked so...well, hot.

"Is that a yes?" he asked, chuckling slightly.

Since he was a few inches taller than me, I jumped down from the hug and looked at him in the eye. "I don't really throw my arms around a guy for no reason...do I?"

"Well..."

"Don't answer that question," I said. He laughed. Then I went, "And yes, it's a yes."

That's when he leaned down and kissed me right there. I have to say, if I was a person standing in the parking lot of the beach and looking down at us, it'd be pretty romantic. I mean, with the whole sun rising, beach setting, and with us standing there with my arms around him.

First kiss. Hey, I gotta say, for a beginner, I wasn't so bad. I mean, I had the whole arm thing down...but I couldn't help but keep my eyes open. Then though, I did shut my eyes. But I was the one that broke the kiss. Hey, a girl needs a breather every once in a while.

I giggled. Then I joked, "I think Geena's hyperness has gotten to me." We laughed together and walked along the beach, enjoying the presence of the other person. The sun was almost fully awake.

Brian put his arm casually around my shoulders and went, "Happy birthday..."

"Awww...thank you!!!" I said and smiled up at him. I had never felt more happy in my life. And I think I could say the same for him.

THE END!

A/N: That was the alternative ending¡Klol.