Kalena's POV

School had flown by quickly; I sailed through my classes in a daze. My eyes caught Teagan's all day as we passed in the hallway. The navy and cerulean swirled majestically around black pupils, his strong jaw clenched every time we passed each other.

The sun had long since set beyond the horizon, I sat in my cushioned recliner in the living room, my chemistry book open in my lap, and my pen crushed between my teeth. I groaned and rubbed my eyes, the equations were blurring together. The sudden sound of my cell phone vibrating against the wooden coffee table made me jerk forwards. My book fell to the floor; I snatched up my phone and flipped it open.

"yello?" I picked up my book and tossed it on the table.

"Simmons?" my eyes narrowed and I pulled my feet up under me.

"Yes, Jameson. You did call my phone. What do you want." My tone was clipped and short.

"Can you come over? Right now. I need some help." He sounded frustrated, I glanced at the clock.

"Jameson you are aware its eleven at night. What do you need help with?" I twirled a piece of hair around my finger, then hastily dropped it, a girl should not twirl her hair when talking to the boy she hates.

"just get over here. Now." He hung up, I sighed and shoved my phone in my pocket.

Pulling my hair loosely on top of my head, I slipped on a pair of moccasins and grabbed my keys. I didn't care that I was in a pair of sweats and baggy shirt, it's not like I was dressing to impress.

It took about five minutes to reach Teagan's house, thunder rumbled and lightning lit up the dark sky; I planned to make it home before the huge storm hit. I had seen Teagan's house before, but in never failed to impress me. It was four stories, with eight bedrooms, 6 bathrooms, and a lot more. I left my keys in the ignition and ran up the steps.

I opened the door, "Jameson, where you at?" I called.

"Come here" I followed the sound of his voice and froze at what I found. Teagan was on the floor, his wheelchair on the other side of the room. His legs lay uselessly behind him, his biceps bulged as he propped himself up.

"What happened?" I started; I rushed to get his chair and pulled it up next to him. Pity began to pour through me but I forced it away. I knelt down next to him and hoisted him up from beneath the arms. My muscles tensed against his weight, I pushed him into his chair.

He looked at the opposite wall, shame graced his face, "I tried to walk but my chair rolled away and I couldn't get to it." he whispered.

I licked my lips and lay a hand on his shoulder, "you will walk again Teagan. Even if I have to do it for you, you are going to walk again." My voice surprised me, but made me more determined.

He scoffed and shook his head, "the doctors said I wouldn't walk again, looks like they were right." I slapped his arm.

"Yeah if you think like that you won't. So what was it that you needed help with anyways?" I asked, throwing myself down on his plush couch. My body relaxed as it sunk into the deep cushions.

He cocked an eyebrow at me, "make yourself at home. And you already helped me, I needed my chair." I rolled my eyes and crossed my legs.

"That's it; well okay I'm outta here." I jumped up.

"Wait Kalena" Teagan shouted after me.

I turned around, his mouth opened as to say something, I put up a hand, "don't, let's not and say we did." I opened the door and sheet of rain slammed into me. I quickly shut the door.

"Shit!" I cried looking down at my clothes that were now dripping with water. I looked back at Teagan who was doubled over in laughter.

"This isn't funny Jameson! I can't get home." I stamped my foot like a child and stripped off my shirt.

Teagan's laughter stopped in second, his eyes were glued to my side. The deep angry scar the decorated my side spread from the back of my ribs to my belly button. The puckered flesh, red and ugly.

My face flushed red and I pulled the shirt back on, "sorry, forgot about that." I muttered.

His jaw clenched, his eyes narrowed, "where did you get that?" his voice was low, even, demanding.

"The accident," I snapped, "like I said you weren't the only one hurt." I turned my head away from him.

"Derrick told me you protected Nayeli. Did you get that from throwing yourself over her?" I nodded and swallowed.

Giving up, I sighed, "yes. A piece of glass pierced my side, narrowly missed my liver, cracked a few ribs." I shrugged, "it happens. Nayeli wasn't hurt that's all that matters."

"oh." Was all he said, I brushed strands of dripping hair back away from my face. I pulled my shirt from my side and let it slap wetly against my skin.

"Do you by chance have a towel?" I asked sheepishly.

He nodded, eyes clouded with thoughts and wheeled away, only to shortly return with a pair of baggy sweatpants and a hoodie. He threw them at me; I snatched the clothing out of the air.

"What's this?" he looked pointedly at me.

"A case of chocolate, clothes what does it look like Kalena." He shook his head and wheeled away.

I rolled my eyes at his back, holding the clothes up in front of my face, I shrugged. I peered around the corner of the wall down the hallway, it winded around a bend. I followed it hesitantly, knowing I was bound to get lost. I picked a room off to the left, pushing the door gently open. I sighed in relief when it was a bathroom. As I stepped in my jaw dropped, bathroom was an understatement you could fit my whole house in this bathroom.

Two vessel sinks were lined under a massive mirror; I winced as I caught my reflection. My hair was limp and the bun now falling out of its shape. I quickly pulled off the shirt and sweats I was wearing and replaced them with Teagan's. They hung loosely from my frame; I pulled out my pony and shook the excess water from my waist-length hair.

Draping the wet clothes over the edge of the tub, I left the bathroom, carefully making my way back to the empty living room. My phone buzzed against my hip from where I stuck it in the waistband of the sweats. I flipped it open, "Nayeli?"

There was heavy breathing and sirens in the background, "Kalena! Where are you? You're not at your house are you?" her voice was panicked.

"No I had to stop by Teagan's…I'll explain later. Why? What's going on?" I began to fiddle with the hem of the shirt, a nervous habit.

"Lena…your house…its on fire." Her voice was soft I had to strain to hear it.

I blanched, gripping the phone tighter, "what?" my voice trembled, Teagan wheeled into the room, his face curious.

"Lightning hit your house, it's on fire, there are fire trucks and cops all around it. You can't come home; they will know you live alone. Stay there. I've got to go I'll call you tomorrow." Her voice cut out to a dial tone.

I pulled the phone away from my ear and looked down at it, my throat closed with the threat of tears; I shoved it back and gripped my phone tightly in my fist. I turned to Teagan.

"Do you mind if I stay here tonight." I rubbed the back of my neck nervously, "turns out my house is on fire…I can't go there. Um, I live on my own and if I go back, they'll find out and take me away. I'm not 18 yet." I averted my eyes waiting for the loud raucous laughter.

Silence answered me, I turned towards Teagan he was watching me intently, "well then." He paused, holding out a jar, "pickles?"

I cocked an eyebrow. "So pickles it is." I answered reaching for it.