Chapter 1 Prologue

Nate Wolf is a seventeen years old high school junior who preferred to be alone. His intimidating demeanor and bad attitude were more than enough to drive people away from him. All he had to do was to glare at people with his piercing blue eyes, and they all cowered away. He was also 6 feet 4 and worked out regularly, which made him look even more intimidating. Rumors about him being the son of a Mafia leader circulated the school. No one wanted to find out what it would be like to get beat up by him. He had it made. He didn’t exactly go around beating up kids and stealing kids’ money, but he did almost beat someone up for sitting at his table. He didn’t care what people thought of him, and he enjoyed being feared. It was the first week of school. He sat down at his usual table during lunch and took a bite out of his sandwich. All of a sudden, a sweet smell of perfume hit his nostril, so he looked up from his sandwich and looked straight into a pair of large brown eyes. A girl about medium height, long brown hair, and tanned skin was standing in front of him and smiling. She had a tray full of food in her hands. “What is it?” he barked. “Are you lost?” Her smile didn’t falter at his rude behavior. She twirled a strand of hair in her finger and stared at him intently. “No… I was just wondering, is this seat taken?” she asked, pointing at the chair in front of him. “Yes, it is,” Nate answered with his mouth full. “Well, I have been observing you for the past couple of days, and I noticed that no one ever sits in front of you or around you. So, I think you are lying, and this seat, in fact, is not taken,” she announced in one breath. “You have been observing me? What am I, your science project? Who the fuck are you anyway?” Nate said, clearly annoyed. “I am Amelia, Amelia Martinez, and I just moved here last week. Nice to meet you!” Amelia said and extended her hand to him. Nate just stared at the hand without saying anything. He looked up and down at the girl who was bothering his peace. “Welcome to this shitty ass high school. So now, if we are done here, get the fuck away from me. I am trying to eat my sandwich.” he said and waved his hand in a shooing gesture. “Whoa, rude! I am just trying to be nice. I thought you could use some company.” Amelia sounded hurt. “Well, you thought wrong, and I could care less about your company, so goodbye,” he said, hoping she would finally leave. To his dismay, she pulled up the chair in front of him, sat down, and then started to eat her lunch. Oh, fuck no. This bitch is trying to get on his last nerve. “What the fuck are you doing?” he challenged. “Eating my lunch with you. What does it look like?” she said nonchalantly, like it was the most natural thing to do. Oh hell no…he thought. Nate stood up abruptly and slapped his palms on the table so hard that the table shook. Amelia yelped as her juice almost tipped over. “You need to relocate that cute little butt of yours somewhere else before I get pissed off for real,” he said, his eyes bored into hers. “You think I have a cute butt?” Amelia smiled. “That’s not the point!” Nate barked. “The point is, I have rules, and I expect people to follow them or else.”“What happens if they don’t follow? And what rules?” she asked, sounding completely confused. Nate just realized she was new to the school, so that means she wasn’t aware of his status. “Since you are new, I will give you a pass this once. But just so you know, I have a few rules that I expect everyone to follow. Rule number one: do not talk to me, rule number two: do not approach me, and rule number three: do not sit at this table. This is my table.” Nate said and tapped the tabletop for emphasis. “What happens if I don’t follow these dumb rules? Are you going to kill me?” Amelia said with a mischievous smile. “Besides, last time I checked, this table was the school property. I can sit here if I want to. So, it looks like you are stuck with me, buddy.” Is this chick for real? Nate thought. If it was a guy, he would have grabbed him by his throat and throw him on the other side of the cafeteria, but this was a 5 feet 3 girl. He would never lay his hands on a girl, so he didn’t know what to do. “So, what will it be? Are we going to be lunch buddies or what?” she asked. Nate was frustrated. No, scratch that, he was irritated to the max. Who does this chick think she is invading his space like that? He was starving, so he plopped down on his chair. He will deal with her some other time. Right now, he didn’t feel like arguing with her. They ate in silence for a few minutes. “So… you never told me your name?” she spoke suddenly. “It’s Nate, and just because I am allowing you to sit here doesn’t mean we are going to have a conversation. I’m merely tolerating you,” Nate said. “Wow, rude much?” Amelia frowned. “Why are you such grouchy pants?”“Fuck this. I’m out of here.” Nate stood up. “I better not see you at my table tomorrow.” With that, he walked off. “It was nice to meet you!” Amelia called after him, and he flipped her off. She smiled to herself. She wasn’t usually this aggressive with guys, but something inside of her told her that he needed a friend. She wasn’t a naive teen girl who was obsessed with bad boys. It wasn’t about that. The first time she saw him, she sensed the invisible wall he built around him. She decided to break it once and for all.

Chapter 2 Chapter 1

Nate sat in his class with a scowl. He was still annoyed about meeting that stupid girl. She is lucky that he would never mess with girls, or she would’ve ended up with some broken bones for crossing him. The door opened, so he looked up. You’ve got to be shitting me , Nate thought. It was her. Now he has to be in the same class with her too? “Oh look, it’s my new friend Nate,” Amelia said with a big smile that irritated him even more. “I’m not your fucking friend,” he said and furrowed his eyebrows. “You know, it won’t hurt you to be nicer to me. I may become a very valuable friend if you give me a chance,” she said. “I don’t think so. Now stop talking to me,” he snarled. Amelia stared at him intently for a minute but didn’t say anything. She turned back around as the teacher walked in. “Alright, everyone, today I will assign you a partner for this project you will be working on. You’ll be working in pairs, and no, you cannot choose your own partner,” the biology teacher Ms. Webb declared. Several of the students groaned at that announcement, including Nate. He didn’t like working with another person anyway, and he wasn’t too thrilled about working with some nerd. “I’ll be announcing the names now,” she said and started to read the names off of a paper. “Elle and Jessica, Aaron and Sam…” she kept reading the names, and Nate was getting impatient. “Nate and Amelia,” she called. Oh, fuck no! There was no way he will work with this annoying chick. It was like he couldn’t get away from her. “It looks like you can’t get away from me,” Amelia smirked. “This must be fate.” Fate my ass , Nate thought. “Um…Ms. Webb?” He called, waving his hand. “Can I have a different partner? How about Ricky over there?” he pointed at the scrawny, nerdy kid in the back. Ricky frantically nodded his head no as he was terrified of Nate. “Now, Mr. Wolf, I told you in the beginning, I will be assigning partners for everyone, and you are not an exception to that rule. I’m sure you and Ms. Martinez will get along just fine if you give her a chance. “Ms. Webb said. Nate stood up and walked toward the teacher’s desk. He leaned in and whispered, “you don’t understand, this girl…I think there’s something wrong with this girl. You need to find someone smarter to pair with her because I don’t think I can handle it, you know what I’m saying?” Ms. Webb narrowed her eyes. “I don’t know what is going on between you two, but I suggest you work it out because my decision is final. Ms. Martinez transferred here with a very high GPA, so I know she can handle this project just fine, so you should be all set. Now please go back to your seat so I can resume my task.” Nate scowled and walked back to his desk without saying another word. This is going to be a long semester. The project was simple. They had to create a replica of a flower of their choice and identify each part. Then make a presentation explaining how each part works. “I can sculpt a Lily flower out of clay! That’s my favorite flower,” Amelia chirped. “Whatever, I just want to get it over with,” Nate yawned. Created with Sketch. They met up after school because Amelia insisted they have to work together on it. She threatened to tell Ms. Webb if he didn’t agree. He couldn’t afford to get a failing grade, so he complied. And that’s how they ended up hanging out together. “Nah uh…buddy. I’m not doing all the work for you. You are going to help me create this masterpiece. How about I create the sculpture, and you type the report?” Amelia suggested. “Fine…that’s okay with me,” Nate agreed. “Just don’t expect me to just hang out with you. This is strictly for the project,” he added. “I get it. I get it. You are too cool to socialize with anyone and all that, but we’ll have fun, I promise!” Amelia chirped. “I doubt that, so where are we working on this? Your house?” Nate asked. “Yeah, sure! Come on over to my house after school tomorrow. I’ll have all the materials ready to go,” she said. “Great, now if we are done here, goodbye,” Nate waved at her with two fingers and strode out of there. Amelia shook her head. What was this guy’s problem? It wasn’t like she was so hideous that he couldn’t stand to look at her. Guys usually liked her. What was he afraid of? The next day, Amelia wrote her address and the phone number on a piece of paper and slid it toward Nate. “I’ll drive you home since you have to ride the bus,” Nate said. “I’m shocked! I figured you would keep as much distance from me as possible since you always act like I have some type of virus or something,” Amelia said. “I regret my offer already,” Nate grumbled. They drove to the house after school. “Mom, I’m home!” Amelia yelled as soon as they entered the house, but they were greeted with silence. “Wait here while I get the stuff for our model. Mom told me to keep boys out of my room, so I can’t let you go upstairs, sorry,” she said. “Fine by me, it’s not like I’m interested in that kind of thing with you anyway,” Nate shrugged. “Ouch! I’m slightly offended. Are you telling me I’m not hot enough for you to take advantage of me?” Amelia pouted. “That’s not what I’m saying… " Nate protested. “So, you do think I’m hot?” she pressed. “No… I mean, yes, I do think you are hot. I’m just not interested. I find you annoying,” Nate said bluntly. “Geez…shoot me where it hurts the most, I guess. Anyways…I’ll go get the stuff.” with that, Amelia went upstairs. Nate looked around the house. Amelia wasn’t rich. Her house was a cozy little place compared to his place. He lived with his dad, who owned a huge house that could fit five families. He didn’t particularly enjoy living there since he was all alone. Instead of people talking, he heard echoes of his footsteps. He started to look at the pictures hung on the walls. Amelia with her parents, Amelia was playing in the park with another boy who looked a few years older. She looked happy. “Oh, that’s my brother Jeremy,” Amelia spoke suddenly behind him. “He is at college now.” She pointed at the dining room table, which now had some craft materials. “Shall we get started?” she asked.

Chapter 3 Chapter 2

Nate looked at the slab of clay in confusion. “What are we doing with that?” he asked. “Well, I will be creating a model of a Lily flower, and you will write down the names of the different parts,” she said. “Thrilling,” Nate rolled his eyes. He opened the book and started to write down the information while Amelia worked with the clay. After watching her for a few minutes, he couldn’t help but admire her crafting skills. She looked focused and determined to get things perfect. “I think that’s good enough for now,” she said after 40 minutes. “We can pick this up tomorrow since the project is not due till later this week.”“Great, I’ve had enough myself. So, I’m going to go. Peace out.” Nate said and stood up to leave. “You sure you don’t want to stay and hang out for a few minutes?” Amelia asked. “No thanks,” Nate said. “Oh…okay,” she said in a disappointed tone. Nate felt kind of bad when he saw the look on her face. Maybe he had been way too harsh. She had been nothing but nice to him despite his rude behavior. “I just got other shit to do,” he said reluctantly. Amelia nodded. The next day, he found Amelia sitting at his table again. “You are shitting me again with this?” he groaned. “Oh, did someone forget to tell you we were friends?” Amelia smirked. “Stop being so angry and sit down already.” Nate glared at Amelia for a minute. She expected him to say something mean and walk out of there, but he just sat down to her surprise. “Why are you so annoying?” he asked. “Most people say I am friendly,” she smiled. “I don’t need any friends, especially not someone like you,” Nate said. “Someone like me? And what am I like?” Amelia asked. “Someone so preppy and cheerful all the time. Your highly pretentious attitude of positivity makes my blood boil,” he declared. “I am not pretentious. Did you stop to think I might be genuinely happy?” she said. “Well, stop acting like it because it’s annoying,” Nate said. “Okay, fine. From now on, I will greet you with a scowl and only groan as an answer if you ask me anything. Turning off the positivity and replacing it with negativity starting… now!” Amelia said and pretended to look sad. Nate sighed. “I am not asking you to change your attitude. I just need you to go away.”“Not going to happen. In case you couldn’t tell, I like you for some crazy reason, and I am determined to make you like me too.”“Good luck with that,” Nate scoffed. “Challenge accepted,” Amelia declared. Nate stared at her intently. He can’t figure this person out. People usually avoided him, especially when he glared at them with fiery eyes but this girl didn’t back down. Why did she attach herself to him of all people? He didn’t understand. He observed her features closely this time. She was actually very pretty. It doesn’t matter, he thought. He still didn’t want her to get too close to him. “What?” Amelia asked all of a sudden. “Nothing?” he replied with a question. “You were staring at me,” she said. “No, I wasn’t,” he denied. “Whatever you say, grumpy boy,” she scoffed and slurped her juice. Nate was at a loss. No matter what he said, this girl always ended up arguing with him. “So… you want to come over to my house after school again and work on the project some more?” she asked. “I can’t. I am busy,” Nate said. “What are you up to?” Amelia asked. “Well, not that it’s any of your business, but I am building a car so I can race next week,” he replied. “Wow, you can build cars? That’s impressive. Are you any good at racing?” Amelia was intrigued. Nate’s eyes lit up. It was the first time he showed any type of excitement on his face. He must really like building cars and racing , Amelia thought. “I’m decent. I just do it for fun,” Nate shrugged. “Cool! Can I come?” she asked. Nate raised his eyebrows. “What you mean, can you come? Come where?”“Can I come watch you? At the race, I mean,” she replied. Nate scowled. “No way, woman, I’ve had enough of you at school. I don’t need you following me around to other places.”“Oh, come on! I promise I won’t bother you. I just want to watch the race. I’ll even cheer you on, or I’ll keep my mouth shut the entire time. Please!” Amelia gave him her signature puppy eyes. Nate hesitated. He never had anyone from his school come watch him before. Especially not someone like Amelia. It wouldn’t hurt to have a pretty girl cheering for him on at the track, even if it’s someone as irritating as her. “Alright, fine, you can come. Just don’t bother me there.” Nate said, frowning. “Yay! I can’t wait. I’ve never been to a race before.” she said excitedly. Later that day, Nate went home feeling exhausted. He had been working on that car for weeks, and it was almost ready for the race. But he didn’t mind the exhaustion. Building cars and racing was his passion. He loved every minute of it. That was the only time he truly felt happy. He fell on the bed and closed his eyes, and slowly started to drift into sleep. His phone chimed all of a sudden. Who the fuck was texting him? He looked at his phone with annoyance. “ Hey, grumpy pants! It’s Amelia. Some of my friends and I are going to a party tonight, want to go with me? " the text read. Nate typed furiously, “I’d rather pluck my eyeballs out one at a time, " he replied. “ Geez, so violent. A simple no would have been fine ,” she said with a sad face emoji. Nate didn’t reply and drifted off to sleep again. He slept for a few hours, then suddenly woke up with a start as his phone chimed again. What now? He thought. “ Can you come to get me? I need help! " Amelia texted. “ Um…how about no?” he replied. “ Please, I’m begging you. I am really in trouble .” she texted back immediately. “ Why don’t you ask one of your friends? " he said. “ I don’t know where they are, and I really need to get out of here. Please? I’ll owe you one.” Her reply read. Nate groaned. This chick is turning out to be a handful. He debated going back to sleep since this wasn’t his problem, but what if she really was in trouble? “Fucking pain in my goddam ass,”… Nate cursed under his breath and started his car. If this was a trick, he’d strangle her skinny neck. He promised himself that. He looked at the address she texted him and drove to his destination.

Chapter 4 Chapter 3

Nate arrived in front of the house. The party was still going on. A bunch of kids were drunk and running around the yard, acting crazy. Typical, Nate thought. He has never been into the party scene. He liked to keep to himself. He went inside the house. “My, my if it isn’t Nate Wolf. Did you finally change your mind and accept my invitations?” a girl’s voice asked, making Nate turn around. It was Ginny Walker, one of the popular kids in his school. She looked like a model who stepped right out of the cover of a magazine. “I’ve been trying to get you to come to these for years. What changed?” she asked. “I’m not here for your stupid party. Where’s Amelia?” Nate was already annoyed. “Who?” Confusion flickered in Ginny’s eyes. “Amelia Martinez, long brown hair, big brown eyes, always have this big irritating smile on her face?” Nate said. “Oh, the new chick? Yeah, I know her. She is pretty cool.” Ginny said thoughtfully. “She was just here hanging out with a group of kids. Why what happened?”“Fuck if I know?” Nate shrugged. “Try looking by the pool. I saw some kids getting drunk over there. Say Nate…what do you say we go out sometimes? I think we would be very cute and….” Ginny started to say, but Nate turned around. “Alright then, I’ll go now, bye,” he waved goodbye and headed to the pool. “WAIT! I wasn’t done talking!” Ginny called after him, but he already ran out the door. Nate looked around but couldn’t see her anywhere. He dialed her number and called her, then kept walking around. Bzzzzzzzttt… He paused when he heard a phone vibrate nearby. It was coming from a big bush. He strode over to the bush and looked behind it. Amelia was crouched down behind it. Her eyes lit up when she saw him. “What the fuck?” he asked. “Nate! You came!” Amelia screamed and threw her arms around him and buried her face on his chest. Nate groaned and pushed her off. “What the fuck is the problem?” he barked. “I’m hiding,” Amelia whispered. “Yeah…I can see that. But why?” he asked. “Well… few of us were playing truth or dare, so my friend Michelle dared me to go kiss this knucklehead named Derek, so I did, now he thinks he is in love with me,” Amelia said everything in one breath and then exhaled. “What does that have to do with you hiding?” Nate pointed out. “I’m getting there….so Derek started to get all cozy with me, and then he tried to grope me, so I kind of…kicked him in the groin and ran away.” she sighed. Good girl, thought Nate. He couldn’t help but admire her a little. “That’s nice, but why did you call me?” he asked. “He is like, really mad at me and started to chase me around, so I hid here. I called you because you are like notorious for being the tough guy at our school, so I figured if I leave with you, he won’t bother me later,” she grinned. Nate glared at her. “Seriously? I’m not your fucking bodyguard.”“I know I just don’t know a lot of people around here, and you are the only one I know that scares the shit out of people for some reason. I need you to do me this favor, please?” Amelia pleaded. Nate looked at her intently. She did seem kind of nervous. “Fine, I’ll help you out just this once,” he said and grabbed her hand. Nate hurried off to his car, holding Amelia’s hand. They walked past some drunk kids but no Derek. “See? He is nowhere in sight. You dragged me here for no reason,” Nate said. “Better to be safe than sorry,” Amelia shrugged. He drove her home in silence. “Hey, do you want to come in?” Amelia asked. “Even if I had any desire to, isn’t your mom going to say something?” Nate pointed out. “She is working overnight, so she won’t be home until morning,” Amelia shrugged. “So, how about it?”“No thanks, I don’t want you to get any wrong ideas about us. Next thing I know, you’ll get attached to my hips like a clingy girlfriend I never wanted.” Nate raised his eyebrows. “Gee…fine, you act like having a girlfriend is the worst thing ever. Wait…you are gay, aren’t you?” she said. “What? No! I like women. I’ve had a girlfriend before.” he said. “So, what happened? Did she break your heart or something?” she inquired. “None of your business,” Nate said. His eyes were dark all of a sudden, his facial expression hardened. Amelia realized she crossed the line, so she didn’t press him any farther. She must’ve guessed it right. Maybe someone did break his heart. “Sorry…I didn’t mean to pry.” she continued. “It’s fine. I’ve got to go.” Nate started his car again once Amelia was out. “And don’t call me again for bullshit like this. I am not coming next time.”“Copy that,” Amelia saluted and ran inside. Nate sighed. How does he always get involved in other people’s crap no matter how hard he tries to stay away from them? Nate went back home and was greeted by silence again. His dad was always away for business trips, and when he came back, he was busy with his new girlfriend. Nate had no one else to rely on other than his nanny, whom he loved dearly. She was a 68 years old woman who raised him since he was four years old. She was out of town to visit her sister, so he was all alone in the house. He ate a quick meal then went to sleep. On Saturday afternoon, he prepared for the race. He had been waiting for this day for months, and it was finally here. He checked his phone to read his texts. “Don’t think I forgot, I am still coming to watch you race. So where will it be?” Amelia texted. Nate sighed. This girl won’t leave him alone. He texted her the address and headed to the garage to pick up his car. Nate went to the track and inhaled the air. He loved the smell of gasoline and burnt tires. It was one of the few places that made him feel like he was at home. “Nate, what’s up, man? I am glad you made it,” one of the guys at the track called out to him. “Hey Mike, you know I wouldn’t miss it for the world,” Nate said, he was smiling ear to ear. “Hey man, good luck with that. I hope you win. Oh, and by the way, your girlfriend is here, and she is looking for you,” Mike said. “I am sorry, who?” Nate’s face twisted in confusion. “Your girlfriend, Amelia? She is very friendly. Not to mention totally hot! You are a lucky dude,” Mike winked. “There she is!” he said and pointed his finger behind Nate. Nate looked over and frowned. She better not be telling people we are together, he thought.

Chapter 5 Chapter 4

“NATE!” Amelia screamed and frantically waved her arms. “I made it!” She ran towards him and wrapped him in a tight hug. “Yeah, I can see that,” Nate growled. He wanted to push her off immediately, but something inside of him made him hesitate. Her hair smelled like Lilies, and he could feel her warmth spreading through his body, which felt comforting. He found himself placing his hand on her back and gently stroking it. “You can let go now, you crazy woman,” he said after few seconds. She let go of him right away, and he suddenly missed her warmth. “Oh my god, look at you! You look so sexy with your tracksuit,” she grinned and gave him the flirty eyes. “Yeah, thanks, whatever,” he said, trying to hide that he was flattered by her compliment. “Where can I sit to watch?” Amelia asked. “Over there where the chairs are, by the track. You can move farther up if it is too close and loud,” he replied, pointing at the seats that were reserved for the friends and families of the drivers. “Great! I will be cheering you on. I know you can win,” she said quietly. “Thanks,” Nate said. He couldn’t help but feel a little happy that she came. Even though he convinced himself that he couldn’t stand her, he was still comforted by the fact that she was here to support him. No one other than his nanny ever cared enough to support him at anything, not even his parents. “I guess I’ll go now. It’s almost time,” he said. “Wait!” she grabbed his arm, so he stopped. She stood on her tiptoes, then planted a soft kiss on his cheek, which sent a shiver down his spine. His eyes widened in shock. “For good luck,” she whispered. He couldn’t say anything and just walked away. Her lips felt soft and warm. His insides twisted in knots, and his heart started to beat faster. What the hell is happening to him? It was only a peck on the cheek. He tried to shake it off of his head. He needed to focus. The race began. Nate tightly gripped the steering wheel, ready to go. The engine purred, then revving. The track girl dropped the flag, and he flew. There were still three cars in front of him, but that didn’t discourage him. He was determined to win this no matter what. His car hugged every turn, and pretty soon, he passed the two cars in front of him, putting him in second place. It was getting close, so he pressed the accelerator hard, which made his skin feel like it was tugged backward by the g-force. He kept going, not looking back, and pretty soon, he left the last car behind. He went past the finish line and exhaled. He won, he actually won! The adrenaline started to wear off, and he felt exhausted. After everyone was done, people at the track started to congratulate him and cheered for his victory. He felt great. He scanned the crowd to see where Amelia was and spotted her running towards him. “You won! Oh my god, that was so much fun!” she chirped. She hugged him again, and this time he didn’t mind so much. “You were so great. I am so proud of you,” she said. Nate smiled at her. “Of course, I won. You are looking at the best driver in town.” Amelia stared at him with wide eyes. Her expression was unreadable. “What is it?” he asked. “You smiled at me. I never knew you had such a great smile,” she said quietly. Nate rolled his eyes. “Yeah, well…don’t get used to it,” he said and smiled again. “We should celebrate!” Amelia said excitedly. “Um…no, I am exhausted. I am going home,” Nate said, dismissing her. “Who said we would have to go anywhere else? We can go to your house and celebrate maybe?” she suggested. Nate thought about it for a minute. That didn’t sound like such a bad idea. He was starting to tolerate her a little more, and she seemed less annoying, so he didn’t mind her company for a little longer. “Yeah, okay, that’s fine, I guess,” he said. *** Her jaw dropped as she saw the size of the house. “Whew! This house looks like something out of a movie screen. It’s so big! What do your parents do again?” Amelia asked. “Business,” was all he said. “It must be a hell of a business to afford something like this,” she commented. Nate didn’t say anything. He didn’t like bringing people into his home because it made them uncomfortable. His house was cold and lifeless, not like everyone else’s home. He led her to the kitchen, and she sat on the high stool by the breakfast table. He took out a bottle of wine and set it on the table. “We can celebrate with this,” he declared. Amelia gave the bottle a questioning look. “Are you sure that’s okay? We are not legally supposed to drink, and wouldn’t your parents realize there is a missing bottle?” she asked. “Nope, my mom…she isn’t here. And my dad doesn’t keep track of his alcohol,” he said and started to open the bottle. “Oh, okay then…” Amelia decided not to argue with him more. She was just glad that Nate agreed to spend more time with her. Maybe he will finally open up to her more and accept her as a friend, if nothing more. He poured some wine in two glasses and sat down in front of her. “To winning races,” Amelia held up the glass and said. “To winning races,” Nate repeated and took a sip of his wine. Amelia did the same and spit it out immediately. Her face twisted in disgust. “Ugh….this tastes like shit! Why do people like this?” she yelled and gulped down some water. Nate looked at her for a second then burst into laughter. He stopped laughing when he saw her watch him intently. “Look at us laughing together. See? I told you we would be great friends!” she squealed. “I was laughing at you, not with you.” he pointed out. “Eh…it doesn’t matter. The point is, you like me now.” Amelia smirked. “I definitely do not. This was just temporary. I am mainly tolerating you now because I am in a good mood for winning the race,” Nate said. “Why are you so standoffish with me? Hell, with people in general? Who hurt you? You can tell me.” Amelia asked. Her eyes bored into his. As if she was trying to read his mind. “No one, stop trying to act like my therapist. I don’t have to tell you anything,” Nate said. “Okay, I need to pee. Where is your restroom?” she asked. “Upstairs to your right,” he said. She went upstairs and turned right. She passed a couple of rooms but stopped when she saw the ‘keep out’ signs on one of the doors. This must be Nate’s room, she thought. Her desire to go in and take a peek was overwhelming. She knew it was wrong and it was too dangerous as he was downstairs, but she couldn’t stop herself. Pretty soon, she was inside. His room was huge. It had posters of cars all over the wall. He sure loves cars , she thought. A picture on his desk caught her eyes, and she picked it up. His arms were wrapped around a girl’s shoulder. She had a head full of dark curly hair, and her eyes were strikingly green. She was gorgeous. A girlfriend? Amelia thought to herself. “What the fuck are you doing?” A voice spoke behind her, and she almost dropped the frame.

Chapter 6 Chapter 5

Nate was furious when he saw Amelia holding the picture of him and Destiny. He didn’t like anyone to know about her, which is why he never let anyone go inside his room. “Sorry, I shouldn’t have come inside the room without your permission,” Amelia said, her eyes were full of regrets. “I need you to leave, right now!” he said with his voice full of rage. “Look, I said I was sorry, okay?” she insisted. “I don’t want to fucking hear it. Just get the fuck out of my house.” Nate said heatedly. “Okay, I get it,” Amelia said and ran downstairs. She didn’t understand what the big deal was. She had a feeling he was angrier about her looking at the picture than the fact that she was inside the room. She was curious to know why but she didn’t want to push him. It took Nate a few minutes to calm down. He knew he overreacted a little bit, but she did cross the line by entering his room without his permission. He picked up the picture and looked at it. He should get rid of it, but he didn’t have the heart to do it. It has been almost a year since that day. The next day at lunchtime, he grabbed a tray full of food and headed to his table. “Hey Nate,” he looked up and saw Amelia standing in front of him. “What do you want?” Nate said. “Just want to talk,” she said quietly. “Look, I am okay with working with you on the project, but that’s it,” Nate said, scowling. “I don’t know what your problem is. I admit I was wrong for entering your room without permission, but you don’t have to treat me like dirt. I am only trying to be your friend, and you keep pushing me away,” her eyes were dark with sadness. “And I told you I don’t need a friend. Especially not you,” Nate said bluntly. Amelia came closer to him and touched his hand. “Why not? What happened to you? Did she break your heart that badly? Please tell me. I can help.” Amelia wasn’t willing to give up on him just yet. For some reason, she felt drawn to him. Nate hesitated for a moment, and his eyes softened for a split second. But then he shook his head and smacked her hand away from his, making her flinch. “You know how you can help? By leaving me the fuck alone. You are loud, aggravating, and obnoxious, and I cannot stand you,” Nate said cruelly. “So why don’t you find some loser that is crazy enough to like you?” he hissed. Sadness enveloped her face. “I’m sorry you feel that way,” she said quietly. “I’ll leave you alone if that you really want.” With that, she walked away from the table. The next day, Nate saw Amelia in class but avoided her gaze. “Alright, everyone, it is almost time to finish the project. We will be presenting tomorrow,” Ms. Webb said. Shit, the project, Nate thought. He looked at Amelia, who was writing something on a piece of paper. She passed the paper to him quietly. “Don’t worry about the project, I’ll finish it tonight and bring it in,” the note said. Great, he thought. He didn’t want to spend any more time with her. He did feel kind of bad for telling her off. He could’ve handled it a lot better, but sometimes he can’t control his anger. After school, he went home and plopped down on his bed. He received a text from his father. “ We are having dinner next week on Friday night. I expect you to be there .” his text said. Typical Dad, always making demands. Nate would rather do anything else in the world than go to this dinner, but he didn’t have any choice. His dad wouldn’t take no for an answer. Amelia’s face kept popping up in his mind. He couldn’t stop thinking about the sadness in her usual cheerful eyes when he told her off. He shouldn’t have been so harsh. He knew she was only trying to be nice to him. In fact, she was the only person who was nice to him and genuinely wanted to be his friend. He knew he tends to self-sabotage every time someone got too close to him. He was still too afraid to let people in. Amelia was thinking about Nate too. She usually didn’t let people get to her, but his harsh words hurt her feelings this time. She didn’t know why she felt a certain pull toward him. All she knew that she liked him. A lot. But he made it clear that she was a nuisance. Maybe I will leave him alone, she thought. She started to put the final touches on their project. After the presentation is done, she won’t speak to him again. The next day, everyone in the class was preparing for their presentation. Amelia came in early and started to get ready. Nate walked in a few minutes later. “Hey,” he said and avoided her gaze. He didn’t have his usual scowl on his face. It was replaced by sadness. Did he feel bad about what he said to her? she thought. She immediately rejected the idea since Nate didn’t seem like the type who felt bad about anything. “Hi, so I finished the sculpture. Take a look and see what you think,” she said and took the cover off. Nate looked at it in amazement. It was an extremely realistic looking Pink Lily. The details were so precise that they looked real at first glance. “Wow!” he said before he could stop himself. “That looks really cool.”“Thank you. I hope we get an A on it,” Amelia said seriously. Pretty soon, it was their turn to present. Everyone in the class, including Ms. Webb, gasped when they saw her sculpture with admiration in their eyes. They took a seat after the presentation. Nate turned around and looked at Amelia. “That went pretty well, huh?” he said awkwardly. “Yeah…” That’s all she said. I guess she is still upset about the things I said to her, he thought. Good. Maybe she will finally leave me alone now.

Chapter 7 Chapter 6

Nate started to eat his lunch and expected Amelia to interrupt him and annoy him, but she didn’t sit at his table this time. Does that mean he is finally rid of her? He saw her walk in, and she went straight to another table with some other kids. He should feel relieved as she ignored him instead of aggravating him, but he couldn’t help feeling slightly lonely. It was too quiet as she wasn’t sitting near him talking his ears off, and he didn’t know how to feel about it anymore. It was the same way the next day. Amelia avoided him all day then sat somewhere else during lunch. Nate’s life was back to how it used to be. She finally left him alone. But he didn’t feel as happy as he thought he would be. He tried to force himself to stop thinking about her all day, but he couldn’t. What was wrong with him? On day three, he saw her standing by her locker after lunch. He suddenly had a strong urge to walk up to her and tell her not to ignore him. He wanted to tell her that he didn’t mean any of the things he said to her, and he wanted her back as a friend. But before he could make a move, he saw Ryan Smith walk up to her. She gave Ryan a big smile while they talked. Nate felt an unfamiliar pressure in his chest when he saw her laughing and talking with Ryan. Was it jealousy? No, that can’t be it. He doesn’t give a shit about her or who she talks to. Right? Amelia was still deep in conversation with Ryan. She laughed at something else he said and touched his arm. Rage flickered in Nate’s eyes after seeing that interaction. He didn’t know why he felt that way. He got what he asked for. Amelia stayed true to her promise and didn’t approach him anymore, so he should just forget about her. He looked away when Amelia turned her head and saw him. She looked at him for a split second and turned her attention back to Ryan. Nate walked away quickly. He couldn’t stand watching her talking to some douche anymore. Amelia sighed when she saw Nate looking at her and Ryan. She tried so hard not to think about Nate but seeing him at school made that impossible. She felt his eyes on them the whole time Ryan was talking to her. She forced herself to stop worrying about Nate and turned her attention back to Ryan. “So…I’ve been meaning to ask you out for weeks, but you were always hanging around that Nate guy. So are you and him…?” Ryan said. “Oh no, no, it’s nothing like that. I’m not going out with him or anything,” Amelia said quickly. “Oh good, I wouldn’t want to cross him. That guy is kind of scary. Then, would you want to go see a movie this Saturday?” he asked. “Sure, I’d love to,” Amelia said, smiling. He may be the distraction she needed, thought Amelia. Ryan was kind of cute, so it’ll take her mind off of thinking about Mr. Grumpy. Besides, Nate hates her and wants her to leave him alone anyway. Later that night, Nate tossed and turned all night, thinking about Amelia. He couldn’t figure out what was wrong with him. It was as if he missed her. It was just not the same at school without her annoying chattering. He became more aware of the quietness that surrounded him everywhere he went. And for once in his life, he hated it. Fuck…he cursed quietly. He wasn’t supposed to feel like this. His whole life, he convinced himself that he didn’t need any friends. Now he wanted her back. Maybe I should text her, he thought. Just to see how she was doing. No…he shook that thought off right away. Why should he care how she was doing? The next day, he waited for her at lunch, but she never came to the cafeteria. He decided to swallow his pride and at least say hi to her in class. For whatever reason, he couldn’t forget about this person. He wanted to tell her he wanted to be his friend again. He sat in class, waiting. The bell rang, and everyone settled inside, but still no sign of her. Nate fidgeted in his seat. He couldn’t focus in class because he kept thinking about her the whole time. After the class was over, he hesitated at the door. “Everything okay, Mr. Wolf?” Ms. Webb asked. “You’ve been standing there for a minute now. Anything I can do for you before you are late for your next class?”“Um…nothing,” he said and started to walk away but paused. “Actually, I was wondering if you knew where Amelia is. Is she sick?” he asked. “I’m not sure,” Ms. Webb said. “Why do you ask? Didn’t realize you two were friends? Maybe you should go check on her,” she added and raised her eyebrow. “We are not friends,” Nate said quickly. “I mean…I don’t know…” Ms. Webb smiled. “Well, if you are, I suggest you go check on her and make sure everything is okay. She is a good girl, so I would like to know that information.”“Yes, Ma’am,” he said and left the classroom. A million thoughts were going through his head. Should he text her to see what was wrong? But then she will think he cared about her. He decided to just forget about it. Two days passed, but Amelia didn’t come back to school. Nate was starting to worry. He decided it was time for him to check on her. After school, he drove to her house. He stood in front of her house and tried to figure out a good excuse for showing up like this. He knocked on the door after getting his thoughts together. A woman opened the door right away. She looked just like Amelia, but older. Same long brown hair and big brown eyes. “Well, hello, handsome! What brings you here?” She said cheerfully. Nate blushed. Jeez…does boldness runs in the family or what? He thought. “Hi, is Amelia here? She hasn’t been attending school the last three days, so I was just wondering if everything is okay?” he said and looked down. “Well, that’s nice of you to come to check on her! Amelia has been sick, so I forced her to stay home. That poor thing,” the woman sighed. “Are you a friend of hers?” she asked. “Eh…yeah… I’m Nate,” he said awkwardly. “Oh, you are Nate! Amelia talks about you all the time! I’m her mom, by the way, you can call me Emily,” she said excitedly. “She talks about me?” Nate asked nervously. “Yes,” Emily said and looked at him intently. “Don’t worry, that’s not a bad thing. She spoke very highly of you,” she said and smiled reassuringly. Nate couldn’t imagine why. He had been nothing but be mean to her, but he kept quiet. “You can go upstairs and see her if you like. Don’t worry. She is not contagious or anything. I have to go to work so I’ll leave you to it. Her room is upstairs to the right,” Emily said and headed to her car. “Wait…Emily…” Nate started to call after her, but she was already inside her car. He awkwardly stared at the staircase and wondered if he should just leave. He never met a girl’s mom who openly trusted a boy enough to let him go to their daughter’s room, especially when a boy looked like him! Luckily, he was not a creep. He sighed and headed upstairs to her room.

Chapter 8 Chapter 7

Nate lightly knocked on the door. “Hold on!” Amelia said from the other side, so he waited quietly. The door opened, and there stood Amelia. She was wearing a cropped t-shirt with a pair of Victoria’s Secret shorts. Her hair was messy like she had been lying down for a while. She looks adorable. The thought flashed in his mind before he could stop it. Her eyes turned huge with surprise when she saw him standing there. “Nate? What are you doing here?” she asked. He didn’t know what to say at first and stared at her. He was just about to open his mouth to say something but stopped when her facial expression suddenly changed. Her face turned pale. She grabbed the side of her stomach, and her facial expression contorted as if she was in pain. She looked like she was struggling to stay on her feet and was about to lose her balance. “Amelia?” Nate gave her a confused look. “I um…I need to lie down…ugh…” she tried to move but started to fall forward. “What the fuck?” Nate frowned and quickly grabbed her before she lost her balance completely. He picked her up and carried her to the bed, and put her down gently. “Shit…what the hell is wrong with you? Do I need to call the ambulance?” he asked. “No…I’ll be fine in a minute, don’t worry,” Amelia said, her face still twisted in pain. “I’ll go get you some water,” he said quietly. Amelia gulped down the water Nate brought. She was starting to feel better. “So…what are you doing in my house, Nate?” She asked. “You have been absent a lot, so I thought I would come to check on you,” he said quietly. Her eyes lit up. So Mr. Grumpy does care, she thought. “I’ve been sick. As you can see, I can hardly stand straight. Hah, I’m such a clumsy idiot, right?” Amelia smiled. Nate didn’t smile back. He could tell she was still in pain but was trying to cover it up under that cheerful smile. “Why are you in so much pain?” he asked, his piercing blue eyes bored into hers. Amelia twirled her hair nervously. “It’s nothing. My stomach hurts sometimes. I took some medication, so I’ll be fine by tomorrow. I promise,” she said and avoided his eyes. Nate knew something was definitely wrong, but he didn’t want to press her any farther. “Okay, well, I guess I should leave now since you are feeling better,” he said and tried to stand up, but Amelia grabbed his hand. “Wait…don’t leave. Please? Why did you come here?” she pleaded. “Like I said, I came to check on you,” he said. “But why? I thought you hated me,” she whispered. Nate’s eyes turned dark with emotions. He didn’t think Amelia would take his words so seriously. “I don’t hate you. I’m sorry if I made you feel like I do. I didn’t mean anything I said to you, okay?” he said softly. “Does that mean we can be friends again?” she asked, smiling again. This time Nate returned her smile. “Yes, even though you annoyed the shit out of me, you are the only friend I got so…”“Yay! I knew you’d come around,” she yelled and threw her arms around him, and they almost fell on the bed together. “Jesus, I said we could be friends. I didn’t permit you to attack me in this bed. Stop being so grabby!” he laughed. This chick is going to be a handful. He could already tell. “You know, the first time I was here, you told me your mom didn’t let boys go upstairs to your room. So how come she just let me come up here?” Nate asked. “I just made that up for precaution,” Amelia said shyly. “What…do I look like some rapist to you?” Nate asked pointedly. “No…it was for your protection, against me!” she grinned. “Haha, very funny little girl. I can flick you off like a bug if I wanted to,” Nate said and flexed his muscles. “Whatever, do you want to watch a movie with me?” Amelia said and patted on the spot next to her. “You just invite any dude to get in bed with you?” Nate asked, his eyes twinkling. “Nope, just my new best friend Nate. Now can you please stop arguing with me and sit next to me?” Amelia pouted. Nate sighed and plopped down next to her. He can’t win with this girl. Her bed was much softer than his at home. She put on a horror movie, so he raised his eyebrows. “Didn’t peg you as a horror fan,” he said. “There are a lot of things you don’t know about me, buddy,” she said and poked him on the ribs. The movie started, so they started to watch quietly. He could feel her body heat as she was sitting extremely close, her arm almost touching his. Suddenly, there was a jump scare scene, and she squealed and grabbed his waist. Her eyes were tightly shut. “Why did you put this movie on if you can’t handle it, you crazy?” Nate said in annoyance and tried to push her off. “I’m not scared. I just rather not watch this scene,” she said and tightened her grip on him even more. Jeez…he sighed and wrapped his arms around her. “The scenes over, you can open your eyes now,” he said after a few moments. She didn’t speak or let go. “Amelia?” he said and looked down. She was snoring lightly. Her head rested on his chest. Seriously? Nate thought. How did she fall asleep so fast? Her arms were still wrapped around him. He wanted to get up and leave, but she looked so peaceful he felt bad. He looked down and brushed some of her hair away from her face. She is quite beautiful when she was not talking his ears off. He thought and smiled. He carefully removed her arms from his waist and got up. She shifted slightly but didn’t wake up. He covered her with a blanket and left the house. He went back to his house. His mind was filled with thoughts of her. Why was she in so much pain? He pulled into the driveway and saw another car sitting there. What the hell? He thought. He wasn’t expecting a company. He didn’t recognize the car either. Who could it be? “Hello?” he called out as soon as he went inside. “Who’s here?” He turned around as he heard a pair of footsteps behind him and became face to face with one person he hated the most in this world.