I gave this Hunter guy a good look and concluded that, "Damn, Gabster. He's smoking hot." Whilst studiously avoiding eye contact with a certain blond-haired-green-eyed giant who cracked jokes about backseats and getting wet. "How come I wasn't aware of him?" Had it been so long since I spent isolating myself in my own personal bubble of self-hate and depression that I forgot to be there for those around me? Sometimes I'd feel like I didn't know Gabby and Layla as well as I used too. Especially when I learned a new detail about their lives, something that I should have known a long time ago. It was a harsh reminder that I took too long to mend my broken pieces. "I didn't tell anyone." Her tone left no room for questioning. Still pushing my luck, I asked ruefully, "Not even Layla?" If Layla knew and I didn't, I'd feel like utter shit. Gabriela sighed. "Not even Layla." I propped my chin on my fist. "So what's the story between you and this Hunter guy?" Her cheeks heated and she waved off my questions. "Forget it. It's not important." Except it was. If she was blushing like that, then it most definitely was. Gabriela didn't blush. She fucked guys and made out with them, but never did she ever get that look on her face - the one that was all soft and doe-eyed. The bell rang at that moment, signalling the end of lunch hour. We grabbed our bags and headed for our next class, and I promised myself that I'd ask her later. I would set things right between all of us. When I reached my classroom, I realized I forgot my calculus homework so I went back to my locker, passing Layla and Joshua in the hallway. Doing my best to ignore their presence and feign indifference, even though there was still a small portion of rage that boiled inside of me. Only when I was plucking out my worksheets from the top shelf of my locker did I hear the echo of snickering and conspiring whispering. My back stiffened and I told myself not to turn around when I heard my name... except that order was quickly forgotten when I heard Samuel Adams name linked with mine. I spun around, shocked. Two short brunettes lingered in the hallway, talking to each other and trying to sneak sly glances at me. The shorter girl's face was screwed in a tough grimace and she was the one making snide comments about me. Old Jodanna would have never let people talk shit about her. Everyone had known to never mess with me. I was always quick to put them in their places. But I liked resting in the protective shell I'd created for myself two years ago. I forgot that while I've changed, others haven't. No matter how hard I drew away from the former Jodanna "Party Girl" Reina Sereno image, students at Northwind High - and God knows what other schools - have always seen me as that. Sure, they whispered and talked when I stopped coming to Danny's Grill, when I stopped attending weekly parties at the hottest location and when I stopped fucking around with the kind of people who were bound to attract attention - the bad kind of attraction. But rumours died, dammit. So why were these two girls glaring at me like I was still that person? The more I stared at them, the more I realized that they wouldn't stop. This was like old times. Girls envied me because they wanted to be around the kind of crowd I hung out with. The kind of people who I hugged, kissed, dated. And while I wasn't that girl anymore, I still had a bit of backbone left in me. I dropped my binder and it fell to the ground with a purposefully clatter. They flinched. "What?" I spat, spreading my arms out at my sides. "Is there something wrong with your eyes?" There was a surge or triumph running through me as the taller brunette cowered. Good. I still had it in me. The shorter one didn't flinch. Instead, she canted her head to the side and regarded me challengingly. "Do you get off on being totally rude?" "I don't know. I could ask you the same fucking question." I couldn't remember the last time I'd intentionally cussed at someone. "If you've got some business state it now or leave me alone." Stop talking about me. Stop staring at me like I'm a freak-show. Stop, stop, stop. She pretended to look at her nails. "So you're back to your whorish ways, huh? Fucking Samuel Adams now -" "Rachel." A deep voice cut through from right behind me and I wheeled around to find the boy in question standing right behind me, thundering look plastered to his face. He leaned his tall frame against the row of lockers beside me and glared pointedly at the short girl. "You heard her. Leave Anna alone." She threw her head back and gave a maniacal laugh. "Oh, my God. You guys are on first name basis now? I'm surprised, Sam. You normally don't stick around with your girls for this long. Even your regulars. Is she extra special in her extracurricular activities?" I stopped breathing, a knot twisting deep, deep inside my chest at what she insinuated. Her words tore at me, opening an old wound and rubbing salt in it. A bitter taste strayed in my mouth upon hearing her talk about my 'whorish' ways. I was a little wild then, but never, never was I a whore. Beside me, Sam's face reddened and contorted in an angry fashion as he pushed off the lockers, taking a step toward her. "Rachel, I don't hit girls but you're testing my patience here. Your bitchiness is not needed. I'm going to say this one more time. Leave. Her. Alone." "How romantic," Rachel muttered, rolling her eyes defiantly. I suddenly had the urge to knock this girl cold. Sam may not hit girls and I may not hit them either, but there was a first for everything. "You're defending one of your fuck buddies? Well, isn't this new." That's it. I took a step toward but something on Sam's face stopped me. A dark sinister grin crossed his face and he laughed harshly. "Do I smell a little jealousy, Rach? Disappointed you couldn't be one of my girls?" "Fuck you, Sam!" she yelled, her voice booming loudly in the quiet hallway. "No thank you." Sam replied, unaffected. "You disgusting piece of - " "I don't know if you've always been so meddlesome, but for some reason you seem to be so fixated on my personal life." Sam said, but the calm tone his voice had taken on was a little scary. "You can say whatever the fuck you want about me, but don't bring Anna into this. I haven't slept with her. And unless you want me to talk to Crystal... I suggest you leave. Now." She'd gone frozen. Completely. Rachel swallowed once, twice, before turning on her heels. She walked away angrily, but not before mumbling. "I don't know what she sees in you." It was just Sam and I left in the hallway. I didn't turn to look at him. My eyes squeezed closed and I exhaled softly. So far my plan of avoiding him was all going to waste. I kept seeing him everywhere. In between classes. In the hallways. In the courtyard. Everywhere. "I tried staying away, you know." Sam's murmur caught me off guard and I gave into the urge to look at him. His adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed thickly, almost like he was nervous. I'd never seen him nervous. Only confident and cocky. "Clean slates - forgetting about the last few encounters." I was drawn to those dark green eyes, sucked into a vortex. "Then why are you here?" I whispered back, involuntarily inching closer to him. "Because you needed it." Was his simple answer. "She was saying false things about you and it wouldn't have happened if I hadn't spoken to you Friday night." I didn't know what to say. So I didn't say anything. I let the odd feeling of someone looking after me settle deep in my bones - even if it was coming from him. Sam continued like I had said something. "I'm not sorry about talking to you at that party, don't get that wrong. And neither will I regret standing up to her when she was ready to trample all over you - because that was partially my fault. I won't regret that, Anna. But if you want us to continue ignoring each other from now on because of this, I can do that." He didn't wait for my answer. Sam walked away without so much as a backward glance my way. Leaving me cold and speechless. Maybe half an hour passed. Maybe it was really only five minutes. But in that short amount of time, I realized that maybe - just maybe- Sam might be a little different than Joey. After all, my ex-boyfriend would have never stood up for me.