The last few days of Thanksgiving break consisted of me mostly staying low-key and resting. I had notified Blair and had gotten my car fixed within that time, hoping December would turn out better than November.

Things started looking up the Sunday night before we had to go back to school. The nightmares ceased to exist, even without the help of alcohol and sleeping pills. It was a small miracle I didn't take for granted.

Another small plus was that Megan was talking to me again. I hadn't realized how much I needed our relationship until losing it, so getting it back really altered my attitude.

The only bad thing about getting into December was my grades, and how rescuing my crumbling GPA seemed impossible. All of my teacher's had issued a warning, including Megan, but didn't include any means of help. And I had no idea what to do.

That was until one day after Megan's class.

"Sam, I need to have a word with you," Megan called from her desk. I never thought I'd be grateful to hear those words coming from a teacher, but I was.

I shut the door before joining her at her desk. "Am I in trouble?"

"No, but your grades are."

I sighed. "I know. I just don't know what to do about it."

She leaned forward. "Here's a suggestion: study."

"Would it be sad if I told you I didn't know how?"

"Yes, it would."

I threw myself down in the seat next to her. "Megan I can't fail again."

"That's why I asked you to stay. I talked to coach about giving you December off to focus on your studies. She was fine with it as long as you come back to help for the regular season."

Suddenly my Friday had gotten so much better.

I smiled. "You didn't have to do that."

"Yes, I really did. You have an F in almost every class."

"Which one do I not have an F in?" I asked.

"Environmental Science. You have a D in there."

I nodded. "Sweet."

"That's not sweet, Sam."

"Well what do you suggest I do then?"

"I'm going to tutor you until finals."

I was blindsided. Had she said tutor me? As in one on one?

"Uh, when?" I asked.

"During my lunch period, because unlike you I still have to help with softball practice."

"So as in right now?"

She just nodded.

"Well when are you gonna eat lunch?" I tried to persuade her another way.

"I can multitask."

"You don't have to do this," I found myself saying. It was one thing for her to talk to coach, but to tutor me one on one for the next three weeks?

"I know, but I want to."

"Why?"

She tilted her head. "Because I'm your friend."

Then why did it feel like it was becoming more than that? I shoved the thought to the back of my mind.

"Alright then."

"We'll start Monday," she answered. "On one condition."

I groaned. "I should've known."

"You help me and Shawn this weekend."

That's right. Megan was moving out and even when she didn't have all that much to move, she still had quite a bit of boxes.

"Deal," I answered with a smile.

Her cheeks flushed before she dismissed me. "I'll see you at home."

"You're gonna miss seeing my face all the time. I just know it," I joked.

She rolled her eyes. "That's what you'd like to believe."

"Don't even try to deny it."

She just raised one brow at me.

I leaned on her desk for a moment. "For the record, I'll miss you."

Her face softened. "Oh really?"

"Really. I mean have you seen Shawn's cooking? Its crap compared to yours. I'll starve to death!"

This made her laugh. Her lips pulled into a full smile which made something light up in my chest. It made me feel warm.

"I'm telling him you said that," she threatened through her giggles.

I just threw her a smirk before leaving her classroom, glad to feel something other than the ache in my chest. I hated admitting it to myself, but I would miss more than Megan's cooking.

I'd miss seeing her first thing in the morning. I'd miss her leaving those annoying reminders on my bathroom mirror about my homework.

I would miss her presence, and maybe that meant more than I'd like to believe.

* * *

That weekend we moved Megan out and cleaned the loft upstairs. With all the commotion I had forgotten to give her back the dream catcher still hanging on my bed. Come to find out she wanted me to keep it indefinitely.

"You need it more than I do," she had claimed, so there it stayed, dangling over my head like a small piece of her.

The next week consisted of me going to school and staying an extra hour every day after Megan's class for tutoring. Megan had even consulted with the rest of my teachers and took matters into her own hands, which was something unexpected. It felt nice to know she cared enough to do that, so I let her lead the way. And the results after only one week were mind blowing.

"So how are you tutoring sessions with Megan going?" Blair teased, interrupting my reflection.

I looked at her. "Why'd you say tutoring so weird?"

"No reason."

I rolled my eyes, already knowing what she had meant. "Once again, it's not like that."

We emerged at the end of the hallway and Megan appeared outside her door. Her eyes traveled over Blair and then lingered on me a moment longer. I threw her a smile.

"Okay the tension is choking me."

"Whatever," I dismissed.

In all honesty I knew Blair was right, just like she always was. She was observant. And it was easier to lie to other people than to myself when it came to what I felt for Megan. Admitting it aloud was always the hardest part.

That's when I felt a shove behind me. I turned ready to let loose when Shay came into view.

"So you cheat on Emma and then you bail on practice?" she fumed.

"For the record, I didn't cheat on Emma. And oh, you must miss me."

"Like hell I do," she fumed. "Yeah, well that's not what she said. I'll believe her word over yours any day."

Within the moment we had gained the attention of passing students. I didn't care since I was already seeing red. Had Emma told everyone I was a cheater? When that wasn't even the case?

I stepped closer to Shay. "And so what if I did cheat on her? That would still be none of your business."

She held her ground. "It's my business when a teammate gets hurt by a low life."

"Oh, so now your defending Emma's honor or something? Get the hell out of my face before I puke, Shay."

"Are you jealous that Emma told me what happened?" she stated with a smirk. God I was about to knock her out.

I laughed. "Jealous? Of you? Shay, Emma may be confused but she's not blind."

That did it. A hard shove sent me to the ground as the hallway erupted with manic cheers. Shay tried to get a few punches in, but growing up with an older brother had taught me how to win a fight.

I twisted and ended up straddling her, my arm rose into the air. Before I could bring it down arms pulled me off of her and dragged me away.

My tunnel vision dissipated as the red surrounding my view vanished. The observing students were shoo-ed off by the teachers. She's lucky I didn't have the chance to get a punch in.

Megan's voice ordered. "To the principal's office, both of you."

This was the last thing I needed. Getting in trouble this close to the end of the term was never good. And walking to the office felt like déjà vu. The last time I got into a fight I had gotten expelled.

I stood next to Shay while Megan peeked her head inside the principal's office and explained her presence. Then we were led inside.

"Sam, why am I not surprised?" he stated.

"It wasn't my fault! It was self-defense!" I blurted.

"Stop," Megan demanded.

I shut up.

"Miss Adams, what exactly happened?" The principal asked. "If I had to guess, Sam was bored and felt the need to start some trouble."

"Actually she's telling the truth. She acted merely in self-defense. Shay was the one to instigate."

I looked to Megan. The way her tone was so demanding and clear made something stir deep in my stomach. She just looked so... hot. I could get used to her defending on my behalf.

"Really?"

"Yes sir. Shay shoved her once before having words with Sam and then shoved her once more to the ground."

We stood there in silence. Obviously I hadn't done anything wrong, but I believed if it would've been any other teacher in here with me I wouldn't have been so lucky.

The principal nodded. "Then Sam can leave."

I turned and left the office, Megan following right behind me.

"What the hell was that all about?" Megan asked.

"Apparently Emma is telling people I cheated on her and that's why we broke up. Which isn't true at all. And Shay saw that as an excuse to start crap with me. Then I may have pissed her off with a comment," I confessed. "Thanks for saving my ass again, by the way."

She shook her head. "Why would Emma be telling people you cheated if you didn't?"

"Because when we broke up she accused me of having someone else. I denied it of course, but she never fully trusted me anyway."

"You didn't tell me you two broke up," she claimed.

"Well you weren't talking to me when it happened," I answered.

She remained silent the rest of the way back to class. Before we walked inside she looked at me. "So you have no idea why Emma may have thought there to be someone else?"

Why was she so hung up on that? I sure as hell wasn't. I mean it wasn't even true! Was it? Megan may have been a very, very small reason... Wait, no. She was not.

"No idea."

She just nodded. "Alright then. Don't forget to stay after class for tutoring."

I smiled. "How could I forget?"

The lecture passed quick, and before I knew it I was taking my place next to Megan at her desk. Considering we were back at Monday morning there wasn't much to do. We reviewed her lecture, went over my math homework, and looked over my science quiz I had taken last week.

"I'm not sure I'll be able to survive without your help next term," I admitted.

"You'll be fine. Just do exactly what we do now."

"It's easier when you keep me on track."

"Yeah you tend to get distracted."

Can you blame me? I thought. A smirk grew on my lips.

"You're right," I agreed.

She eyed me before she leaned in for a closer look at my math homework. "I think you have the right idea now."

She smelt so good. Like the apples she was eating and the hint of some perfume that she wore really well. Her body heat radiated off of her and touched my skin. I instinctively moved closer.

"All thanks to you, Miss Adams," I teased.

"God I hate when you do that."

"Do what?"

"Say my name like that. It's just...not right."

I raised my brow. I may have expected her to say "weird" or "inappropriate" but she hadn't. Did it turn her on? I found myself flushing with color at the thought.

I leaned forward. "Does it make you uncomfortable?"

Her eyes then flickered between my eyes and lips. "N-No, it just... sounds weird. I'm used to you calling me Megan."

Was I sensing nervousness? I was growing more and more intrigued by the second. Not to mention how I had caught her looking at my lips. Blair was right. The tension was thick and I found it hard to ignore.

I smirked. "I don't think calling you Megan in class would go over well."

Okay now I saw it. I saw the nerves and the lip biting and the eye flickering. I saw it all and had no idea what to do. All of a sudden I was being pulled closer and closer with no means to stop. Since when was it so strong? And did she feel it to?

But she pulled away, breaking the moment. "Do you have anything else you want to work on?"

Oh, I had a few things in mind.

I shook my head. "No."

She turned away from me and bit into another apple slice, attempting to ignore me again. Not like she had before, but enough to suppress the pull.

"Nikki called me again."

Suddenly the tension was gone, replaced with a feeling I hadn't felt much in my life. And I knew exactly what it was.

"What'd she say?" I asked.

"She's coming into town a little after New Year's and wants to talk. One on one this time," she answered with an eye roll, referring to the last time they had met.

"And you agreed?"

"Maybe."

"Megan."

"Sam, look I know I may never get closure from her but I have to at least try. Without you there trying to protect me, okay?"

She was right about that. I was trying to protect her. I saw an evil in Nikki that I believed Megan was blind to, and that worried me. And I didn't want Megan to get hurt again, not by her ex.

"Are you gonna act like we broke up?"

She laughed. "We were technically never dating."

"But Nikki thinks we are."

"Yeah and if we do meet up I'll play it off, don't worry," she coaxed, but I couldn't seem to let it go.

"Don't let her get to you," I demanded. "I've got a bad feeling about her."

"I know how to handle myself," she answered.

We were close again, our eyes locked. I wanted to tell her something but I wasn't sure what it was. Why was she staring at me so hard? And why was my heart nearly beating out of my chest? She looked so good today...

"I think you should go," she interrupted. "I have some grading to finish."

Did that moment freak her out? Cause it had surely freaked me out. What on earth was going on?

I nodded. "Y-Yeah, I'll uh, see you tomorrow."

She tried her best not to look at me but I saw a hint of a smile on her red lips. I blamed it on my stuttering.

"Bye Sam," she dismissed.

I picked up my backpack and left, wondering where this shortness of breath had come from. What was going on? Why did it hurt to leave her? And why did I absolutely hate the idea of Nikki coming into town and seeing Megan alone? Why did I care so much now?

Or maybe I had cared all along, and was now finally recognizing it for what it was.

I liked Megan, a lot,and there was no denying it anymore.