Picking up where I left off four years ago wasn't as hard as I thought it would be. The "cool kids" latched onto me pretty quickly, which was good, I guess. Almost everyone remembered me from elementary school, but puberty sure did change a lot.

Freshman top girl, Tabby, became even more popular after her physical change. Her once flat chest quadrupled in size. Training bras long gone, she definitely grew over the years. Looking down at my nonexistent chest, I felt a bit inadequate in comparison.

Chase Abernathy also changed. I remember him before moving away to Chicago. We were actually really good friends, always together. He was my neighbor for a long time until he had to move because of his dad's job. His once boyish, soft face has hardened. The strict lines of his face also transcended to his body. He practically shot to the sky, his leg practically the length of my entire body.

Even after four months of being back, I still didn't really fit in. Yes, I was a part of the 'in' crowd, and some people would love to be in the position I was in, but there hasn't been anyone that I've really clicked with.

I haven't talked to Jaxon since our Red Bull accident. I see him wandering in the hallways between classes or on the bus, but besides that, we are practically strangers. I did learn a lot about him in these last few months. Jaxon was a junior, three years older than me. He was the star quarterback on the football team, cliche, I know. He was dating the captain of the cheerleading squad, Katilyn, which explained the whispered I'd heard on my first day. Since then, Katilyn and Jaxon had been on and off, but currently they were off. One shocking factor I'd learned was that Jaxon also had a passion for the theater. He was very widely known for his role as Peter Pan in Neverland. With that revelation and the fact that he was so nice to me that day on the bus, Jaxon completely demolished the whole jock stereotype.

After Christmas break, I made a pact with myself. Find friends. Real friends, not just people to hang out with. So on the first day back to class, I did just that. Well, technically, I guess you could say she found me.

Courtney Hale. We've had biology and a couple of other classes together all year, but we never really talked. Everything changed that day. It was movie day in biology, so no one was really paying attending, not even the teacher. Everyone is either talking or on their phones. It as one of the latter, just passing the time by playing candy crush when I hear my name.

"Skylar."

I ignore it at first, but it sounds over and over.

"Skylar... Skyylarrrr... SKYLAR!"

I turn towards the noise. Courtney sure in the back of the classroom, frantically pointing to the desk next to her. I look around, making sure she's talking to me. I point to myself and mouth "Me?"

Courtney rolls her eyes and nods. Quietly and cautiously, I grab my things and head her way.

I didn't know Courtney before the move. I learned that day that she had moved to Greenville about a year after I had left. It was just Courtney, her sister Cleo, and her mother Jenny. Courtney's parents divorced right after her little sister was born. Another crazy coincidence is our looks. It's like we are the same but different. Both Courtney and I have the long dark brown hair.Whereas mine is board straight, hers is naturally wavy. We have very similar facial structures. Our bodies are quite different however. Courtney has a beautiful figure, curves in the right places with beautiful breast as perky as can be. Me however, I have curve but nothing compared to her. My chest is literally the smallest a cup you can find, and sometimes my figure is more comparable to a little boy that a teenage girl.

Courtney and I really bonded over the crazy antics of our parents, but it was so much more. We talked about everything that day in biology. We talked about our parents, friends, fears, hobbies, loves, crushes. We had so many things in common, while also having enough differences that we could discuss things.

After that day, Courtney and I became inseparable. We were attached at the hips. We hung out everyday, in between classes, after school, on weekends. The small time that I had known Courtney, she became one of the only people I felt that I could really talk to.

We were having a sleepover at Courtney's place. I finally met her mom, Jenny. She was a very strict woman. The house was spotless, to the point of OCD. She was very particular on where I put my things, and she absolutely insisted that I take my shoes off before coming inside.

Despite her mother's very strict and controlling lifestyle, Courtney somehow managed to sneak alcohol to our night together. She got the cheapest bottle of vodka she could and we were drunk after two shots.

Like most teenage girls, the topic of boys was inevitable. Courtney told me about how she lost her virginity over the summer to this guy met at summer camp. She told me the horrific details of how her vagina felt like it was ripping open and that apparently it only lasted about a minute. We laughed at her horrible first time, but in the back of my mind I really hoped that it wasn't that bad for everyone.

"So, is there anyone at school that you have a crush on?" Courtney questioned while throwing back another shot.

An image of Jaxon instantly floods my mind and I feel my cheeks warm at the thought, "Nope. No one."

"You're such a lying sack of shit," she laughs, "Fine I'll tell you mine if you tell me yours." She hands me another shot.

Throwing it back, I wince as my throat burns from the alcohol. Giving Courtney a nod, she speaks the name of her current crush.

"Chase Abernathy."

I can't control the snort that comes from me as she stares at me. Courtney's eyebrows narrow and her eyes harden, "What?"

"You know he's gay right?"

Shock riddles her face, "No, he's not! He was just dating that girl Alyssa like a month ago."

"No, he wasn't," I shake my head, "That's his cousin, and yes he's totally gay."

"Okay whatever." Courtney rolls her eyes. "So, I told you mine, so who's yours?"

I don't know why, but something is telling me not to tell her, but her beady beads are glaring holes into me. "Jaxon," I mumble under my breath.

Courtney practically jumps from her seat. "Jaxon?" She shrieks, "Jaxon Blake? The hottest guy in junior year?"

Embarrassment floods my entire body. I avert my eyes from a still overexcited Courtney. My hands nervously wring as I wait for her to continue. The words gush out of my mouth, unable to keep anything to myself. I retell the story of our first meeting, and she laughs at the details.

"He's totally out of your league," she slurs.

Hearing those words make my stomach turn. I know Jaxon's older and that I'm nowhere close to something he would want, but hearing her say it just hurt.

I let out a dry laugh, "I know, that's why it's a crush. He's totally out of my league."

We quickly let the conversation go, just drinking and laughing our worries away. After what seems like her thousandth shot, Courtney's drinking seemed to have caught up with her.

Courtney frantically pushes herself up from the ground and stumbles her way out of the room. Slamming into walls and tripping over her own feet, Courtney finally makes it into the bathroom. She instantly falls to her knees and heaves out all the contents of her stomach. I do the best friend thing and gather her hair. I try to soothe her as she continues to gag up the disgusting alcohol.

"What the hell is happening?"

It's the first time I'd heard Ms. Jenny curse. It was a bit of a shock, seeing as she always tries to be Ms Perfect, but I feel Courtney tense under my hands.

"Um, I think Courtney might be sick. She just started throwing up," The lie easily falls from my lips. I know that Courtney will be in a shit ton of trouble if her mother finds out about what we were really doing.

Ms. Jenny takes a step closer and her nostrils flare as she takes a deep breath. "Is that alcohol on your breath?"

My stomach drops. Shit, she knows. I can't lie now, she knows. I open my mouth to speak, she beats me to it.

"You've known my daughter for what? A few months and you've already corrupted her." I shrink back as her words meet my ears. Her voice rises as she continues, "You're probably the reason that she's been talking back lately, acting like she is old enough to speak to her mother that way."

I don't know what to say to the woman standing above me. Yes, I've known Courtney for a little while now, but she has always been this rebel, stubborn girl.

"Get out."

I finally bring myself to make eye contact with Courtney's mother. Her face is made of stone as her glares down at me.

"Did I stutter?" She spits the words down at me. "I said, get out."

I look back at Courtney, who has stopped her retching and is now wide-eyed and staring down at the floor. I wait. I wait for her to stand up for me, to say that she was the one to bring the alcohol. But she does nothing. She just stares down at her hands, while her mother lifts me from the floor and pushes me out of the bathroom.

I feel all the breath leave me as my chest restricts. Numbly, I walk back to Courtney's room and gather my things. I don't even make it out of the house before I hear Courtney and her mother arguing.

The cold air against my skin is refreshing as I shut their front door behind me. I grab my jacket from my bag and wrap it around my shoulders. Taking my phone out of my pocket, I send a quick text to my dad to come pick me up. It's past midnight, so it's very unlikely that he will even answer, so I do what I have to.

I start walking.

Courtney and I live about 10 minutes away from each when driving. Walking, on the other hand, seems to take years. It's been 20 minutes since I left Courtney's house, and I haven't heard from her or my dad. I keep walking on the dimly lit road and a pair of lights suddenly flash ahead of me. I quickly move to the edge of the road, not wanting to become road something.

The truck moves past me and I keep walking in the direction of my house. The sound of brakes squealing is what make me stop. Turning my head around, I find the white truck behind me, parked.

Every murder movie ever bounces through my mind. Images of creepy white vans snatching up little unsuspecting kid and never being found again makes my heart pound against my chest. I keep my eyes trained on the vehicle as the driver door pops open. A tall, muscled figure climbs out and begins to walk towards me.

"Holy shit, this is not happening," I whisper under my breath. I back away with every step the figure takes. The darkness surrounds the figure, and I can't who it is.

Like every scary movie, I trip over my own feet and I come crashing to the pavement. I hear the pounding of footsteps as the unknown person runs for me. I'm just about to scream when the light finally reveals his face.

Jaxon.

Calmness courses through me and I let out a sigh of relief. I pull myself up and dust off the bit of dirt from my hands.

"Skylar? Is that you?" Jaxon's deep voice causes way too many unfiltered emotions to come to the surface. The concern that drips from his words soothes me as I stare up at him.

Nodding my head, I speak. "Yeah, it's me. I was just on my way home."

"Alone? At night?" His face reveals the incredulous expression that I knew too well, "And you're walking? How far do you live from here?"

"Just a few miles. It's nothing," I point a finger in the general direction of my house.

"Miles? That'll take you forever to get home," Jaxon pushes his hand through his jet black hair and glances at his truck. "Come on, I'll drive you home."

Without even giving me a chance to decline, Jaxon turns away and walks back to his truck. He's about halfway there when he turns back to me, his brow raised, "You coming or what?"

Hurriedly, I gather my things and run to meet up with him. Jaxon walks to the passenger side, opening the door and taking my things from me. He tosses them to the backseat. I climb inside and a woodsy scent hits my nose. I sit rigidly in the passenger seat as Jaxon climbs in behind the steering wheel.

"Where to?"

After giving Jaxon directions to my place, we sit in an awkward silence. I;m not sure what to do. Do I thank him? Apologize? Wait, why would I apologize? Hell, I don't-

"So, what were you doing out so late tonight?" Jaxon's voice cuts off my inner turmoil.

I don't know why, but I'm unsure of what to tell him. So I decide to do what's best. I tell him the truth.

"I was spending the night at my friend Courtney's tonight. We-" I let out a little laugh as I think of our drunken mess. "We might have gotten a little drunk and her mom found us. She went crazy and started yelling. Then she kicked me out, basically told me to leave her daughter alone."

Jaxon looks over at me, curiosity in his eyes. "Wow, Red. I never would have believed it. You? Drunk? Kicked out? You are not what I expected."

My cheeks warm and I'm thankful for the black night. "Yeah," I laugh with him, "It's definitely not something that I would normally do."

"Sounds like that Courtney can be pretty persuasive."

I smile, "She is."

My phone takes that moment to ding inside my pocket. Pulling it out, I see that I have seven missed calls from my dad and a text from Courtney. My thumb hovers over the message, unsure of what it will hold. Holding my breath, I open it.

Courtney: Im so sorry about tonight. im totally grounded. my mom is such a bitch. sorry our night was ruined guess well just have to do this at your place next time.

I'm relieved yet annoyed. That's it? You let your mom blame me for everything and that's all I get? I start typing out exactly how I'm feeling when my screen is suddenly overtaken by my dad's face. The ringtone of "A" fills the vehicle. Glancing over at Jaxon, I point down at my phone, "My dad."

Jaxon nods and looks back out at the road. Taking a deep breath, I answer the phone.

"Hi Dad," I whisper weakly.

"SKYLAR MARIE MASON. I have been calling you. Why didn't you answer? I was worried sick! And what happened to staying at Courtney's? Did something happen?"

I can't help but feel guilty as speaks to me. I should have called him as soon as I saw he called, but of course Courtney seemed to mess that up too.

"I know and I'm so sorry. Courtney got sick and her mom told me to go home," The lie spills from my mouth, "I should have called."

I can hear his sigh over the phone, "No, it's okay. Where are you? I'm coming to pick you up."

My eyes inadvertently trail over to the boy driving. He must have felt my gaze because he glances over at me and flashes a smile. Giving him a quick smile I continue, "Don't worry about it. I caught a ride with a friend. He's bringing me home and I should be there in a few minutes."

"HE? Who is he?" I wince and pull the phone away from my ear as my dad screams into his phone.

"Everything okay?" Jaxon places a hand over mine and I tense at the feeling. I don't do physical stuff, but for some reason this felt okay.

"He's a friend from school, okay. I gotta go, I see you soon." I quickly hang up the phone and let out a huge sigh. That could have gone better.

Pulling my hand away, I nod. "It's fine. He's a little pissed, but he'll get over it."

Jaxon grins at me, "Such the rebel."

Only moments later, Jaxon pulls into my driveway. The light outside out door is on and it illuminates my father for everyone to see. Unbuckling my seat belt, I face Jaxon. "Thank you for the ride. Really. If you hadn't shown up, I don't know what I would have done."

He sends me another of his cheeky grins, "You'd probably still be walking."

"You're probably right," I laugh.

Pushing myself from his truck, I slide down, letting my feet hit the ground. My dad stands a few feet away from the truck and I can see the steam pulsing from him.

I hear another door shut and my head whips around to find Jaxon coming towards us. My dad comes the rest of the way towards me, placing himself right next to me. He pins Jaxon with a powerful glare, but Jaxon seems unfazed as he smiles up at my father.

Jaxon pushes his hand forward, "Hello, sir. I'm Jaxon Blake. It's a pleasure to meet you."

My eyes widen and they bounce back between my crush and my father. Eric places his hand in Jaxon and I watch helplessly as the two have a pissing contest right in front of me. After a moment, my dad finally lets go, and a smile creaks out on his face.

"Not bad son," Eric lets out a deep laugh and pats Jaxon on the back. "I didn't know my daughter was dating anyone but you seem like a nice fellow."

Some unknown object gets stuck in my throat and I cough hysterically. Jaxon is instantly by my side, rubbing my back to stop me from hacking up a lung.

"He's not my boyfriend," I sputter out, still trying to catch my breath.

My dad laughs, "Well, whatever you want to call it, I'm glad he was there for you when I couldn't be." He looks at me and back to Jaxon.

Jaxon keeps his hand on my back and smiles up at my father, "It was my honor to help Skylar tonight." He looks down at me and I'm speechless as he walks back to his truck.

My father and I watch as Jaxon climbs into his vehicle and starts to back up. My dad throws his hand into the air, waving Jaxon goodbye as he pulls away. The two of us stand in silence as we watch Jaxon's lights fade away to nothing.

Dad claps his hands in front of himself and rubs them together, "Well, I think that went great!" He turns away from me and head back inside of the house. Groaning, I grab all my things and follow behind him.

Plopping onto my bed, I think back on the events of tonight. I'm pretty sure Courtney and I had our first fight, kinda. Ms. Jenny absolutely hates me and thinks I'm not good enough to be her daughter's friend. I spent almost an hour with my crush, who my dad know thinks is my boyfriend. The craziness of the night hits me hard as I lay on the soft material of my bed. It's only mere seconds after my head hits my pillow, and my mind shuts down, taking away the hectic events of tonight with it.