A/N: Just a heads up, I have no idea what this chapter is going to be like. I'll be working on it on and off all day but I hope you still enjoy it!

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"You like Max, right?" Kye asked as we got in the car on Wednesday morning.

I frowned as I turned the key in the ignition. "Why the hell would you say that?" I asked, trying to brush it off. 

If he knew, he would make it obvious to Max whenever he was around. To say the least, I really didn't want that. Especially after last night. 

Which reminded me, why the hell was Max so distracted during out kiss that he didn't pull away when he heard my mother?

Why did Kye just have to interrupt at the wrong time? If he didn't I would know by now, and this question would not be haunting my mind right now.

Oh well, Kye didn't know. 

"Come on Rylie!" Kye said, exasparated. "You spend basically all your time with the guy, he knows you better than I think you do sometimes and he likes you too."

I shook my head, not going to tell the truth. "Kye, it's not like that. He is my best friend and that's all we are to each other."

Kye shook his head profusely. "No. Friends don't kiss like that in a dark hallway."

It was my turn to be exasparated. "Kye, you know why we did! It was to piss off Mum and-"

"That's not what I'm saying. I know why you did it but it was something else. Neither of you looked like you were doing it just because of that." Kye frowned. "Look, I'm not making sense. Let me try again."

He paused for a moment while I kept my eyes on the road. If Kye couldn't see my eyes he wouldn't see how much I wish that was true. He wouldn't see just how hard I was falling for Max. 

Kye took a deep breath and tried again. "Okay. You and Max are kind of perfect together. You just fit together like pieces of a puzzle and everyone sees it. If you and Max really didn't want to kiss last night, you wouldn't have. We would have thought of another way to push our mother off the edge, but you were both eager to do it."

I knew he was going to continue but I wasn't sure I wanted to hear it. Hearing people say things like this leads to wishful thinking. That's something I can't afford because I knew from past experiences that wishful thinking led to getting your heart broken. 

"You don't see how much-"

"Kye, stop," I told him as I turned into the parking lot. 

I pulled into an empty spot and got out before Kye could say anything.

I didn't want to hear about something that wasn't going to happen, but apparently I couldn't escape it. 

"I thought you said nothing was going on between you and Max!" Brooklyn pounced as soon as I got into the hallway near my locker. 

"What the hell are you talking about?" I snapped, not even looking her way.

"You seriously don't know?" She asked, speaking as if I was stupid. She just gestured to my locker with a pissed off expression. 

Taped to my locker was a piece of paper and a rose, directly along side each other.

Surely this person had gotten the wrong locker. 

I hesitantly pulled the note off my locker and opened it. 

Rylie,

Huh, so it was to me. I kept reading. 

honestly? i like you, A lot. 

yoU make me happy. you make me laugh.

you're Great. you're smart. yoU're different. 

you're a little crazy, and awkward,

and your Smile alone can make my day.

from your secreT admirer.

Realisation dawned on me. 

The capitals that spelt out his name and that familiar handwriting that I had known since primary school. 

Oh crap...

I was the girl August and Chase were fighting over.

No no no no no no no no.

I hastily opened my locker and shoved the note and the rose into it, getting out my books before slamming it closed. 

Today was just not my day. 

"I told you so!" Brooklyn glared. I refrained from yelling at her. 

"It's not from Max, Brook," I told her, walking away. 

"Wait," she called, wobbling to catch up with me. 

I couldn't be bothered dealing with her so I walked faster, knowing she wouldn't be able to catch up in her billion inch heels. 

I turned a corner hurriedly and of course, ran into someone. 

They grabbed me around the waist before I could fall on my ass and when I looked up to thank them, I saw the green eyes I had been wanting to see. 

Without thinking, I wrapped my arms around his middle for comfort. 

I just wanted to go home. I didn't want to see August or Chase and I didn't want to have to tell them that I didn't like either of them like that.

"Wow, Rylie, are you okay?" Max asked, his voice a mixture of concern and surprise. 

I didn't answer. I just detached myself from him and walked around him to my English classroom. 

"Hey Rylie," Leah greeted me from the back of the room. She was the only one in the room so I took a seat next to her and smiled in greeting. 

"Oh no, what happend?" She asked.

Huh? How did she... Wait, what?

"How did you-"

"I think I'd know your fake smile by now. You look really out of it and annoyed. What happened?" She asked again, her hazel eyes scrutinizing. 

I looked at the clock above the board which said we still had ten minutes left until class began. 

So I explained everything, not leaving anything out like I usually did. 

If I was being honest, I just couldn't be bothered hiding anthing from her anymore. Leah was the most trustworty peron and I don't know why I didn't tell her everything a long time ago. 

"Well for starters, how did you not know Chase and August were fighting over you? It is so obvious!" She smiled when I rolled my eyes. 

"I just need to tell them," I sighed, all of a sudden dreading lunch.

"Yeah, you do. You also need to tell Max," Leah said. I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion.  

"What do I need to tell Max?"

She smiled cheekily. "You need to tell him that you don't like August or Chase. I think he's been kind of freaking out."

I rolled my eyes yet again and didn't dignify that comment with a response relating to it.  "Anyway, it's not all about me. What's happening between you and Nate?"

It was true. It wasn't all about me. I had been so caught up with Max and everything that was happening with my mother that I hadn't stopped to talk to my friends and see what was happening in their lives. 

An unconcious smile lit up her face. "I don't know. I mean, yeah, I like him but he just doesn't make any sense! He talks to me and we flirt and have fun but then he doesn't talk to me for a while."

I smiled. It had been a long time since Leah had seriously liked anyone and Nate would be good for her. "I think I need to talk to Nate." I said. 

.

Thankfully I made it to Japanese in fourth period without seeing August or Chase. I had gone to my locker and straight to third period at recess but I couldn't get out of seeing August in Japanese. 

There were three people in class when I walked in; Tessa, Nate and Max. 

I sat down next to Nate, greeting Tessa and Max before turning on Nate. "What's going on with you and Leah?" I asked bluntly. 

If I expected him to look surprised, he didn't. He just smiled at me. 

"I'm asking her out at Patrick's party on Saturday."

"Oh my God are you serious??" I nearly squealed and he just nodded. 

I suddely could not wait for Saturday. I was so excited!

August then walked into the room, his eyes finding mine and he smiled. 

Okay, not so excited anymore.

I smiled at him curteously then looked out the window, basically doing anything to avoid his gaze all class. 

I pondered different ways of talking to him and Chase privately and decided on just texting both of them to meet me by my locker at the start of lunch. 

I mean, I know August was in my class but I didn't want to walk with him back to my locker, so I purposefully got into a conversation with Tessa as soon as the bell rang. 

"How's things going?" She asked me, smiling. 

"Yeah pretty good. You?" I asked back, feeling so out of it. 

I hadn't talked to Tess or Leah or Olly for what felt like ages, all because I was too caught up with Max. 

"Really good," she smiled. 

We continued to talk about random things - mostly Seth - until we reached the fork in the corridor where we went opposite ways. 

Thankfully August was nowhere to be seen so I told Tess I would see her in the cafeteria then started to walk to my locker. 

"Hey Ry," Max pinched my sides and smirked when I squirmed. 

I was grateful for the distraciton. I really didn't want to think about how I was supposed to tell August and Chase. 

I almost hoped that they wouldn't be there but I knew it's what I had to do.

I still couldn't belive they liked me. I mean, why would anyone like me? I was completely average.

"What are you thinking?" He asked, nudging my side.

I shrugged. "I have to talk to Chase and August," I told him and he tried to smirk teasingly, but there was something else under his expression. His mask was back up. 

"Going to confess your undying love to one of them?"

I rolled my eyes. "No Max, I'm confessing my undying love to both of them," I said saracstically but he clearly didn't get it. 

He frowned so I put my hand on his forearm. "Max, I'm just joking."

And there they were, standing on either side of my locker with a smile when they saw me.

Oh dear...

The hallway was pretty much empty because the language block was on the other side of the school and it had taken me a while to walk here. 

"Hey guys," I smiled, opening my locker and putting my books down and pulling out the note that was left on my locker this morning. 

I shut my locker and was surprised to see Max still standing there. "Uh, Max? Can you please leave?" I asked, trying to be polite. 

Max just laughed happily and turned on his heel to walk in the direction of the cafeteria. 

When he was out of earshot I held up the note. "You gave me this?" I directed at August, who nodded, smiling. 

I took a deep breath, not wanting to take part in this conversation I knew was going to be awkward. "And you two both like the same person?" I asked, and they both nodded this time. 

"Which is you, in case you didn't figure that out," Chase added, smiling as well.

This was just too much smiling...

"Yeah, I got that," I paused, taking a deep breath. "Sorry, but I don't like either of you like that," I blurted out, biting my lip. 

August stalked off in the oppostie direction of the cafeteria suddenly, making me frown. 

Chase just shrugged   "I kind of figured that, with Max and all."

"Really guys? I don't like him," I told him, but he didn't believe me.

"Rylie. Come on. You look at him the way that I look at you," Chase said and I frowned, feeling bad. 

I didn't want either of them to feel that way about me. 

"Sorry," I apologized as we started to walk towards the cafeteria. "I know how much it sucks to like someone and they don't feel the same."

He just smiled sadly. "Yeah, it does a bit. But it's fine. I mean, it's only just a crush for me and August only likes you because he thought you liked him," Chase explained and I frowned. 

Did I really lead August on? I didn't think so, I mean, I acted the same with the rest of the guys and they were under no illusion that I liked them. 

Oh well, we'll figure it out. 

We opened the doors to the cafeteria and went to our table. I sat beside Olly while Chase sat up the other end. 

Olly wrote something down on his notepad, his glasses falling down his nose. 

Did you tell him that you don't like him?

I nodded and he smiled. 

So you're admitting you like Max?

I frowned, for once not liking having stuff in writing. But Max was at the other end of the table so I figured it wouldn't hurt. 

I nodded again and a wide smile spread across his face. 

"Where's your boyfriend?" I asked him, not seeing Isaac anywhere. 

The notepad slid in front of me yet again. 

He's at home sick =(

I smiled, refraining myself from multiple comments I could make about Olly making him feel better.

"Hey," Tessa got my attention. "Do you wanna come to mine to get ready for the party on Saturday?" She asked. I looked at Leah who was clearly going as well and nodded. 

"Sounds great!"

"How come I'm not invited?" Nate groaned, pouting. 

"Yeah! What if we wanted to get ready at your house as well?" Seth joined in, smirking.