"Just another three weeks and Christmas break will be here!" Selena states excitedly during their lunch break at school as they walk the grounds.

It had been three weeks since the date happened and during that time Mila and Evan went out a couple of more times. But Mila still hadn't considered on being his girlfriend and making it official. She felt that something was holding her back as if she was afraid to be officially with him. He had asked to come over to his place after school today, somewhere she had never been to before since he was always at the Cooper's residence.

She figured that maybe it was time to finally give him her answer. Even though she felt uneasy about it, she was actually going to be his girlfriend. She smiles to herself. For the first time she was going to have a boyfriend that Jared couldn't object too because Evan wasn't afraid to stand up to him like all the other boys had been over the years.

She didn't hear the person come up behind her and when he did he grabs her sides and tickles her like crazy. Jumping with a startled scream she quickly turns out of his hands facing him head on to see who would do something like that just to find Jared laughing his ass off.

"You should have seen your face right now." He chuckles, face going a bit red with tears shinning in his eyes.

Chelsea was beside him laughing as well but not as hard. They seemed to always be together now, and it seemed Jared had changed within the last three weeks since the date too. No more were the scowls, no more were the arguments, no more of him always constantly on her about the advancements of men and how she was acting like a so called "Skeezer".

He was nice now, more playful. He smiled a lot and laughed a lot. Which was weird to see coming from him. But as he laughed he looked younger, more happy, more like a kid that he should be. And she hated it. Hated it because Chelsea was the one bringing that side out of him. They could actually hold a conversation without either of them getting angry.

"So, what's going on?" He asks walking in step beside his sister.

"Nothing much really." Selena shrugs, not fazed by her brother's newfound attitude towards life. In fact she quite liked it and hopes that he continues to be this way.

The one thing that Mila will admit that she did like is she could talk to him about Evan. At first, it was awkward, and she thought maybe it was a bad idea considering how he normally was with her and other boys. She tried to go to Selena, her own best friend, about it and all she got from her was,

"You know what? You should go to Jared. He knows him better than anybody."

Disbelief overwhelmed her hearing that from the sister of the man who did anything he could to sabotage anything she tries to do with the opposite sex. So, disregarding that idea she went to Chelsea instead, hoping for a better outcome. Even though she didn't really want to talk to her and be all buddies with her she asked for her opinion anyways just to find the same result.

"Have you talked to Jared? No? You should."

And that was that. So, she felt like she had no choice but to turn to him for his advice on his best friend. But surprisingly, it turned out completely opposite of what she was expecting. Where she assumed she was going to get some sass and judgmental feedback she was thrown off when his reaction was,

"You guys haven't made it official yet?" He looked a bit confused, yet no boiling irritation present whatsoever.

When she brought up the subject with him they were walking to their science class. "Well, no. I haven't given him an answer yet."

"So, what's the problem? You like him right?"

"I do, it's just...I don't know, weird?"

"What's really holding you back Mila?" He stops to fully turn to her, giving her his undivided attention with a frown on his handsome face.

"Well, it's just...it's Evan." She emphasized on his name making him smile.

"Okay, what is it that you're worried about, that you're afraid to go into this relationship with him?"

"How do I know that he'll be serious about it and not just trying to use me to get what he wants? I've heard some stories about him, and I know I don't know him well enough in that aspect of his life. And more than enough times I've overheard him say some pretty awful things about the girls he fools around with."

"What exactly did you hear about him that's really causing you to hesitate though?" He was curious about the rumors.

Jared has heard some things too from the other guys when they think he wasn't listening. Evan never exploited his wondering "experiences" because Jared doesn't put up with trash talk on girls who were willing to give it up easily. He was brought up with more respect than that. He doesn't fault Evan for having that trait because he knew where he had grown up from. But he had hoped being around him and his family may ease some sense into him when it came to respecting women. Especially ones who trusted you enough to keep things to yourself of what goes on behind closed doors.

"Well for starters I overheard some guys say that Evan likes to go around and ask every girl if they want to have his baby." She raises her eyes in question at him.

Jared couldn't help throw his head back and laugh. A rich sound that caused a few heads to turn their way just to see who it was that made it.

"It's really true then?" She asks completely appalled that Evan would go around asking such a thing.

"He just plays around Mila. He doesn't really mean it. He likes how they react to him that's all." He was grinning at her.

"It sounds like him flirting or trying to get into their pants." She crosses her arms giving him an unamused look.

"Oh come on, you know how Evan is. He just can't help himself when it comes to pretty girls."

"That's what worries me Jared. If I become his girlfriend what if he ends up cheating on me?" she asks worriedly.

He stares at her for a while, contemplating whether Evan would go that far. He thought about the first girlfriend Evan had back in seventh grade. That didn't turn out so well. He was young sure, but he ended up flirting with her best friend a lot. It turned out that the girlfriend found them behind the gym making out. The thing was, Evan wasn't serious about any of his relationships. There was even a time when he was seeing three different girls at once.

"Jared?"

He snaps out of his thoughts and sighs heavily, not really knowing what he should say to her. He didn't want to lie to her that Evan would never cheat on her, but he also didn't want to tell her the truth. Then again, if he did then it would break the two apart and he wouldn't have this sinking ball of jealousy and resentment boiling in his gut every time he saw them together or even thought about them being together. It would give him his chance to squash whatever that was going on between them once and for all.

But...

He couldn't do that to Evan. His best friend.

Maybe...her experiencing it firsthand will be the drive of itself. Then immediate guilt and remorse hits him for even thinking that way at all.

"Honestly Mila, I don't know. Maybe, sometimes you just have to take a chance at things and see what happens." He really hated himself at that moment.

She smiles at him. "I guess you're right."

That was when the bell rang, stating the start of the next class for the day. "Guess we should get to class before we're marked for being tardy." He sweeps his arm in front of the open door. "After you."

Now she was following Evan through the maze of apartment complexes as he guides her to his home. He slowly comes to a stop in front of a door that was further into the back area. He unlocks the door and opens it revealing a dark living room. Turning on the lamp they look around.

"So, here we are. This is my place right here." He tells her not sounding very enthusiastic at all.

She puts on a smile to try and reassure him. "It's nice."

She didn't want to say it, but the place was a dump. The walls that were once white were now an off yellow from years of dirt, cigarette smoke and cockroaches that scattered every so often. The carpet was soiled and stained from countless feet, food and drinks. The couches, which were only two, were torn, greasy and mildewed in some places. There were beer cans and bottles littered everywhere and ashtrays overflowing of cigarette butts. Trash was also present, and she got an awful smell of urine mixed with rotten food.

"I should have picked up before bringing you over." Evan stated with embarrassment as he looked at the state of the place.

"It's okay, really." She didn't want to be here, trying hard not to show her disgust, but she could understand why he was never home and why he was constantly present at the Cooper house.

"I'll, uh, show you to my room. It'll be better to stay in there instead of out here in the living room."

They walk through the small apartment to the very last door in the hallway. On the way Mila had stepped on something that squished under her foot. Looking down to see what it was she nearly cries out from fright. Jerking away from what was obviously a dead mouse she accidently bumps into him.

"What's wrong?" he asks, turning to see what caused her to jump in the first place.

"Oh, it's, um...nothing. Just lost my footing." She replies, not wanting him to feel even more embarrassed than he already was feeling.

"Okay." He says slowly then turns back around. "This is my room right here." He mumbles.

"Oh wow." she then exclaims in shock.