I stood paralyzed under Abel's knowing gaze.

How could he have possibly realized that I was in love with Adrian just by being there to see the scene outside? Or had I been so obvious about it at other times that he had just put two and two together?

"What?" I eventually choked out, swallowing the lump in my throat. He stretched his arms behind his head, taking a step into the room.

"I said that you're in love with Mr. Know It All out there, right?" I started to shake my head, my sweaty hands starting to clench and unclench at my sides.

"Abel, I-"

"Don't worry, Liv. My lips are sealed, baby!" He tossed himself on to my bed with a loud, obnoxious groan. Once he had gotten comfortable, he pulled out his phone and patted the spot beside him.

" You did a great job at the library by the way." He said with a lopsided grin as I sat on my towel so I wouldn't wet my sheet and blanket.

"Oh God, it was terrible." I could feel myself blushing in embarrassment, my hands rubbing my damp cheeks.

"It was great. A lot better then mine. I had to spend the next two hours explaining to the cops why I had was singing Ozzy Osborne in the middle of a library. It wasn't fun." I tried not to smile, but it won out in the end, stretching across my face as Abel pulled the video up on his phone.

I watched as Abel moved in front of the camera, his green eyes shimmering like emeralds with amusement.

"May the best person win, Olivia." The Abel on camera said with a wink before he spun around on his heels and stalked toward the middle of the library, his signature cocky smirk on his face. I felt a laugh building in my chest as he belted at the lyrics, sounding like a screeching cat. He shut the phone off half way through and glared at me.

"So you think it's funny that I had to sit in a police station for two hours?" He asked, pushing me back so I was nearly falling off the bed.

"No!" I said, grabbing on to his wrist, "I swear to God, if you push me off this bed you're dead, Abel." He sat up, nudging my legs off the bed slowly.

"Your threats scare me, Liv. They really do." He said, inches from pushing me off the bed completely. I wrapped my arms around his neck, pulling him down with me as we both fell to the floor, laughing.

I turned my head back to face him, only to have the laugh become nothing more than a new lump in my throat. Abel was only a few inches away, his body so close that I could feel the heat radiating off of it.

"Uh, Abel?" I said, clearing my throat. He jumped up, scratching the back of his head. He almost looked. . . nervous.

"Really, though." He picked up where we left off with the conversation, "You got out of the library without them catching you, so technically you won this one." We sat back down on the bed, the awkwardness starting to fade.

"Since when is this a competition?" I said, giving him a pointed look. He nudged me with his elbow, gesturing toward the few trophies that stood in front of my books on the book shelf across the room.

"You're just as competitive as I am. So I thought we'd make this a little more challenging." He explained, falling back on to my bed and dropped his phone on to his chest.

"So far it's three to two." He rolled his eyes, making sure I could see him do so. I yawned and laid back beside him, my legs still hanging off the bed as I kicked them back and forth.

"Of course you've been keeping track. You and your weird liking for Math." I flicked his bicep, knowing it wouldn't hurt him, that he might not feel it whatsoever.

Shifting on to my side, I propped my head up on my hand and stared at Abel as his eyes fluttered shut.

It was one of the things that had amazed me since we were kids, how fast he could fall asleep. Anywhere, any place, any time he was out like a light if he was tired.

My eyes started to roam his face, my arm circling through his as I finally dropped my head and rested it on his shoulder. Seconds later I could hear his breathing grow a little heavier, signaling that he was asleep.

It's strange how different he looks when he's asleep. The intimating glares, the curled lip snarls, even the tensed muscles were gone in the blink of an eye as Abel left himself vulnerable beside me. Most of the girls, and probably guys, from school had thought he was this God, this "Bad Boy."

In reality, Abel wasn't anything close to it. He had kept all of his grades above A's, he didn't talk to anyone unless it was for his benefit, and he sure as hell hated being called a "Bad Boy." Of course riding motorcycles and having a new girl on his arm every other week had thrown his labels right back in his face.

"I can't believe I agreed to do this with you." I breathed out under my breath, reaching up to push a blonde curl off his forehead.

For a moment, I thought back to the day we had sat in the middle of the playground, talking for hours while our parents ran around chasing my brothers and Abel's dog. He had been kid back then, had treated girls as if they were Queens and not like a new shirt that he had gotten tired of after wearing it once.

"I don't like him, you know." Abel had said, referring to Adrian. I had refused to accept the fact that my best friends hated each other, I had wanted them to get along so bad I had even forced them to come to the mall with my mom and me a couple times.

"Why? He's really nice and-" He had taken both of my hands in his, green eyes big and glistening, he looked years older then he actually was.

"Because you were mine first, Livvy. I loved you first." The eight year old in him had taken over for a second as he shook his head repeatedly.

"I. . . I'm sorry, Abel. I don't love you like that." I could see him wince, his hands pulling back from me, "I don't want to be your girlfriend. That's weird."

He had refused for weeks to even speak to me, his parents had even called to ask why he wasn't acting like his usual self. I had broken the indestructible Abel Hendricks, and another, stronger and cockier, Abel had rose up out of his ashes.

After that the only time Abel allowed himself to be vulnerable was around me. He had told me my rejection had made him stronger, when in reality I had turned him into a cold hearted ass.

"I'm sorry." I said aloud now, staring down at his hand. I felt my lips turn down in a frown wen I saw how pale his wrist was and how predominant his veins were. I shrugged after a second, shutting my eyes and I rested my head back against his arm before falling into a dreamless sleep.

**

"Liv, hey." I jumped up at the hand on my shoulder, my feet back and ready to kick whoever was in front of me. I laid my hand on my chest as my heart slowed back to normal when I saw who it was.

"Adrian?" I gently slipped away from Abel, standing up so I was in front of my best friend. He sent a quick glance at the boy sleeping behind us, his eyes narrowed.

"Can I talk to you in the hallway?" He made a gesture with his thumb before shoving his hands into his pockets.

"He's out cold, Dri. We can just talk in here." I replied. Adrian sighed, his eyes dropping to the carpet below us.

"My dad gave me a couple tickets to a concert for graduation. I couldn't find anyone to go with, so I was wondering if you wanted to go?" I watched his hand clench into a fist at his side, then slowly unclench and repeat the same action. It was a tell I had come to know really well, he only did it when he was nervous about something.

"What band?" I questioned, starting to feel very familiar butterflies starting to break free in my stomach.

Was. . . was Adrian asking me out?

"Coldplay." He said quietly.

"I. . . uh. . . sure, I'll go. When is it?"

"This Friday. It's at that outside stadium." I nodded, dropped my gaze so he couldn't see my nervousness.

"Sounds great." I responded. "I can't wait." I swear that every ounce of nervousness that had been in him drained out like someone letting air out of a balloon.

"So it's a date then?" He started to walk back toward the door.

"Yeah." I said, "And Adrian?" He looked at me over his shoulder.

"Hmm?"

"I still won't forget about the pool." he smirked, "You better keep one eye open." 

***AN***

I know, another filler chapter. I'm so sorry. 

Abel and Liv will be getting back to the list and it will be a lot more eventful in the next chapter!

Hope you guys enjoyed anyway!

Let me know what you thought!

~ChasingMadness24