Candice and Eleanor were up by five the next morning. Candice sat uncomfortably at the vanity in her sister's room as Eleanor worked to hide the bruises still visible on her face. She'd turned her phone back on the evening before after Cooper had left. She'd let her friends know she'd see them in the morning, and she'd learned that Eleanor had made an appearance the previous Sunday, demanding answers. She was surprised at that, just as she was surprised to find that Eleanor had also been refusing visitors.

The angry resentment was still there, but she thought that she could at least breathe a bit easier. She didn't feel as blinded by it. It wasn't the person, she'd assured herself repeatedly the night before as she lay in bed. She'd needed to vent it out and Cooper had just been in the right place at the right time. Or wrong, depending on how you looked at it. It could've been anyone. It didn't mean anything.

"It'll be easier to cover by next week," Eleanor said at last, setting down a make-up brush and leaning back to survey her work. "If anyone looks for it, they might notice, but everyone else will buy it."

Turning to look in the vanity mirror, Candice found herself nodding in agreement and then swallowing awkwardly as she studied her sister from the corner of her eye. "Thanks...for all of it."

Eleanor's eyes widened slightly before she schooled her expression and offered a casual shrug. "I can drop you at school today; I've got plans over that way anyway."

"That's not necessary," Candice immediately responded with a shake of her head as she got to her feet. "I can take the bus."

Her sister cast her a doubtful look with a raised brow. "Aren't your ribs still bothering you? If you don't want people to notice you flinching at every pothole, this will be easier. Get out so I can get ready."

Swallowing another rejection, Candice left the room, wondering just how to navigate the sudden change in their relationship. "Just don't take forever."

She found her friends at their usual spot before class and felt their apprehension as they watched her approach. Clutching her books to her chest, she came to a stop in front of the three of them and sucked in a breath. "Hey."

"And she returns to the land of the living," Faith announced, donning an expression that seemed to be a mix between annoyance and concern.

Hope elbowed Faith from her seat beside her and shot Candice a sympathetic look. "We were worried about you."

"I know," she gave them a light smile, "but I'm fine."

"You haven't told us what happened," Cyn piped up. The three girls looked at her expectantly.

"Maybe we can get some ice cream after I go to..." she trailed off when she noticed a certain gray-eyed boy heading in their direction. "After I go to detention today."

"Sure, I'll make Jay lend me his car," Faith said with a shrug. "He's worried about you too."

"So is Matt," Cyn added. "He's asked us how you were."

"Mmhmm." Candice's attention was focused on Cooper. She'd never seen him out in the courtyard before. Her gaze flickered back to her friends. "I'm fine."

The other girls turned their heads to follow her gaze and shared a look. "Coop was asking about you too," Cyn said slowly. "Very angrily."

Candice's focus re-centered on them at that. "He what? Why?"

Cyn shrugged, giving her a contemplative look. "We were hoping you could tell us."

Candice's face colored and she averted her eyes but made a point to keep her attention on anything except whatever Cooper was doing. She attempted to shrug as nonchalantly as she could manage, "I have no idea."

"Well since he's coming over, I guess we'll just have to ask him," Faith replied with a smile.

Candice whipped her head around to find him less than five feet away, his eyes on her. "Well I don't—"

"Hey, why were you looking for Candice on Monday?"

She watched the mischievous gleam come to his eyes as he came to a stop just a little too close for her comfort, and he stared at her while he answered her friends. "Wanted to settle a disagreement."

"Candice doesn't have disagreements," Hope said, studying him with a bit less suspicion and more interest than the other two girls.

"There was no disagreement, just a misunderstanding. I've missed a lot of classes, so I think I'll go speak with my teachers before school starts. If you'll excuse me−"

"I'd be more than happy to clarify."

She blushed and shot him a glare. "Not necessary."

"Liar."

"Liar?" she repeated incredulously, momentarily forgetting her friends bearing witness and turning fully towards him. "I am not a liar."

"Prove it."

She narrowed her eyes at him, completely forgetting everyone else around them. "And how do you suggest I do that?"

"Kiss me."

She pursed her lips and readjusted the books in her arms. "No."

He frowned at her, "What?"

She blinked back at him with a straight face. "Would you like me to say it slower?"

He glared at her, "I liked you better when you didn't argue."

"Well I never liked you to begin with," she replied with a cool smile.

Someone cleared their throat, breaking Candice's focus and she turned back, suddenly remembering her friends and flushing bright red at the realization. "I need to speak with Mr. Patrick about making up my detention days. I'll talk to you three later."

Cooper rolled his eyes, turning to follow her retreating form, "You keep speaking like you've just stepped out of a British novel. And you don't try to make up detention, Candy. You go about your life and hope they forget."

She shot him a scathing look from over her shoulder, "Well that doesn't seem very honorable, does it?"

Her friends watched the two stalk off, all three with a mixture of surprise, interest, and apprehension. "She likes him," Cyn said, her eyes wide and speculating.

"I don't think Candy's ever liked anyone," Hope replied with the same look.

Faith made a sound of displeasure and turned away from the sight with a frown. "He'll break her heart if she can't keep him at a distance. I don't like it." The other two girls stared after their disappearing friend with unsure frowns.

When Candice stepped into second period, she was greeted by an enthusiastically waving Spence who was motioning her to the seat beside him with a wide grin. Surprised, she reluctantly returned his smile with a stiff one of her own and slid into the seat he'd saved her. "Hi."

"Hey Candy, I was wondering when you'd show back up. Feeling better?" He was a nice, if a bit overly enthusiastic, guy.

"Yes, thank you," she replied with a curt nod, organizing everything on her desk. "Thank you for your concern."

"Hey, no big deal. You were gone for a while, so I thought it might be serious," he leaned over and slapped a companionable hand on her back.

Candice's entire body had frozen at the unexpected contact, but not because it sent the jolt she felt when Coop touched her. She wasn't used to people touching her. "Thank you." She didn't know what it was that made her decide it, but in a distinctly un-Candice-like move, she decided that she liked Spence. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad to have just one more friend.

***

The girl was infuriating. Coop sat in English for the fourth time in a week, glaring at the back of her head. Aside from the unwarranted icy look she'd cast him when he'd walked in, Candy hadn't paid him the slightest bit of attention. And oh, he'd seen her walking down the hall with Spence. She'd been looking at the other boy with an amused smile, even laughing at something he'd said. Spence had noticed Coop standing outside the classroom doors just before they'd reached them and raised a brow in question. Undoubtedly because he was well aware of Coop's no-classwork policy. Spence had raised a hand in greeting as he and Candy had reached the doorway, then he'd turned back towards Candy, told her goodbye and had been on his way. Coop couldn't recall a single time he'd ever wanted to hit Spence as badly as he did right that moment.

Now that class was in session, Candy's head was bent, her hand scribbling furiously in her notebook while Mr. Stenson rambled on about the last chapter of the reading they'd been assigned. He was convinced she wasn't nearly as immune as she wanted him to believe.

She was just some inexperienced girl who was as far from his type as it was possible to be. The fact that he was going to class, tracking her down, and practically begging for attention grated on him. This wasn't the type of guy he was, and these weren't the kinds of things he did. It was the challenge, that's what it was. She denied him at every turn and he didn't like to be told no. Once she gave in, he'd be back to himself again.

Class let out and he was right next to her. "You going to ignore me all day?"

She shot him a look out of the corner of her eye and then did her best to outpace him. "I won't have to if you start skipping class again."

"You skipping with me?"

Candy turned her head to look at him at that, a horrified look on her face. "Of course not."

"We could have fun."

Her lips pursed in disapproval, she gave one short shake of her head. "I don't think so."

"What's going on with you and Spence?"

She looked back at him again, one brow raised as if to ask just what business it was of his. "What do you mean?"

"Why'd he walk you to class? You don't even know him."

"How do you know who I know?" she replied in an irritatingly reasonable tone.

"Because I'm friends with him, and I was there when he introduced himself."

            "Well, then I would think you'd already know what's going on with Spence and me."

            "Spence and I don't talk about that kind of thing," he said, and even he could hear the irritation in his voice. "I don't care about that kind of thing."

            She came to a stop just outside of their fourth-period classroom and eyed him with irritation of her own. "So why do you care now?" And while he stood there, having no clue how to answer her, she turned and walked away.

***

Cooper wasn't in detention after school, much to Candice's relief. She'd been avoiding both Matt and Jay for the entire day and studiously ignored Cooper whenever he'd made himself present. She saw the wary looks on her friends' faces and didn't look forward to the onslaught of questions they were bound to ask as soon as detention was over and they were all together. She'd just have to assure them that nothing was going on with Cooper and that there never would be.

Maybe she was having a little trouble getting him off her mind, and maybe she wasn't as unaffected by his advances as she wanted him to believe, but she wasn't stupid. He was all about the girls. He was all about the fun and the challenges, not something serious. The fact that he was going to class was fleeting, and she suspected that by the end of the week, he'd be back to his usual habits.

Candice was happy to focus on her schooling, and on the very slim chance she ever decided to divert some of her focus onto a boy, it wouldn't be one who would only be adding her to a long string of names of conquests. It wouldn't be to one who would break her heart if given the chance.

Once Mrs. Taft dismissed them, Candice quickly packed her things back up and made her way to the school exit where her friends were waiting. The other three sat on the outside steps and looked up with grins as she stepped out of the building. "So what did Mr. Patrick say about making up your missed detention?"

"I can make up two hours of detention on Saturday morning," she said, making her way down the steps as her friends got to their feet.

"Sounds awful," Cyn said with a wrinkle of her nose. "The whole thing is ridiculous seeing as it was his bitch of a daughter who started the whole thing."

Candice didn't comment as they all made their way to the car and Hope shot her a look. "So what's going on with you and Coop?"

She felt her face grow hot at that and she slid into the car, setting her bag in her lap and picking meticulously at a loose string. "Nothing. He was just in detention with me last week is all. Mrs. Taft had asked me to go find him because he was late the first day."

Faith's sharp hazel eyes stared at her in the rearview mirror, her lips pressed into a line of disapproval and she raised a brow. "Coop doesn't track down girls, girls track down him. So what happened?"

Struggling for a look of nonchalance and disinterest, Candice shrugged. "He was making out with Seraphina when I found him; Seraphina was upset to have been interrupted. I went back to detention, he came with me. The next day he showed up in English and he recognized me. It isn't a big deal."

Faith snorted, "There are so many holes in that answer, it could be Swiss cheese."

"He's kind of a sleaze when it comes to girls, Candy," Hope offered hesitantly. "We don't want you to get hurt."

"Well you've just said yourself that he gets chased, he doesn't do the chasing. Besides, I think we all know I'm hardly going to be doing any chasing. So even if I were interested in him that way, there'd be no need for concern."

"Maybe he doesn't usually," Faith replied, "but that's what it looks like now, and I don't like it."

"There's nothing not to like," Candice persisted. "He's upset at the idea that someone may not be interested in him, but as soon as some other girl smiles his way, he'll forget I ever existed. Tomorrow he won't even remember my name. You'll see."

***

"Candy."

Candice stiffened at the sound of his voice right behind her the next morning, and then turned slowly, shutting her locker with a little too much force as she glared up at him. "Cooper."

Cooper scowled at her, completely uninterested in the speculative looks they were getting from the other students in the hall. "How long are we going to do this?"

She raised a brow at him and took a step to the right to move around him and begin her walk to meet her friends, "I was just going to ask the same thing."

"How long are you going to ignore me?" He walked close beside her and she moved away.

"I'm not ignoring you; we're talking right now."

"Because I didn't give you a choice."

Candice rolled her eyes, turning right when his body bumped back into hers. "That's not true."

"Isn't it?"

"No, and I—" she broke off mid-sentence just before he pushed her out the side door exit down the science hall. Stumbling through it, she whirled around just as the door closed behind them and glared. "You herded me!" she accused with a mixture of surprise and irritation. She'd been so distracted by the conversation that she hadn't noticed that he'd bumped and prodded her down the wrong hall and right out the door. She'd just been herded like cattle.

He stood in front of her, looking as smug as ever as he placed his hands on her hips and stepped closer. "Had to get you alone."

She ignored the fluttering in her stomach and continued to glare. "Not interested."

***

He was starting to feel desperate, and he found that it wasn't a feeling he was all that fond of having. He needed to just forget about her, she was a problem. "Prove it."

Candy let out a breath and shot him a mutinous look. "I don't see how kissing you is going to prove anything."

"If it wasn't that big of a deal, you would've done it by now and we could've both moved on with our lives.

Her gaze wandered around quickly as if verifying they were alone before letting out a long sigh. "Fine." Before he could say another word, she had raised onto her toes and pressed her lips to his in the most chaste of kisses. "There, does that pr−" He yanked her back to him and pressed his mouth to hers before she could even finish the words.