I used the key in my purse to unlock the door and made my way quickly up the stairs to my room. I used Lucas's jacket to cover up the stains on my dress and called out that I was home when I was in the hallway. I wouldn't let her see me until I had changed clothes and the minute I came out of my room, the dozens of questions came.

And I lied. I told her I wanted some fresh air and that Sara was okay with me leaving. I told my mom I had tons of fun at the dance. The only thing I didn't lie about was the fact Lucas was worried about me so he walked me home and lent me his jacket.

A smile was still on my face, which made my story more believable. But my mom would probably never guess that anything was wrong because I just had my first kiss with Lucas.

When my mom left to pick up Sara, I set to work to take the stain out of my dress. Sara was spending the night, and I knew she'd help me keep my mom from seeing my dress. They were good friends, unlike me.

Sara did indeed help me when she and my mom got home. The stain, for the most part, did come out, but we agreed to wash it one more time with different things, in the hopes it would all come out. We wrung as much of the water out of the dress as we could and let it air dry in the closet in my room.

Upstairs, Sara lay on the futon in my room as I sat cross legged on my bed. We were both in our pajamas, but despite how late it was, neither of us were ready to sleep.

"Okay, girls. I'm heading off to bed, don't you guys stay up too late." My mom said cracking open my bedroom door. "Lights are to be off in no more than two hours."

"Okay, mother." I said. That gave us until one in the morning. "Goodnight, love you."

"Love you too. Goodnight, girls. Sweet dreams." She closed the bedroom door and her footsteps retreated to her own room.

The moment I opened my mouth to speak to Sara, my phone buzzed. I leaned over and grabbed it off its place on my nightstand. It was a text message from Lucas. He rarely used my number.

I've been trying to sleep for the past hour but I can only think of you. Are you sleeping?

I replied back, No, I'm not sleeping.

"Who the hecks texting you so late at night?" Sara asked, incredulous.

"Oh, um..." I was trying not to smile at Lucas's message. "I have some things to tell you."

"Oh, alright. Now I'm worried." She said, sitting up and wrapping her blanket tighter around her body.

My phone buzzed many more times while I spoke to Sara, but I didn't stop to check the messages, scared I would pull out of telling what I needed to say. I told Sara everything. That I'd been hanging out with Lucas almost every afternoon, that we'd kissed that very night, and that nobody but her knew about any of it.

"You have to keep it a secret--even from Patricia. Just for a little while. She's talkative and she'd probably end up telling Durwin and then he might tell Lucas... and then he would get upset with me for telling and... It's not that I don't trust you guys, I just..."

"I understand, Daisy." Sara gave me a smile. "This is something new for you and you don't want to worry or mess anything up."

My phone buzzed yet again. I sighed. I went back through the messages he'd sent in the last ten minutes.

Are you free to talk then? If you're not, it's okay...

Ugh. I'm literally going crazy over here. Do you think I could come over there and kidnap you for the night? I don't mean to sound obsessed, but I really, really miss you.

Are you there?

I said something wrong didn't I? I wasn't serious about the kidnapping... Well, if I could, I would want to spend the night with you, but I was just kidding.

I'm sorry, if my weirdness is making you uncomfortable. I honestly don't know why I'm acting so strange. I've never acted--or felt--this way before. Please message back. Unless you fell asleep... then I'll talk to you Monday. Or tomorrow, if you text back. Anyway yeah... goodnight, Daisy.

"He's too cute." I said and Sara rushed over to join me on the bed. She took my phone and read the messages, and then actually giggled.

"Oh, girl. You've got a winner. He's definitely fallen for you!" She turned serious as she gave me back my phone. "Be careful, though. You know who he is at the school. Before you came and Lydia "claimed him", so many girls were throwing themselves at him. He's kissed many girls--" She stopped at the look on my face.

I felt sick. "I'm a beginner... I've never been in love or--"

"You had your first kiss tonight... Oh, I'm so sorry. Maybe I shouldn't have brought Lucas's past into this."

"No, you were right to. There's no use ignoring it." In the pit of my stomach, I was jealous. And scared.

I didn't want to lose him. I wasn't his first kiss--he'd been around lots of girls. I didn't believe he was playing with me because I was just another girl. Yet, what made me think I stood a chance?

I texted Lucas back.

Sorry for the late reply, I was busy. Sara's spending the night at my place. I'm not going to bed for a while... And you're not making me uncomfortable.

I got an instant reply back.

I'm relieved. I should let you go so you can spend time with your friend. I'll talk to you later.

Sara waved me on as she read the messages over my shoulder. After all the secrets I'd been holding in, I didn't care what she saw between us. There was nothing serious enough to hide from her.

"Tell him I'm sleeping and that you can talk now." She ordered and I shrugged and started to text him back.

Sara's sleeping now, so we can talk if you want to...

He texted back:

When is there a time I don't want to?

We texted most of the night and Sara fell asleep little after lights out, curled up on my bed. I draped her blanket better over her body and I moved to the futon. We managed to be tired enough to fall asleep and able to function the following day with the few hours of sleep we had.

We didn't talk much Sunday, and Monday proved a hardship to get through. Lucas continued to ignore me as if I weren't there, but to me, he seemed more uncomfortable with the situation we were in.

"Hey, Blondie!" Lydia yelled in the crowded hallway. Oh, great. Here we go again.

"What do you want now?" I snapped, turning around to face her. She screwed her perfect face up at me.

"Wow. You've got an attitude. Should we fix that for you?"

"Well, if you want to, go ahead. But the only way to do that is if you left, and I don't think you're willing to do that. You hate turning your back on a fight--one you're obviously going to lose, mind you." I said defiantly. I was no longer ignoring her and the things she was doing to me. Ignoring her was doing nothing for my case. She was still going to continue what she's been doing no matter how I reacted. So I was going to retaliate.

"I'm not losing anything. But you might, if you don't hold your tongue."

"If you don't have something important to say, then I'm leaving." I turned around and began to walk off.

"Stay away from Lucas, you hear me? Don't talk to him, don't speak to him, don't even look at him, or you will pay for it."

I turned around again to face her. Lucas wasn't around to hear any of this, and I was glad.

"What makes you think I care about him? I just walk past him--even unknowingly--or he says two words to my friends and you automatically think I'm after him. Just admit it--you're just worried because you know I'm a threat. Because I'm better than you." Her two sidekicks Ashlee and Mike, who had been standing behind Lydia, snarled and Mike started to take a couple steps forward toward me. Lydia held up a hand for him to stop and eyed me for a long time.

"You're walking on a very thin line, Daisy Pierce. I advise you to take heed of my warning. Just stay away. You'll regret it if you don't." She shoved her way past me, as did Ashlee and Mike.

"She really doesn't listen..." I muttered, continuing on to my next class when they were out of sight.

Lucas ended up hearing about what happened from gossip around the school and mentioned it to me at my house that afternoon.

"Daisy... I'm honestly--I'm getting worried she's going to do good by her word. She's been on edge a lot lately." He came to sit by me on my piano bench, taking my hands in his. "If you want to stop this... I'll understand. I don't want you hurt because of me."

"No, no. I want this. I'm not pulling out because she wants me to. I don't care what happens to me. I'll be worse off without you." I leaned forward and kissed him. He returned my kiss gently.

"I'm so broken over this... You have to know that." He whispered sadly, resting his forehead against mine.

"I know..." I ran my hand gently through his hair. "Lucas, go on a date with me. My mom's gone to an ice cream parlor out here. She says it's great and it's open for most of the year. Lets go there before it closes for the winter... call it an early birthday present if you don't want to call it a date."

He looked at me, his green eyes searching my face. He bit his lip. Then he leaned forward and kissed me once, hard on the lips.

"I'll go with you, but it's a date. Your birthday is about a week away and I'm getting you a proper gift." He buried his face into the side of my neck and slowly trailed kisses down it. His touch sent shivers down my body. I grasped the piano bench tight in my hands and he stopped. He looked at me apologetically and pulled away entirely. "I'm going too fast, aren't I? I'm making you uncomfortable."

"It's okay. I just..." It did make me uncomfortable, just a little. Was it because I was wondering how many other girls he did that to? Or that he had a snooty girlfriend? Or was it that I was nervous and self-conscience--problems I've always had to deal with? "I just need a little more time."

Turning to my piano, I placed my fingers over the keys. And began to play.