Although the weekend was over and Monday was looming over me, I was a little excited. My bantering with Dean at his house put me in an oddly good mood. It helped me release a little anger on him. Of course, I wanted to say so much more, but it was enough to keep my temper at bay.

I chewed my eggs as I looked at my parents. They were exchanging intense stares that I knew all too well. It was something I'd grown familiar with in the past months.

Ryder nudged my leg under the table and I absentmindedly tossed him a small chunk of my egg.

"He's going to get fat if you keep that up," Justin pointed out, also watching the exchange between our parents.

He had a point. I was known for feeding Ryder human food, even though it wasn't necessarily good for him. What did it matter? He was a dog for god's sake! He'd eat so much worse if he lived in the wild.

Plus I wasn't immune to his puppy dog eyes.

I glanced over at my brother. We shared our own secret exchange, knowing exactly what was about to go down.

My dad cleared his throat, capturing our attention. "So, kids, how are you doing?"

I held back an eye-roll, but not the snippy attitude. "Just tell us when you're leaving."

He sheepishly ducked his head down. My mom frowned but didn't call me out on my tone. "Tonight. I have another conference."

"Shocker," I mumbled into my orange juice.

Justin kicked me from under the table. "Alright," he murmured. Neither of us even bothered to ask when they were coming back. They weren't exactly known for their accurate scheduling.

My dad lifted his ashamed gaze to meet ours. "We're sorry! You know that–"

"Justin, do you want a ride to school today?" I asked, interrupting him. It was a little petty, but I was in no mood to hear the same crappy excuses over and over again.

When my parents started traveling more, I was excited at first. I mean, a huge home without parents called for the most fun parties. Not to mention, I was free to do anything I wanted.

But as time went on and they got busier and more reckless with communication, that exhilarating feeling just faded away. I got sick of being stuck in an empty house. Not to mention I found it completely insensitive that they were okay with leaving me home alone knowing damn well I hated spending the night alone.

Justin always took these mini-vacations as an opportunity to sleepover at a friend's house. I couldn't even blame him. I wouldn't wanna stay here either.

Getting Ryder was nice because I no longer had to bother my friends about spending the night with me. I definitely felt safer, but he could only ease so much loneliness.

"Uh, sure," Justin answered warily. I barely ever offered him a ride anymore. We both knew he enjoyed riding the bus to hang out with his girlfriend.

I stuffed the last mouthful of egg into my mouth and put the dish in the dishwasher. "Come on, we'll be late."

"But–"

The stern look I gave him shut him up. We weren't actually going to be late but I wanted to get away from my parents and their looks.

If they felt so sympathetic for me, why would they keep leaving?

I didn't wait for Justin as I practically stormed to my car. I chucked my bag in the backseat.

My hand lingered on the door handle when my name was called out. I looked up to see Andrew leaning against his fancy-ass car sporting an amused look. "Everything okay?"

Great, he was finding amusement in my tantrum.

"Peachy," I snapped, harsher than intended. I softened the blow with a small smile. "I'm going on a coffee run. Do you want anything?"

His brows raised and a small smile played at his lips. His hands moved to his back like he was hiding something. "Sure."

I squinted to see what he was holding but his body was blocking it entirely. Seconds later, Justin came out and waved to our neighbor. My sour mood returned and I climbed into the car before I lashed out on an innocent bystander.

"We're getting coffee," I mumbled to Justin as I peeled out of the driveway.

His body angled toward me and I could sense the burning glare he sent my way. I pursed my lips and kept my gaze forward. It was only when his hand reached over and lowered the volume of the music playing did I snap.

"What?"

He scoffed, taking no offense to my harsh tone. "Ary, what was that?"

I feigned innocence. "What was what?"

"You were being awfully snappy to our parents this morning."

Deciding to drop the act, I glanced over at him for a second before continuing the drive. My hands tightly gripped the steering wheel as I tried to sort my thoughts. "Aren't you sick of it?"

"Of what?"

"Of them leaving all the time? Sick of being alone in that huge house? Sick of not feeling like a family anymore?"

A gasp left my lips as I finished that ramble. I didn't even know I felt like that until I said it. Sure, I was pissed, but I thought it was more about their recklessness.

But the more I thought about it, the truer it was. We used to be so much closer. Now I felt like I barely told my parents anything, whereas before I was an open book. Having their trust used to be such a big deal to me but now I couldn't care less.

Why?

"I... I didn't know you felt like that," Justin said softly.

And suddenly my defenses were back up. Talking about it made it much more real. "I don't wanna talk about it." And with that, I turned out his arguments with the music, turning the knob clockwise.

A brilliant, but stupid, plan popped into my mind, blocking out all the sad thoughts I was thinking.

I had to admit, Ben was becoming a better distraction each day.

When I was finally at a red stoplight I pulled out my phone. "Keep an eye on the light," I told Justin as I scrolled through my messages and found the unsaved number.

I had to admit, texting Skylar wasn't the most appealing, but she was the only one who'd be able to help.

Me: Any chance you know Ben's favorite coffee?

"Light's green," Justin pointed out. I locked my phone and slipped it into the small space on my dashboard.

Minutes later, my phone vibrated. I asked Justin to read me the message. He sighed and lifted up my screen, reading the notification. "Caramel latte, hot."

Hmm, interesting. I pegged him for a black coffee drinker. Then again, rich people were more prone to buy expensive drinks.

It was a little hypocritical for me to say that considering I myself was buying an iced coffee, one of the cheaper options.

When Starbucks came into view, I ordered everyone's drinks with ease. Justin even got something for his girlfriend, which I found really sweet. The hostile tension between us had completely disappeared.

The ride to school was silent besides the music blaring through the speakers. When I pulled into my designated spot, it took everything in me to not stay in my car. As much as I wanted to drown out the world with music, everyone's coffee was waiting.

Justin slipped out of the car, holding his and Erin's drinks. So much for helping me.

With my luck, Dylan was heading toward me. His eyes twinkled with surprise when I waved his favorite drink in his face. "Aw, for me? You shouldn't have!"

I made a mocking face before showing him the two drink carriers. His smile faded as he realized he wasn't as special as he thought.

"Help me out," I ordered, handing him my backpack. He slung it over his free shoulder, then grabbed a drink carrier.

He read the cups as we walked inside. "Is this for Drew?"

"Yup."

"Damn, he's already on his second cup of coffee? He's gonna get addicted."

I stopped walking. So the thing he was hiding was a cup of coffee? If he had some, why did he ask me to get him some?

Dylan noticed my pause and walked back, dragged me by the arm, and led me to our friends. Rolling my eyes, I gave them each their coffee. Everyone was pleasantly surprised. Andrew flashed me a grateful smile and I would've asked him why he needed a second cup, but I had more important matters to attend to.

Jaz eyed the two coffees left in the carrier. "Who's the extra coffee for?"

"Ben," I answered truthfully. I couldn't find a reason for lying to them. It's not like I had to go into the gang stuff.

Her eyes widened in surprise. "You're still trying to get him to forgive you? Didn't that whole spiel happen almost a month ago?"

It's crazy how fast time flew.

"Doesn't hurt to try." I nonchalantly shrugged. "I have to find him, I'll see you guys later."

They bid their goodbyes and I escaped their company, looking for the obnoxious blond. You'd think with the size of his head, he'd be easy to spot. Unfortunately, his ego didn't give away his location.

Hm, if I was an anti-social brat who thought I was too good for this school, where would I be?

A gasp of realization left my lips as I realized I was thinking about the wrong things. He wasn't hiding from everyone, he was blending in. And why was that? To complete the sole purpose of him being here.

I didn't have to think about where he was, I had to think about where Dean was.

Okay, if I was a bipolar asshole who thought the world revolved around him, where would I be?

Seeing as he didn't have many friends in school, I could only assume he'd be with Skylar. Ugh.

Fine. If I was a sleazy redhead who thought I was better than half the female population, where would I be?

Lockers. It's the most obvious place to claim your territory, which I had no doubt Skylar was doing. The girls of Westcreek were just as fascinated by Dean, and like with any other hot boy at our school, you had to stake your claim.

I glided through the crowds, looking for the pair. I had no idea where either of their lockers was., but I heard the obnoxious giggles before I saw her.

God, kill me.

Realizing I didn't have to talk to either of them, I looked around for Ben. Sure enough, he was a little ways away, glaring at Dean.

I nervously bit my lip as I approached him. What if he didn't like his coffee? What if he rejected me and thought I was weird? What if he lashed out?

All worries faded as I nearly bumped into him. I stopped myself before the drinks spilled. "Sorry," I mumbled.

His glare softened a microscopic amount as he realized it was me. That was good, right?

"What do you want?" he snapped, making me wonder if he had really softened up at the sight of me. Maybe I'd imagined it.

My fear of rejection was begging me to apologize and run away. Buying him coffee was stupid. Why'd I do it?

Because you needed a distraction from your crappy family life.

I took a deep breath and pretended like his harshness didn't hurt. Fake it till you make it, right? I flashed him a sweet smile and held out the cup, nursing my own iced coffee in my other hand. "I went on a coffee run and thought you might like something."

He warily eyed the cup. "Did you poison this?"

I made an annoyed face and shoved the cup toward him. "No."

"Then why?" He made no move to take it.

My annoyance was getting worse by the second. My other hand was freezing from the cold beverage and it was only time before I'd need to switch which hand was carrying it. "Because I felt like it? Now, do you want it or not? I'm sure there are many other people who would love it."

He scowled as he took the cup and I tried to hide my smug smile. Knowing him, it'd irritate him even more if he saw it. Or he'd be extremely wary.

He read the label with surprised eyes. "Caramel latte. This is my favorite! How'd you know?"

"Lucky guess?" I shrugged.

He rolled his eyes but took a sip regardless. I followed his line of sight and saw Dean and Skylar talking.

"Ah, stalking the guy who beat you up?" I joked, hoping he wouldn't get suspicious of me. I looked up at his face to see the light bruise. It surprised me that he was healing fast.

His gray eyes hardened as he looked back at Dean and I took a step back seeing how much hatred it contained. Ben genuinely hated Dean...

Something told me this was deeper than some petty revenge on behalf of his boss.

I choked out an awkward laugh, trying to recompose myself. Ben couldn't see how suspicious I was. I needed to act as naive as possible.

"Ugh, Dean Cullen? You'd think he'd have more decency than to flaunt around his conquests around." I distastefully eyed Skylar, which wasn't really acting, but whatever.

Ben cocked an eyebrow as he stared at me. "You know him?"

Perfect.

"Know him?" I scoffed. "His psycho ex literally attacked me."

"Oh really?" I could practically hear the amusement in his voice.

"Yup. Taylor Smith. Don't worry though, I got a good punch in," I casually said, inspecting my knuckles. "Wait, you both had a thing too, right?" I skeptically eyed him like I didn't remember whether this was true or not.

He grimaced as he nodded. "She's psycho."

"Preach," I laughed, looking back at Dean. "I think he purposefully hangs around other girls to make her jealous."

Hesitation flickered through his face as he carefully thought out his next words. I knew exactly what he was thinking about. He knew Skylar and wanted to bring up her past with Dean, but that wasn't something he could casually tell me without sounding creepy.

Before we could have that awkward discussion, I steered the conversation in a lighter direction. "Anyway, that Cullen is no better than her. I've heard rumors... he's insane."

His brows quirked and he angled himself completely in front of me. "What have you heard."

Now I was the one surprised. I hadn't realized I unconsciously planted Ben straight in my trap, all without thinking.

I nervously bit my lip and flickered back to the two momentarily. Skylar caught my gaze, then looked at Ben. Taking the hint, she somehow managed to block Dean's view of us without drawing attention to herself.

As much as I hated her, I respected her determination and drive.

"I don't like talking about them in school." I feigned a nervous expression. "The only thing worse than the rumors is the idea of Dean catching whoever spread the rumors."

Ben rolled his eyes. My heart raced as I wondered if I was too dramatic.

He finally spoke after minutes of assessing my face. "Right. Well then, I guess we'll have to discuss this elsewhere." His smirk was a full indication that he believed me. "You can consider this repayment."

"The coffee wasn't enough?" I flatly asked.

His smirk widened as he took a long, exaggerated sip. "I never asked for it. Besides, what information you have is far more valuable."

See? Right into my trap.

My brows furrowed. "Hold on, if what I'm going to tell you is so important, then why would I?"

"Well, from my understanding, you want my forgiveness, right?"

I chewed on my bottom lip and looked at Dean and Skylar once again. Even though Skylar was helping me out, I couldn't stand to watch them talk so animatedly. It was like they were rubbing it in my face.

"Yes," I lied. Anything to complete the mission, right?

Ben triumphantly smirked. "Knew it. You know, you really are so predictable."

"Alright Stark, you're pushing it," I warned, running a hand through my hair. When my hand stopped short of my shoulder, I sighed, wishing my hair was longer.

"Just meet me after school in the parking lot."

I instantly perked up. "Why?"

"Jeez Wilks, stop asking questions."

I snorted. "I asked one question." For emphasis, I put my pointer finger all up in his face.

He scowled and pushed my arm away. "You've asked like four in the span of his conversation."

Had I?

"Yes, you have," he answered my mental question. "Now, just stop thinking about it. I promise I won't kill you and dump your body in a river." He raised his cup and muttered "yet" before taking another sip. How it didn't manage to scald him beats me.

"I heard that," I pointed out.

Hm, was it worth it to go to a mystery location with the mystery kid?

Ironic.

But this was a good time as any to really move the plan forward. For once, we'd be hanging somewhere besides school and the occasional party. There was nothing interrupting us and hopefully, I could get closer to him.

But what if he were to kill me? He wouldn't do that... would he?

"Only if you promise you won't kill me," I finally said.

His lips quirked upward for a split second then settled into their natural scowl. "Are you serious?" I nodded. He groaned and raked his free hand through his hair. "Wilks, I promise I won't kill you today."

Today?!?! Why did he feel the need to add that? Was he going to kill me eventually?

"I'll be there then." I dramatically sighed, pretending to be annoyed. In reality, I was nervous as hell. "Alright now bugger off. I need to get to class." Then I smirked. "You're welcome for the coffee." Feeling smug, I began walking away.

"I never said thank you!" he yelled from behind.

I spun on my heel and walked backward. "You just did." And with that, I began my journey to class.

A minute later, I felt someone fall in step with me. I didn't need to look up to see who. There was only one person I knew that would wear high heel boots to school anyway.

"Coffee was a nice touch," Skylar said as we both walked, not even sparing each other a glance. To anyone else, it would look like we weren't even acquainted.

"Thanks. How'd you even know his order?"

"Extensive research. That doesn't matter though. Did your plan work?"

"Yup, meeting with him later."

"Good."

And with that, we both split. She went right and I went left. No one even suspected we had a brief conversation. I had to admit, that felt so badass, like a scene straight out of a movie.

The weird thing was, although we hated each other, our meetings regarding the mission seemed to be professional. Neither of us was making this personal. I mean, she gave me a freaking compliment! And she helped me with Dean! Hopefully, I could count on her when the time came.

At least it was nice to know she was as serious about this mission as I was.

I slipped into English quietly. Dylan, who was already here, warily eyed me. "So did you find him?"

"Hm?" I absentmindedly asked, sipping the rest of my coffee. "Oh, Ben? Yeah."

"So I take it from your smile that it went well?"

I snapped out of my daze and realized I was grinning like a fool. Was this because the plan was working or because Skylar and I shared a badass moment?

Probably the former.

"Yeah, it went pretty good. I don't think he's forgiven me yet, but I'm slowly becoming his friend."

Dylan's eyes nearly popped out of their socket. "Friends? Bella, what are you doing?"

"Huh?" I cocked a questioning brow.

He annoyedly groaned at my oblivion. "Listen, I've played with your idea of begging him for forgiveness, but I think you're trying to kill yourself over it. Why do you keep trying if he clearly doesn't want it? And why are you hellbent on becoming friends with him?"

I winced as if his words physically hurt me. Why was this such a big deal? Even if forgiveness wasn't the real reason I was going after Ben, why was the idea of being his friend so bad?

"Bella," Dylan said softly.

"Dyl, it's fine," I sighed. "I really think you're overthinking it. I promise I'm not killing myself over him. It was just a cup of coffee."

He opened his mouth to argue but the teacher cut him off. He gave me a 'this isn't over' look and reluctantly faced the board.

I bit the inside of my cheek, wondering if I should tell Dylan the truth. He already knew everything about Dean's past, so this wouldn't be that surprising to him.

But I knew I couldn't tell him. If I did, he'd try to stop me. Just like Reece would if he found out my ulterior motive for getting close to Ben.