"You know that's not a public restroom, right?" a young rustic voice chucked behind me as my sneakers gracefully circled.

I met Easton James once in my first year. The first time we met face-to-face was not exactly favorable. That is unless you call being a lab partner adjacent to his desk in chemistry. No, that wasn't it, either.

I think you'd find it quite funny where we met the first day I stared into his frosted blue eyes. It wasn't as bad as you probably speculated. I happened to be more relieved on the outside. On the inside, I was embarrassed and mortified that a boy like him even showed up at our school.

I was the type of girl who wore short shorts and a crop top to get the opposite sex to find me attractive. It was enough to get a whistle on rare occasions.

The boy looked more like someone who belonged on a movie set like Aaron, rather than working in a sugar trap with loads of screaming kids all day.

My mouth formed a perfect 'O' as I stared at his icy glare, unable to make out a single word. His dark eyebrows rose effortlessly as he chewed his lips like a chew toy.

"Are you going to say something, Emily?" His voice echoed through the blank space in my mind as my eyes flickered toward Aaron.

"Oh, yeah," I recited, searching the name tag on his vest. "Yes, Easton?" I glanced at his manly figure once more.

"Sorry about that," I squeaked softly. My eyes wandered to the staff-only sign hanging on the door, and I mentally face-planted into the tanned honey wall.

"I didn't see that there before I entered, and it was unlocked, so... not my fault."

He grunted one of those loud, manly grunts, and I nearly lost my composure.

"Easton," an older male voice called from a distance. I was also saved and thrilled about it, but Easton looked anxiously off to his side with sunken eyes, and my heart tore.

A tall man with salt and pepper hair, resembling an older version of Easton, peeled around the corner from behind the counter. He scowled at the two of us with wrinkled lips as he cleared his throat.

"Easton, our customers can't wait forever. I need you to help the lovely couple in line."

"Dad, I'm—" Easton contended but couldn't quite finish. Before I could speak another word, Easton pushed through the flapping double door and returned to work, and I returned to the corner table, where Aaron stared at a half-finished shake.

"Was that Easton James?" Aarbud squawked as I slid into the booth.

"Just some random punk kid who works here," I groaned sarcastically.

"He told me I couldn't use the bathroom because 'it's staff only,'" I air quoted big time as my face plummeted to the flat surface below. My head pounded against the massive, metallic table as I grabbed a chunk of hair, and a loud moan escaped—that was a dumb idea.

"Easton can suck it," I muttered through my straw.

"What did Easton ever do to you?" Aaron asked, curiousity in his eyes as he glared at me with a raised eyebrow.

"He—" I started to explain, but then Easton's eyes trailed to our table from the corner of the room, silencing me.

The truth was, with him, it wasn't just a pregnancy scare. Two lines on a test and a lot of barfing suggested I was pregnant, and I, like the dumb bitch I was, hid it from my mother, even after I lost the baby. I was too afraid to tell her the truth and gain back the weight I worked so hard to lose.

Even Easton was able to keep our little pregnancy secret quiet up until his dad found his phone and forced him to break ties with me. But that did not stop me from coming to their emporium to chat with him awkwardly like the girl I was.

"Fine, fine," Aaron raised his hands before digging into his drink. "I won't pressure you into telling me."

"Good, because that would only make it worse for Easton and me." I tugged forcefully at the straw, and a sudden jolt of freezing pain shot through my head, causing me to lurch forward with a brain freeze.

"Damn, brain freeze," I muttered.

Aaron snorted. "You want some candy?" he asked.

"Yeah, sure," I replied, my brain finally rebooting from the pain. "I'll go pay for it."

"No, I will," Aaron asserted. "But, you get to pick it out."

"Deal," I muttered, noticing Easton's eyes snatching my soul.

I stood up and searched around for candy that satisfied my cravings, returning with a handful of sweet-and-sour candy and shoveling it in Aaron's face.

"Alrighty!" Aaron said. "Someone has a sweet tooth. I'll be right back." Aaron left the table, while I sipped the rest of my float, and paid at the counter, talking with Easton before he returned and sat down, sliding the candy back in front of me.

"Eat up," he demanded. "Easton said the gummy bears are on the house."

"Great," I sassed, looking at Easton. "Bon appetit," I said, finishing my float in one big slurp as I glared at the candy before me. This sugar rush was going to be just what I needed to get through this.