Nothing. Is. Working.

I've been trying to provoke Cayden since we reached the park, but he's been taking this game more seriously than I thought. He hasn't made fun of me yet, not even when I almost tripped on the sidewalk and made a weird wailing noise. He was smart enough to cover up his laugh with a cough.

Instead, Cayden is being nice and I'm not used to nice Cayden. He's acting like the guy I thought he was, before the unfortunate project. I sneak a look at Cayden as I adjust my position on the prickly grass. He's leaning on his elbows, intently looking up at the sky and I, being the girl with the crazy hormones, admire his profile. I observe the way the sunlight illuminates the tips of his black hair, making it appear a dark brown. I find myself smiling, just a little bit, when I notice a faint smile on his lips. I shift my gaze to his luscious lips and sigh.

I can't deal with Charming Cayden now. It'll drive me insane, especially because I know that this isn't the real him. He's doing this for some stupid game and I won't let him fool me.

No, siree.

I'm going to make him insult me, even if it's the last thing I do!

"You know, I didn't expect you and Belle to be at Jason's house." Cayden says as he averts his gaze from the sky and at me. He looks puzzled, to say the least, when he catches me staring at him.

I immediately start blinking rapidly to cover up for my creepiness.

"Are you okay?" Cayden asks me, as he shifts closer and hovers his hand above my shoulder.

"Oh, I'm fine," I brush him off, "I think something went inside my eye. It's gone now." I say, wiping my non-existent tears.

"Okay, that's good." Cayden says, flashing me a sweet smile.

My heart flutters at the gesture and I decide that this is the perfect moment to antagonize him.

"So, you didn't expect Jason's girlfriend and one of his best friends to be there in his house?" I reply to his previous question.

"Yeah, I realize how stupid it sounds but I thought it was a guys-only thing. I didn't expect girls to be there."

"So, how long have you been a five year old stuck in a seventeen year old body?" I ask him, tilting my head to the side with an innocent look on my face.

"Careful," He warns me, "Wouldn't want you to lose the game now, would we?"

"I'm sure you would -"

"I liked the idea of a sleepover better when you weren't involved." He says, cutting me off.

Ouch.

"You lose." I tell him, hiding my hurt feelings. I wouldn't have liked hearing that from anyone, much less my ex-crush.

Yeah, he's definitely an ex-crush now. That prick.

"I'm not being an asshole. I'm just being honest." He says, giving me a shocked look, "Are you going to punish me for my honesty?"

"If I'm that big of a problem, you're free to leave. I'm sure you'll be missed." I say, sarcasm lacing my voice.

"You got the big part right." I hear him mutter.

Oh no, he didn't.

"Wow," I give a humourless laugh, "You've got some nerve."

"Just being honest." He shrugs and gives me an innocent look.

"Well, in that case, let's just all be reaaaaaallly honest." I say, jumping onto my feet and pacing around him.

"Great, that's one of my favourite things."

"Your hair is stupid." I say, proving that although I am 17, my brain works at an elementary level.

"I thought we were going to be honest." He says and flashes me a mischievous grin.

I narrow my eyes at him and continue, "You're a brat who thinks he's entitled to everything and anything. You're selfish, arrogant, ignorant, idiotic, rude, inconsiderate and an asshole. You can pretend for a couple of hours that you're not, but we both know you are. So give it up, Cayden. You're not fooling anyone." I stare him down, my hands on my hips.

Cayden is looking at me with an indifferent expression.

"I would be really hurt if I actually cared about your opinion but I don't." He says, getting up and brushing the dirt off the back of his pants. He starts making his way towards the exit but before he leaves, he gives me a mischievous smile.

"By the way, you lose."

At that moment, I do the only appropriate thing and introduce him to two very good friends of mine- middle finger no.1 and middle finger no.2.

                   *_*

The door jingles as I push it open. I make my way towards the counter and order a sandwich. I am starving but I don't want to go to Jason's house yet. I'm really not in the mood to deal with Cayden's cockiness, Jason's fatherliness or Creed's continuous banter. I wouldn't mind being with Belle. In fact, my heart aches to talk to her but Belle and Jason are one unit now. I'm really happy for them but sometimes, I miss my best friend.

I slide into a secluded corner booth, not caring that I'm occupying a table meant for six people. I look around the cosy diner, surprisingly empty. The Scuttle Ship Diner is huge in our humble town. It's a hotspot for youngsters and adults alike. Everyone loves the food, the ambience and the efficient service.

"Ma'am, I'll have to ask you to move to a more suitable table." A voice interrupts my thoughts and I turn towards the speaker.

"Brandon!" I exclaim, getting up and giving him a quick hug. "I had no clue you worked here. My god, you look so adorable in this apron."

"Actually, I just started today." He says, leading me away from the booth and towards the chairs in front of the counter.

"You're so lucky. I had applied for a job here, a couple of weeks back, and they told me that they had no vacancies." I say as I take a seat on the counter. I really needed the money. My parents only gave me a specific amount per month but I usually blow through that within two weeks. Then, I have to spend the next two weeks in miserable conditions. Also, the servers here don't have to wear a tacky uniform. They just wear a green apron instead.

"Actually, my uncle owns the place. So, I could get a job pretty easily and I realized that the extra money could never hurt, right?" Brandon winks at me and I laugh in response.

"If you want, I can talk to my uncle about getting you a job." Brandon continues, his fingers fidgeting with his apron.

"Oh my God, you can do that?" I exclaim, jumping off of my seat. I can practically feel my pupils transform into dollar signs.

Brandon laughs and gestures for me to calm down.

"Yes, I can do it and I will. He's not here now but as soon as gets back, I'll talk to him about it."

"Thank you! Thank you so much! You have no idea what this means to me. Tell him I'm a hard worker. Tell him I have experience."

"You do?" Brandon asks and I try not to get offended by how surprised he looks.

"I mean, I will have the experience if you tell him that and he gives me that job." I give him a sheepish smile. Brandon chuckles and diverts my attention to the sandwich that has been placed in front of me.

"I'll let you enjoy your meal. Have a good day." He says, making his way towards the kitchen.

I let out a relieved sigh and turn towards the sandwich. I take a bite and just like that, I'm in Heaven.

*_*

"Kids, I'm home!" I shout as I enter the house from the back door. To my surprise, I don't hear any snarky comebacks or a "Honey, I've missed you so much."

I search the entire first floor but they aren't there in the kitchen, the living room or the gym. I don't even bother to check Jason's parents' room because I'm sure they aren't there. I have no idea why but that room is forbidden for all of us. As I climb the stairs, I can hear faint laughter. I follow the laughter to the balcony.

The balcony is located on the extreme end of the second floor. It is huge, just like everything else in Jason's house. We spend a lot of time there. It's my most favourite spot in this town. I only associate good memories and fun times with that balcony. It isn't grandly decorated, but its beauty lies in its simplicity.

I feel a pang in my heart as I see Cayden laughing along with my friends. Jason is seated on the delicate swing with Belle sitting beside him. Cayden and Creed are seated on a blanket, and I spot Filip on the other end of the balcony, talking into his phone.

"Isn't it too early to be out on the balcony?" I ask as I inch closer to them. Normally, you'll find us on the balcony only after 5, after the sun isn't that harsh but now, it is barely past 3 'o' clock.

"It's such a beautiful day today. We just couldn't resist." Belle says as she snuggles into Jason. I couldn't argue with her on that point. The sun had decided to take a chill pill today and blessed upon us a glorious, windy summer day.

"I have great news!" I exclaim, as I push Creed and Cayden to make some space for me on the blanket.

"Guess who maybe got a job?" I screech, pointing my thumbs at me, "Hint: It's me."

Belle laughs and Creed gives me a thumbs up. I don't even bother to look at Cayden, ready to give him the silent treatment.

"Where did you maybe get the job?" Jason asks, his eyes twinkling with amusement.

"Scuttle Ship Diner." I beam proudly. This earns me a whistle from Creed, who loves to humor me.

"I thought they rejected your application because they weren't hiring." Jason says, his eyebrows furrowing in confusion.

I recant the entire conversation with Brandon, my hands moving excitedly.

"So, you and Brandon are going to be working really close, huh?" Creed asks me, wiggling his eyebrows.

"Did you guys feel the spark whenever Brandon joined us during lunch?" Belle asks the guys, shooting me a knowing smile.

"Sparks? It was like sitting next to a firecracker." Jason adds to the conversation.

"Jason, not you too!" I whine and throw my hands up in frustration.

"Cayden, what do you think? Something will happen or not?" Creed asks him, giving me a sly glance.

I'm not an idiot. I know what he's doing. He's trying to figure out what Cayden feels about all of this but I don't why Creed would care. I can expect this inquisitive behaviour from Belle but not Creed.

Belle shoots me a questioning look and I just shrug in response. Even though, I'm trying to appear nonchalant, my heart is beating at a rate of five hundred miles per second.

"I think their babies will be complete nerds who love doing projects." Cayden says, grinning widely.

"Ha-ha." I deadpan, trying not to sound as dejected as I feel.

I look at Belle and Creed who don't even bother to hide their disappointment.

"You know what we should do?" Filip says, joining the conversation, blissfully unaware of our plights.

"What?" All of us ask him in unison.

"Get off our asses."

--------------------------------------------

P.S: The above picture is of Brandon.

Are you guys still shipping Shae and Cayden together? Or is Brandon slowly inching his way in? xD