Time passes by quickly as Chase and I finish up another movie and I decide it's late enough that he should probably leave now. My parents still aren't home at ten o'clock and Naomi is sleeping soundly so as soon as I get Chase out of here, the more time I have to get myself to bed. I am exhausted.

"So I guess I'll see you on Monday, babe." Chase smirks when I open the door for him to leave. "Unless you want to hang out again tomorrow?"

He's crazy. I don't even want to hang out with him now. Why in the world would I willingly spend my time with him for another day?

"Call me 'babe' one more time," I threaten him as he shuffles out, completely dismissing the last part. "I dare you."

"Actually, that's a good idea. I think I will call you," he says, pulling his phone out of his pocket when he's already through the door.

"What's your number?"

"What? Why?"

"I mean, since we're a couple we should have each other's numbers."

"Nobody's gonna check to see if we have each other's numbers. Why do we need to do that?"

"Its part of the rules. Didn't you hear when Dylan said calling and texting is a requirement? Besides, what if we need to plan a date or something? It'll be easier to reach you."

I can say with almost full confidence that those words never came out of Dylan's mouth, but for some reason, Chase absolutely will not let it go. His lips are set in a smile and his phone is held out in front of me with no intentions of reeling it back in. God, I can't stand this boy.

"Okay, fine. Whatever," I say, grabbing his phone from his hand and dialing my number into his contacts. If this is what it takes to get him out of my house so I can sleep, then I guess I'm going it.

He takes no time to leave as soon as he has my phone number and I'm finally able to shut the door. I quickly clean up the living room and kitchen and turn the TV off before heading to my room to change into something more appropriate to sleep in. As soon as I'm climbing into bed, I hear keys jingle in the front door and I get out to make sure it's my parents and not the terrifying alternative.

Just as I suspected, my mom and dad come crashing through the door in a bubbly energy, smiles plastered on their burning cheeks. Jesus Christ. Are they drunk right now?

I quickly move to help them inside since I can't trust them even an ounce to do it themselves right now. Not safely, at least.

My mom seems closer to sober, her heels bunched together in her hand while her other arm is wrapped around my dad. Her eyes can barely stay open as she stumbles across the living room. Dad's face is bright too, a much more noticeable shade of red than it was usually accustomed to. His eyes were tired too, though his brows were set in a dazed frown. I can tell they're both drained after a night of such obvious fun.

I open the bedroom door for them and help them inside, making sure they have clothes to change into before they head to bed. I'm sure they're not going to try to change, though. They're absolutely smashed.

I quietly close the door behind me and turn all the lights off, rushing back to my bedroom to finally go to sleep.

Monday, January 8th

Sunday passes by quickly with the help of chores and other busywork, so Monday rolls around much sooner than I was expecting. Over the short weekend, somehow I'd almost completely erased Chase from my mind and I forgot all about him. But now, as I'm making my way to the entrance of the school, his freckled face and curly hair brings everything back at once.

Almost like a newly formed habit, as soon as I walk up to him, I throw my arms around him in a loose hug. He hesitates at first, but instantly gives in and goes along with it. I'd be shocked if he didn't go along with it, to be honest.

"I brought news from Holly," he says as he slides his hand into mine when we release from the hug.

"Oh yeah? What's that?" Chase and I start to walk toward my locker, hand in hand.

"We have a 'game intermission' today."

My eyes search his face in confusion. Does he expect me to know what that means with such a vague answer?

"It's basically a meeting to talk about the next stage in the game, apparently."

"Next stage? I thought it was just kissing, hugging, holding hands–all of that relationship stuff."

"Yeah, I guess not. I have no clue what she means either. She said she would explain everything during lunch."

"During lunch? Where are we meeting up?"

"I think she said the football field? Or maybe the soccer field."

"They're the same thing, Chase. Don't you play sports?" I ask, opening my locker once we reach it.

"I play basketball. And that sport is indoors, Mickey."

"Do not call me that," I snap at him. He throws his hand up in defense and giggles to himself. I knew Naomi was starting something by calling me that in front of him. It was cute when she did it; it was torture coming from Chase.

"What? It's cute," he tells me, bringing his hands to my chin and pinching it as he positions me to look up at him.

I swat his hand away from my face as I start grabbing my things for English. Sometimes his teasing is just entirely unbearable. The stupid things he does to me just to mess with me—they make me feel so small. I hate feeling small. Pathetic. I hate all of it.

Chase just leans against the locker next to mine as I try my best to push him out of my memory. His mere presence is enough to send me over the edge, and without Isaac here, I don't have an outlet anymore. I don't even know what I was thinking when I told myself I should stop pushing him away. I can't think around him.

I check my phone one more time, hoping Isaac decided he was sick of being mad at me, but I still wasn't seeing a text from him. Great. My best friend wants nothing to do with me. Just more torture to pile on.

I push my locker shut when I finish getting everything I need, and I suddenly make eye contact with Miles as he struts down the hallway. His face is clean and flawless, as usual, and his dimples are perfectly in place as he shoots me a smile. Me.

"Good morning, Michelle," Miles says to me, cracking open his locker that's only a few down from mine. Did I request to move my locker from the other side of the campus to over here so I could get closer to him? I sure did. Am I ashamed? Slightly.

"Um... Good morning, Miles," I give him an awkward smile, then curse myself for it. Why do I have to be such a train wreck around him? He's just a guy—I have to be more confident.

"Hi, Miles," Chase greets him in an awfully rude manner. His arms are crossed and he's no longer leaned against the lockers. Instead, he's standing straight behind me, staring into Miles' eyes like he's trying to assert dominance. Gross.

"Chase," Miles greets back, just as intimidating. Great, Miles is the weird alpha type too. Except, with those arm muscles and those beautiful brown eyes—I might be kind of into it coming from him.

"Anyway," Miles says, "Michelle, you should help me study for my calculus test during lunch today."

Spending time with Miles? Just the two of us?

"Oh, I'd love to!"

"Actually," Chase snaps, grabbing me by the waist and roughly pulling me to his side. "She's going to be with me during lunch."

Shit. I forgot about the stupid game meeting at lunch. There goes my alone time with Miles today.

Do I really have to go, though? It's just some silly meeting—Chase can tell me everything after school. Can't I just skip out on it and take the chance to spend time with Miles for half an hour?

Wait, isn't he still with Serena? What would she think if we were alone together during lunch? I do not want to get on her bad side. That girl is terrifying when she's mad at you.

"Is someone getting jealous?" Miles suddenly taunts Chase, stepping forward to intimidate him further. I'm between them, so he can't do any harm, but I do have to admit how entertaining it is to watch two guys fight over you. But I guess it's not as entertaining knowing neither of them actually want to pursue you.

"No, he's right, Miles," I inform him before things start to get too alpha-male in here. "We have a meeting to go to."

"A meeting?" He questions me, making me realize I never shut up at the right times. How stupid am I to reveal the meeting for our dumb game when it's supposed to be a secret?

I look at Chase innocently and he glares at me for a second, then looks back at Miles with a completely different expression. "Yeah. A meeting." He waggles his eyebrows, earning a disgusted look from both me and Miles.

I elbow him in the gut as per usual, making him hunch over in pain.

"A club meeting," I falsely clarify.

"I didn't know you were in a club?" Miles says.

"I am- we are- yeah- okaybyeMiles!" I close my locker and grab Chase by the wrist, running over to the English classroom.