Bonjour again. 'Tis moi. And also, 'tis the season. As in, winter. As in, this is gonna be a Christmas chapter. Major excitement over here!

I love winter. So much. And it's about to get toasty. In case you didn't get it, toasty as in Scam. As in hot. And delicious.

Enjoy :)

Disclaimer:

Oh, hell, like I even have to say it.

I do, don't I? You guys are so mean.

So here goes - TS belongs to Marathon Inc. Not me. No. I am not Marathon Inc. Really. Okay. Got it? All righty then. Let us proceed :D

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I glance at my alarm clock. The red, blinking lights tell me it's midnight. Fantastic. Really. That's just great. I mean, especially great, considering I'm meeting Clover and Alex for Christmas shopping tomorrow (or shall we say: today?) at, like, 7:30 am, to get it done before school.

But I can't sleep. Me being a person who sleeps like a log after 2 minutes in bed. Seriously.

I can't deal with this, I think to myself. Because my mind is spinning, even an hour after Avery made the Timothy-comment. Timothy. Of course it's not him, I tell my fluttering heart. Tim Scam is the last person who would be in a relationship with my cousin. Hello? That's not even POSSIBLE!

And yet I can't fall asleep. Because every time I close my eyes, there he is. There he is, with those eyes, and that face, and... and that smile. That smile that drives me mad... with disgust. Of course, Sam. It's disgust. Pure hatred. That's all it is. That's why my stomach drops when I think of him - he disgusts me. That's it.

I smile to myself in the dark. I feel like I've won some kind of war.

My grin turns into a frown as I remember that the real war is far from over. The REAL enemy is right there, in the room next to mine, probably looking gorgeous even when she's sleeping. Ugh.

But when I think of her... I have to think of him. Him, him, him. My eyelids droop. Him, him. It's like a lullaby. Him.

HIM!

I sit up in bed with a start. That presence in my room just now - I felt it, it felt so real, so real. He was here, he was here, just now, he's... still here?

I'm too scared to get out of bed. The fear consumes me, overwhelms me. It's so irrational. He can't be here. It's impossible, Sam. You were half asleep. Practically dreaming.

I try hard to calm down, regulate my breathing. I shiver in the cold, goosebumps all over. My eyes dart to the window, where the curtain flutters in the cold winter breeze.

A few minutes later, I am once again lying there with my eyes closed, and I think I might really be falling asleep, finally!

But all the while, and all night after that, even in my dreams, I can't shake the ghostly presence of the thought that haunts me - That window was closed when I came in. I never opened it.

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"Sam! Wake up, Sammie!" Avery's voice is chirpy and way too loud. Not to mention extremely irritating. I grumble something that even I can't decipher and pull the blanket up over my head.

"Sammie, sweetie, I made waffles! I thought we could have a nice family breakfast, so I woke you up early to make sure you wouldn't be late to see your little friends."

And she's done it again; ruined my day in a matter of seconds, just by being her patronizing, phony self. And also, by waking me up early. I am NOT a morning person.

But anyway, I'm awake (and furious) now, thanks to Avery, so I decide that it can't hurt to get up. Yawning, I stretch my arms and legs and sit up in my bed, only to bury myself under the covers yet again. My room is FREEZING.

Trying to determine the reason for this, I look around, see the window, STILL open, and shake my head in annoyance. Last night's fear seems unrealistic. I must have opened the window while my mind was someplace else, I tell myself. Oh well. But... that really doesn't explain temperatures being THIS low!

As quickly as I can, I throw off my blanket and rush to the window to close it before that cold air fully hits my body. But the sight outside has me frozen in a completely different way. I am frozen in awe.

Snow. Snow in Beverly Hills. Sure, it's December, but HERE? This is... amazing. Magical. I want to scream in delight and dance between the twirling snowflakes and laugh and sing and... everything. I feels like a miracle.

A miracle just for me.

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I make my way downstairs slowly, checking my outfit in the mirror at the bottom of the staircase. Skinny jeans, furry boots, knit cardigan - I look a lot more like myself today. I tie my hair up into a ponytail and smile. I'm feeling very Christmas-y, and it's only the 12th of December. Then, I make a silent wish - I really, really want the snow to stay until Christmas.

As I walk into the kitchen, I glance at the clock on the wall - 7:00 am. I have time for a quick breakfast before I head off to the Groove. I can't wait to hear what Clover and Alex think of the snow.

Avery and Mom are waiting for me when I walk into the kitchen. While I sit down, my mother sighs happily.

"I cant remember the last time we had a family breakfast. Thank you, Avery," she says.

Avery smiles sweetly. I gag. She's such a fake!

"Well," she simpers, "would you mind if we had one small addition to the table?"

YES, I think.

"No, of course not, honey," my mother answers for both of us. "Who is it?"

"I wanted you guys to meet Timothy."

I choke on my waffles.

"At seven in the morning?" I ask, coughing. "Really?"

"No time like the present, Sammie," she exclaims brightly, "seize the day."

I. Just. Look. At. Her.

The bell on the front door rings.

"Well, he's here now," my mother says decisively, staring at me pointedly. "And we're going to make him feel welcome. Right, Sam?"

I nod slowly, not taking my eyes off of Avery, who has started to chew on her lower lip nervously - what an annoying habit, I think to myself.

She's afraid I'm going to throw a fit, embarass her. Well, I'm not about to give her the staisfaction of being immature. I square my shoulders and head for the door, while Avery stands up shakily.

The door opens - it's my mother who does it. And then the cold air is rushing in, and that's when I see him, and I am consumed by a completely different kind of cold, and I'm drowning in sea-foam colored eyes, and then I really AM drowning, and I can't breathe, and there come the goosebumps, too, and my blood is pumping all the way up in my ears, and before I even have time to gasp for air, I'm down and out.

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I'm on the living room couch when I regain concsiousness. My first thought is of him, but I just can't deal with that right now, so I push him out of my mind and concentrate on something only slightly less worrying: Clover and Alex. I look around - the living room is empty apart from myself. With shaky hands I pull my phone from my pocket and almost drop it - 11:00 am! AND seven missed calls, fifteen texts and three voice messages from my friends. Great, I think, this is just great.

Then another thing hits me - I missed school today! We have our Maths and Chemistry exams today, and I've been preparing for over a month. And now? Do I just get a big, fat zero? A soothing voice in my head tells me that they're just practice exams, not finals, but I'm still close to full-blown panic. Things can't get any worse, I think, but moments later I am proven wrong: Avery and my Mom rush in with worried looks on their faces.

"Honey! What happened?" my mother asks, overly concerned as always. But I don't look at her. Instead, my eyes are glued to my cousin, who, strangely enough, no longer looks worried for me. Her big brown eyes are narrowed, her mouth set in a firm line. I'm confused.

"Probably stress," she says evenly. "Sam has been staying up late doing schoolwork for a while now, right, Gaby?" For a split second, I ask myself how Avery knows this, but dismiss the thought quickly. My Mom probably said something about it to her.

Then I realize that Avery has just provided me with a much better explanation for why I fainted than the truth. I smile reassuringly at my mother.

"Yes," I agree, nodding quicky, "yes, that must have been it."

Avery smiles tightly, politely, then turns and leaves the room. My mother and I are left standing (or, in my case, lying) there, baffled by her sudden behavioural change.

Seconds later I forget my confusion, my mind wiped blank as Avery reenters the room. Her arm is linked with his, and I feel as though I could faint all over again.

There he is. There is the man with probably the most beautiful and deceiving eyes in the world. The man with the deep voice, the one that makes me shiver. The man with the most amazing intelligence I have ever known.

The man who has tried to kill me so many times.

The man who, at this moment, stands in my living room, half-smiling sheepishly in fake-worry. And who is also my cousin's new boyfriend.

"Tim," I breathe, and then I want ot slap myself. Firstly, because Avery and my Mom are in the room and I have no way whatsoever of explaining how we know each other. And secondly, because I called him by his first name. Am I crazy? It's way too intimate. NOW what will he think?

Meanwhile, my mother is looking at me doubtfully.

"Sam?" she askes. "Do you two... know each other?"

Her question throws me out of balance. I have no excuse ready; I am fully unprepared, because I never, EVER expected to be in this situation. Then I hear Scam's voice, and my breath catches. I had forgotten just how speechless hearing him makes me.

"We used to date."

He does not take his eyes off me as he says this. They hold me captive - I can't even think about his words. Yeah. He's THAT powerful.

Then he breaks eye contact, but I feel his unspoken words in the air all around me. It's as though he's daring me to deny what he said. I don't. Maybe it's the shock, or maybe it's just... him. I honestly have no idea.

Instead, I glance around nervously, anticipating Mom's and Avery's reactions.

While, as was to be expected, my mother gasps, my cousin's reaction completely throws me. Her eyebrows are raised - practically to the ceiling - and for a moment I think I see her lips twitching, close to a smile of amusement. It's gone as soom as I see it, though, and when her expression changes to obvious outrage, I begin to think I've just imagined it.

"And you didn't think you should tell me this in the, what, FOUR HOURS you've been here?" she demands, staring at Scam accusingly.

He smirks.

"It was a long time ago," he drawls."I didn't think it mattered."

Avery gapes at him, then turns and flounces from the room without another word, apparently having switched to drama-queen-mode. My mother follows her, but not before staring Scam and me down, sending us a clear be-ashamed-of-yourselves vibe. I squirm, while Scam actually looks embarassed. Tim Scam - EMBARASSED. I didn't think I'd ever see that happen...

Well, that's what my Mom does to people, I guess.

Then she leaves, and it's just me and him now. The living room suddenly seems a whole lot smaller. And warmer.

I sit up and stare at him.

"What was THAT? When did you get the idea that it would be okay to tell my family we DATED?" I hiss at him.

He shrugs nonchalantly.

"I was improvising."

"And THAT was the best you could come up with?" I sputter, almost forgetting to whisper.

"Didn't see YOU thinking of anything better."

He makes a good point... But I'm not letting him off that easily!

"Improvising, huh? Please," I huff. "You had PLENTY of time to come up with an answer in the time you've been here. Also, you KNEW this was my house. God, you probably even know Avery was my cousin! This is all just another one of twisted plans to hurt Alex, Clover and me, isn't it? Plus, what are you even DOING here? You're supposed to be locked up at WHOOP! I'd handcuff you RIGHT NOW if my family couldn't come in any minute!"

It appears my message doesn't get across too well, since Scam just leans his head back and laughs.

"Oh, Samantha," he sighs - and I hate the way I feel the heat rising up to my cheeks at hearing him call me by my full name - "don't you know anything? Do you REALLY think the world revolves around you? I had no idea that this was your house. I was surprised to see you, too, though I may not have fainted like a girl. And also, handcuff me if you like - provided that you can even manage that, considering the fact that you're still extremely weak and shaking all over. Take me back to WHOOP for all I care. It won't do you much good. I" - he spreads arms widely - "am a free man. And with my freedom, I can do whatever I like. With whomever I like. Avery included. So, you see, Samantha, you and your stupid little spy-friends really are of no concern to me whatsoever."

There are so many insults in his statement that I don't even know what to take offence at.

"You expect me to believe that?" I ask, but I sound weak, shaky, unsure, even to myself. It's embarassing. I try to cover it up with an accusation. "Everything you say a lie!"

This seems to make him angry. Sadly, seeing him angry gives me less satisfaction than I thought.

"Well," he says loudly, "you obviously refuse to listen to reason. Still acting like a whiney little girl, I see."

For some reason, this hurts me more than anything else he's said.

"Why am I still here?" Scam practically growls at me. "You're not worth the trouble. You're just a child. I'm leaving."

He turns and walks towards the front door. I can't believe it. He can't just insult me like that and get away with it, even having the last word, too.

"Yeah, well, stay away from my cousin!" I shout after him. It's the best I could come up with. Then again, I don't even know if he heard me, or whether he was already gone. All I know is that the room feels empty and cold. Shivering, I rub my arms.

My skin is covered in goosebumps.

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Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah Scam was . At Sammie's hooouuusssseeeee!

YAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!

I'm actually pretty happy with this chapter. And ALSO, sorry for not writing so long, I was in Switzerland and didn't take my laptop, because I wanted to fulfill my lifelong dream of being romantically snowed in at a chalet, cut off from the outside world. It worked, too. It was fantastic. I think I may have Scam and Sam snowed in together, alone, somewhere remote, for a chapter. That might be interesting :)

But anyways, worry not, my fair friends, for I took my notebook on vacation with me, and I've already finished the third and started on the fourth chapter. I just neep to type 'em all up. Ugh...

Soooooooooo, anyone becoming... confused by Avery? I sure hope so :D

And also, am I writing Scam right? I really want to do him justice. I luuurve me some Scam!

And also, I think I say "And also" too much XD Oh well...

READ AND REVIEW OR ELSE

OR ELSE

OR ELSE

... Or else I shall be quite sad and demotivated... :D

À bientot then,

TheLastPrototype (Yes. That's me.)