Hey everyone, long time no see. It's been a while since I posted a story, so here's a one-shot for you guys. I've been busy with college and stuff but hopefully this baby can make up for it.

As for the questions directed at me in your reviews, the point of view was not MAY. I had described her in the story, and Drew even said her name when the pov girl asked him if she loved his wife. So this clears things up for you guys.

Thank you for your lovely reviews and favorites and follows.

I won't make this any longer, so enjoy your read!

She's Not Afraid

One Direction

~x~

It was night, about ten in the evening. I was waiting patiently, leaning at the trunk of my car and breathing evenly through my mouth. I itch for a cigarette, but then I knew she'd just scold me about it and then nag nonstop and I didn't want that.

A tap on my shoulder was what signaled me that she'd arrived.

May Maple, the epitome of beauty. Her soft brown hair curled down to her chest, eyes the bright color of blue, lips a plump shade of pink (that looks really kissable right now) and a cute smile to match. She had on a tight red dress that stops just in the middle of her thighs with see-through sleeves hanging off her shoulders.

"Sorry I'm a bit late, it's hard getting past through Max. You know how he is and things about curfew," she whispered, as if her family would be able to hear her past from the gates of her house.

I smirked at her excuse and she pouted her lips that I'm dying to kiss right now.

"You sure you're not becoming like me? All breaking rules and stuff?" I laughed when she slapped me playfully on my shoulder. It was moments like these that I forget we're best friends. It was hard forcing myself not to confess; it's been three years since I've fallen for her after all.

"Come on or we'll be late. Dawn is so going to be jelly with my new cologne!" she exclaimed excitedly, and I couldn't help but smirk at her cute expressions.

"Girls and their language. Really May? Jelly?"

"Ugh! Drew don't be such a… a pussy!"

"Give me a kiss and I'll think about it," I said smugly. I closed my eyes and leaned down for effect and waited for her to give me a peck. It was normal flirting for us, but I'm pretty sure May doesn't know the term 'flirting' when it comes to me.

I felt a small smack on my left cheek, and opened an eye to look at her as if in disbelief.

"Honestly!" she tried to look angry, but the small curve of her lips killed the look.

That's right, no matter what happens, I'll always be able to enjoy her company like this. And in the possible (near) future, I'll be able to hold her just like I want to.

~x~

The club was packed with rough teenagers that night, and I had to wrap an arm around May's waist to not let her have the chance to wander off. She tends to get lost sometimes; like a cat following a dotted light. My hold tightened when I spotted a few guys checking her out. I knew her dress was too short; those guys keep looking at her like a piece of meat! (Not that I don't look at her like that, but that's for me to keep a secret).

She yelled Dawn's name over the crowd and the blasting music, miraculously the blue-haired girl spotted us. Following after her was Paul, her on-and-off boyfriend of four months.

"Oh my gosh! How did I miss that dress when we went out shopping! May you traitor!" Dawn squealed, eying up the dress May was wearing. If I didn't know that she wears thousands of skirts and heels, I would've mistaken her for a girl-lover, with all those looks she gives the girls. In reality, she's just getting 'jelly' for not having bought the clothes (or shoes or accessory) before the girl next-door does.

I sound like May now.

"Don't worry, I bought these lovely earring to match your purple stilt's when you wear them again as compensation." May handed her a small red paper-bag and it was the thing that made Dawn calm down. Well, as calm as she is personality-wise.

"Hey Drew, can you get us some drinks? I was too busy trying to hide from Max that I forgot to bring my wallet," she pulled the puppy-eye card and I couldn't say no; not that I'd say no to her anyway.

"Get to it lover-boy, I need to have girl-time with her about why Misty didn't come!" Paul's (current) girlfriend ushered me towards the bar. I sighed and went to get May her favorite, and got one for myself as well.

It was common knowledge that we're technically legal to drink, but May is forbidden until she graduates. That doesn't stop her from the occasional (hidden) drinks— which are free by the way— she gets from me. It took a while since there were so many customers and it was fifteen minutes later when I got our drinks. Another twenty minutes before I got back to where May and the others were. A stupid bimbo dared to touch my manly parts (I can't say the 'C' word for viewing purposes) and my arse that I almost spilled the drinks. Luckily, I had fast reflexes and managed to avoid her bony hands before they managed to touch any part of my body.

What I saw didn't appease my already declining mood.

May was alone (Dawn and Paul probably went to the mass of dancing zombies in the middle of the room) with a douche hanging around her. I can hear that he was offering to take her home, and my temper is moving downhill fast.

She placed a finger on his neck, as if to kiss him, but she only moved to whisper something and then headed to my direction. I handed her the drink she requested, and after she took it my arm instantly went to her waist in possession. Not that she'd recognize it, anyway.

"Sorry man, but this one's mine," I smirked and glared right through his eyes. He got the message instantly and went to pick other girls up or something.

"What took you so long," May pouted at me, taking sips from her fruity drink.

"Well, you know how the ladies dig me—"

"You're impossible Drew," and she started laughing.

~x~

It was four hours later that I drove her home, Dawn and Paul having a nightly (or early morning) rendezvous. I walked her to her front porch steps; eyes glancing as the sun slowly rise. She turned around, smiled at me like a cat got her cream, and said a small "goodnight" before going inside.

I held her wrist at the last minute, stopping her from leaving my line of sight. She looked back at me curiously, her sleepy blue eyes trying to read what was on my mind.

"May," I said softly. She looked interested even in her sleepy mood. "I want to be with you; more than a best friend." My voice wavered a bit, but I held my ground. Who knew confessing like this to your best friend (who you knew since childhood) would be this hard. I swallowed the lump in my throat, looking at her for her response.

I saw her eyes wide and mouth agape. She closed it and opened it again, as if wanting to say something but she couldn't. In the end she took her hand and went inside, leaving me hanging for an answer I wasn't going to get… right now anyway.

As if I'd give up that easily.

~x~

I was lying down on the grass under a big tree for shade, sipping an orange juice Ash had thrown at me earlier this morning. It was currently vacant time, and during this time I usually take a small nap (preferably using May's legs as my pillow). I looked to my side to see May, Dawn, Misty and Leaf all chatting the time away.

Maybe she wants to work me hard; that's why she hadn't given me an answer yet. After that confession, things didn't seem to move on for us, nor does it seem to make it awkward. In fact, we were just the way we are, best friends who are constantly 'flirting' with each other.

I had a sneaking suspicion that the reason May's not giving me an answer was because of her girl friends. They always chat a lot about boys (or so I heard a few times when I'd come to get May from them) and clothes. Not much about studies, but it's amazing how they keep up with their grades with all that gossip… and giggling.

But either way, I still get uneasy on how to deal with these feelings of mine, especially if she doesn't pay attention to it like I want her to. If she doesn't like me, she could have rejected me and told me straight away (yes, the great Drew Hayden finally got his first rejection by the girl he actually likes), and not give me hopes.

But I'm not Drew Hayden for nothing.

The bell rang signaling the end of break, and I went over to the group to get May and head to class. She has a knack for being late, the clumsy girl she is. She stood up when she saw me approaching, brushing her skirt before waving to her friends and heading towards me.

As we walked along the corridor, I braced myself for another confession.

"Hey May," I said casually.

"Yes?" she asked, not really paying attention.

"I… like you."

She stopped walking, then turned to face me, hands on her hips and an arched eyebrow. "I know your game Drew. I know for sure I'm not your type, so quit this thing you're doing and we can go back to the way we are."

Her words made my chest hurt, like a needle persistently poking it. My eyebrows drew closer together, trying to make sense of what she just said. True she's not normally my type, but how many people in the world end up with someone they like physically? My parents only got together because of family traditions, but they ended up loving each other overtime. And it's also true that I used to play with girls before, but this is the first time I felt that I wanted to be with someone really bad.

I closed my eyes, breathing deep breaths to calm my nerves.

I thought about the memories we had together, how I fell in love with her even if she's the clumsiest girl I know. The times she was always ditched by her dates and I end up being the one to take her out (courtesy of Brendan, her other childhood friend), was our 'dates'. Going to clubs and bars was also always with me because I'm the only one her parents trust enough to let her get home in one piece (and virginity still intact). I always viewed her as the clumsy, loud-mouthed, annoying eat-too-much girl; and I vowed never to view her as anything else.

Of course, that didn't really happen, seeing as I have just admitted that I like (love) her. Maybe moving on is something that must be done. After all, she doesn't believe me no matter how many times I confess.

This makes me look totally uncool.

~x~

I stared at the road ahead, mind in a haze as the day went. I can see the sunset from the roof of my car and taking out a long drag off my stick. I started smoking when I was fourteen; it was a secret though I knew that most of my friends already know my nicotine addiction.

I intended to stop, knowing that all I'm doing is placing my health in danger. But I couldn't really place it down and get it over with. It wasn't until May had found out did I really stop. She would constantly be by my side, eyes like hawks on my hands trying to burn holes in them as if there are invisible cigarettes in them. It was those days that I enjoyed and never regretted quitting.

Now they act like my stress reliever (or more like depression reliever) but it's the first time I'd taken one in years.

A sudden noise made my head turn to see what it was. May was climbing up my car and trying to sit next to me. I made room so that she doesn't fall over, and she gratefully took the space with a smile. It disappeared though when she saw the cancer stick in between his fingers. She grabbed it and threw it away after making sure it's no longer lit.

"What did I tell you about smoking?" her perfect eyebrows furrowed together, daring him to tell the truth.

"I just had the urge. It's nothing recent, it's the first time I had one in years," I admitted, my eyes avoiding hers. I looked back at the road in front of me, not really seeing it as I had intended to do.

"You sure?" she pressed. I only nodded in response.

It was quiet for some time. The sun had set and it grew darker. The streetlamps lit up for the night, and the skies were littered with stars. I felt her lean on me hesitantly, as if testing if I'd push her away. We had times like this before, having a close contact with each other. We are best friends after all. Unconsciously, I wrapped an arm around her waist and made her lean her weight on me. She accepted it, and her body began to relax if only a little bit.

We always have our disagreements, most of the time an argument. It was worse when we were younger, but we grew to like each other's presence overtime. At least I do.

"Hey Drew," she broke the silence between us, her head trying to dig its way into my chest but I didn't really mind. She's like a big cat, the one who's fat and lazy and orange and always named 'Tabby', but this cat is seriously sexy as hell, and a feisty one to boot.

"Hm," I answered, not really wanting to know what she wanted to say after my confession earlier.

"You know how I'm different from other girls, right?" I nodded in agreement. "I'm not girly like Dawn who's always in skirts, or as outgoing and social and smart like Misty, or beautiful and has every other boy at her feet like Leaf." I nodded again, not daring to interrupt her speech. It's the first time in years since she opened up to me again, the last one being the issue between her parents and her brother, but that was all in the past now.

"I love attention as much as any other girl, but it doesn't mean I crave it like Dawn or Misty. I'm pretty sure I always hit a nerve on you every now and then." Her comment made me smirk; there's no truer statement than that.

I decided to say something, knowing her words are starting crack a bit. I didn't want to embarrass her… too much.

"When I took you to see a scary movie with Misty and Ash who're having a date, I was expecting you to cling on to me like Misty doing to Ash. Sadly, you were even laughing at those zombies and ghosts."

"Ash was shaken too you know, he was so stiff after the movie that I couldn't suppress it." She shook her head at the memory.

It was silent again.

"I… I like you Drew."

My eyes widened at that.

My heartbeat sped up like crazy; blood went up my cheeks as I tried to think of something to say. It was unexpected, what she said, and I had to pinch my cheek to see if I was dreaming or not. When I confirmed it was real, I felt her tense hand try to pry off my arm around her, as if meaning to escape.

"You caught me off guard there," I said finally, my hand only tightened its hold on her waist.

"Heh, well you know me. I always love to catch you without that mask of yours." She squirmed a little, but settled after a while.

"You know my answer to that, don't you?" I asked hopefully. I felt her nod and a smile lifted up to my lips. This is a not so bad day after all.

And she didn't even notice me blush for the first time in my life.

~x~

~x~

I didn't really know how to end it, but Drew is a sarcastic wannabee, so this ends here.

Note! I'm accepting request for contestshipping or advanceshipping or both. But it has to be a one-shot. Message me if you want one and I'll work on it. A descriptive plot will do and I'll deal with the rest. R&R. Love lots!