A/N: Sorry for the hiatus, end of the year is a bit of a crazy period for me. I work full-time as a software engineer and had a major deliverable due end of year, fanfic don't pay them bills but baby I'm back now, tried to make it a longer one due to my absence, but at least with the little break I now can confidently say I believe I know where I wanna take this! Reviews make the creative juices flow, let me know what you think!

Chapter 3

Dear Lara Jean,

I liked you first. I know he got to you first but I want to be the one who lasts. I know you like him a lot but I think you may like me a lot too, enough for me to at least try anyway. I would find a way to stay. I could make you happy too, more...

Lara Jean ripped her eyes from the letter and mused, even his handwriting back then had been very precise and deliberate, the words written in perfectly straight lines, letters evenly sized, margins minded. Those first words, they brought her back, 'this is like a bad cosmic joke' she thought miserably reminded of her letter to Josh. Her face flushed thinking of the letter contents. She knew logically speaking, this letter was written years ago, he doesn't, couldn't feel the same way anymore. Though the gesture did speak to her heart. At one point, a boy was so in love with her that he wrote her a love letter. Alright, he never actually used the word love, but this was a love letter if she ever saw one – and she would know. She couldn't help but be touched, she was flattered.

"Peter's here!" Kitty yells from downstairs, Lara Jean could already hear her Kitty's little feet running up the stairs to see what had been taking her so long. Lara Jean rushed to cram the letter back in its envelope and stash it in the hat box before pushing it as far back under her bed as she could, same as she did with the thoughts swirling in her head. She would finish it later, preferably when pestering kid sisters weren't roaming around the house, especially ones with the penchant of getting into boxes that don't belong to them.

She was just grabbing her books as Kitty broke into her room, "what were you doing?"

"Nothing." Lara Jean replied nonchalantly, careful to keep her eyes from straying to the hidden hat box.

"We're going to be late, Lara Jean." Lara Jean rolled her eyes.

"Let's go, Kitty." She said shooing Kitty down the stairs with her.

Once outside, she spots Peter's car parked out front, he rolled down the window and faked beeping the horn, "Beep beep Coveys!" he yells out the window good-naturedly. Lara Jean laughs and hops in the front seat while Kitty scuttled into the back. She leaned over the console to kiss Peter's cheek, wisps of his hair tickled her face making her giggle. She still couldn't believe this was her routine, he was her routine.

"Good morning to you too Lara Jean." He says with a wide grin.

"Gross." Kitty says shortly, looking away with an over dramatic face.

"All buckled up back there kiddo?" Peter asks, eyeing Kitty through the mirror.

"Aye, aye captain!" She says and he pulls out of side of the road heading towards school.

She loved riding with Peter to school. She got to get a dose of him right before anyone else did, outside of his family of course. Everything was so easy with him, with them. In the beginning, the thought of going contract-less scared her, how was she to know what was expected if wasn't thoroughly talked out and documented? He replied that it was all about trust, she got that now. Its about trusting the other person not to hurt you, and if there was anything she figured out about Peter, it was that he would never hurt her. He caught her looking at him.

"See anything you like?" he chuckles, not taking his eyes off the road, but reaching over for her hand. She loved his hands, calloused from lacrosse, they weren't soft but they were strong. His hand enveloped hers entirely, he made her feel safe. He made her feel special, she, the girl who at least in her mind, thought no one ever looked twice at.

"Wouldn't you like to know." She replies blithely, she was just reveling in her favorite part of the day.

"I really would." He says smiling, shooting her an arched look, at which point Kitty leans forward breaking their moment, "She really really likes you, in fact she looo-"

"Kitty! Shoo!" Lara Jean gasps, a furious blush overtaking her face, shooing her sister to the backseat whence she came. Peter roared with laughter.

This was not the time or place. They had not used that word since the day on the lacrosse field. In fact, she hadn't even been the one to say it. She was taken aback when he did, not in a bad way, but in a way that made her feel like it couldn't be happening. It was too unreal for the most popular, most handsome, most kind person she'd ever met to say that to her. She only became aware she never actually said it back after the fact, she had been all "you're what?" at the time. She wasn't ready to say it, at least not here in a short car ride to school with Kitty in eavesdropping distance.

She hoped he knew though. John's letter was all but forgotten. They arrived at school, Kitty scampered off to her first class while Lara Jean glared at her cheeky wave goodbye. Peter and Lara Jean made their way to her locker. As they walked through the hallway, Peter's hand clasped hers firmly. Whereas before, Lara Jean used to walk down these same halls with shoulders folded in, trying to make herself as small as possible to just merely get through the crowd, now the hallway parted for Peter and her like the red sea did for Moses. Such was his pull, walking hand and hand in him made her stand taller, his confidence was practically contagious.

Approaching her locker, they found a figure already waiting there, casually leaning next to her locker. This figure was John, impeccably dressed, striking you could say. Not in an outrageous fashion, there were no obvious designer brands, it was more the way he held himself – self-assured and bold. His lightly scarred eyebrow adding a hint of, well the simple word for it was dashing. Judging by the unusual amount of girls in the vicinity, most of whom she was fairly sure didn't even have lockers in this hallway, she wasn't the only one who noticed.

"Ambrose! Whats up man?" Peter greets John with a bro-like high five.

"Just picking up my lab mate for class" John says confidently, Peter looks at her confused.

"Is that so? ...You got pretty lucky getting partnered with Covey over here, I should know, funny how things work out, huh" Peter replied back evenly, not breaking eye contact, grin firmly kept in place, aware that in this high school, hell, life, everything was about appearances. Lara Jean only realized now that she forgot about that little detail, but she shrugged it off, really, what did it matter they were lab partners. Though, admitted to herself that while she didn't think it was necessary, Peter probably would have liked to have known before hand, right? Oh well, she cringed, he should know it doesn't matter she thought as she focused on her locker combination.

"Funny is a good word for it, fairly new as I hear, that right?" John replied looking at Peter over Lara Jean's head. Something in the air had changed, Lara Jean may have missed it, but Peter sure didn't. It wasn't really what John had said, or even done really. It was the way he looked at her. It reminded him of Sanderson and that was not something he liked. There was no animosity between him and Sanderson, at least anymore, just the usual we-competed-for-the-same-girl awkwardness. He didn't think they'd ever be friends was another way to put it.

"Well if we go by first kiss, not so new." Peter said firmly, shaking his head.

"Right, weren't you with Gen at that time though? Guess thats old history now, a lot can change in a few months it seems." Peter stood a little taller now.

"Not sure what you're trying to get at." Peter replied graciously, annoyed Gen was brought up at all, grateful that Lara Jean had busied herself with her locker combination and not following the conversation at all.

"Merely an observation old friend." John says with a shrug, pushing himself off the locker he was leaning on to stand straighter.

"Got it!" Lara Jean exclaimed, missing the atmosphere entirely, as she finally fumbled open her locker and started grabbing things from it. She closed her locker and looked up at Peter and noticed the somewhat charged stare-off him and John seemed to still be having. She looked closer at his face, saw the slight tightening in the corner of his smile, then she looked to his eyes. Every time she looked in his eyes, a tiny piece of her melted. She didn't think she'd ever get tired of staring into those golden flecks but they seemed somewhat cloudy today and she realized something was off.

"I'll see you at lunch Peter," decidedly ending whatever conversation they were having with a quick peck to his cheek and a light squeeze of his hand looking him in the eyes as she did. She hoped this reassured him of whatever thoughts were swirling in his head, she used to think Peter was most confident boy she'd ever met, actually she still thought this but she knew now that even the most positive had their own insecurities. The last conversation she had with Gen flitted through her mind, 'He's not as confident as he pretends to be.'

With that Lara Jean and John headed over to their lab, while Peter watched them round the corner.

"What were you guys talking about?" she asks John suspiciously the second they reach their table. John sat in his chair, casually leaning back into it.

"Nothing important really" he says disarmingly, Lara Jean pressed no further as Mr. Abernathy had just walked in.

He immediately started the lecture, "Today we will be learning about blood types, what they mean, and more importantly the type each of you have. Every single person should know what their own blood type is in case of emergency." His lesson plan for the day included a short lecture on the different types and what types can be mixed during blood transfusions.

"To determine blood type, you need to find out which antigens are present. You can work that out by mixing the blood with the different reagents, before the end of this period I expect you all to finish the lab by identifying the blood type of each sample provided and filling out the sheet. Once done, please take and sterilize the needle provided and prick your finger to provide your own sample to test." He finished, gesturing to the lab materials set up at each lab table.

"Ready partner?" John asks.

"Ready."

With that they started setting up their table, setting up the reagent vials and organizing the samples. They worked methodically, testing the sample with each reagent to identify the correct type. Lara Jean would make her assessment and confer with John until they reached agreement, then John would take the next sample and make his assessment and confer with Lara Jean. They worked in tandem flawlessly, figuring out each type before making it to the point where it was time to find out their own. This was the part Lara Jean had been slightly dreading. She knew a pinprick was nothing to get worked up about and wasn't about to embarrass herself by opting out. She hesitated going for the needle, which John saw.

"Not one for needles I suppose?" He takes a gander. She looked up at him with a grimace.

"I don't love the idea, no."

"Want me to go first?" he offered, she thought about it, perhaps seeing someone else do it first and seeing how little of an ordeal it was would ground her. She shook her head though, she'd rather get it over and done with and no have to think about it. Though she wasn't sure she could exactly force herself to prick her own finger.

"You know I once heard something along the lines of, your teeth are actually strong enough to bite off a finger as easily as a hard carrot, its really your brain that stops you, some sort of defense mechanism or something..." she says, not even really sure why she said it, buying herself time she knows. She can't even recall if thats actually a fact or not. She doubts it.

"You're stalling aren't you, also I don't think thats exactly true." John laughs, she says nothing, staring at her finger tip as if willing a little blood spot to leak out without having to actually pierce it.

"What if I did it? Then you could do me?" he asks with a chuckling at her perplexed reaction.

"You want to prick my finger?" She asks confused.

"Well seeing as we can't ace the lab without identifying our own blood types, yes, I would be willing to prick your finger for you. Unless you don't trust me?" He asks with a delicately raised eyebrow. She stares at him, its not that she doesn't trust him, or is it that? No she decides, really its that she hates needles. Maybe it would be better to let him do it, though what she said about carrots and fingers may have been made up, she's sure if she tried to stab herself with a needle she'd chicken out last second.

Reluctantly, she extends her hand towards John. His eyes soften as he sees her apprehension, he takes her extended hand into his and gently turns it over palm-side up. His hands were warm, soft, softer than Peter's she thought before banishing the thought. John's other hand trailed the line on her palm till reaching the thumb and trailing up to the pad of it before reaching away to grab the sterilized needle off the table. Despite herself, it sent shivers down her spine, not in an unpleasant way.

"Ready?" he asks for the second time that class, this time Lara Jean mutely nods. Firmly holding her left hand in his, he swiftly pricks her finger, eliciting a small gasp from her. His grip prevented her from pulling away before he took the sample to add to the reagents. He did this with one hand, letting the blood settle into the reagent while he went to bandage her thumb.

"Done." He says looking up at her from his handiwork, "Guess I was bound to leave a mark on you too one day, it was fated." he said gesturing to his eyebrow. He extended his hand toward her, his turn she thought. Now that hers was done, she wasn't so sure why she was worried in the first place. It was much easier pricking someone else than yourself she decided.

"You can't possibly believe that." she replies, not taking him seriously, frowning at her thumb, "we make pretty good partners though" Lara Jean says offhandedly, observing their work knowing fully well they had aced the lab, not doubting a single one of their answers. She took his hand into hers and prepared the needle.

"Yeah, guess you got pretty lucky getting stuck with me" He says cheekily which she playfully stuck her tongue out at him.

"You know, it would be great if you didn't antagonize Peter over it." Lara Jean says giving John a pointed look. He didn't even have the good grace to look ashamed, but Lara Jean expected that was because he wasn't, not at all.

"Antagonize? That's a fairly strong word for it." He says grinning, she stares at him steely-eyed, she was flattered sure, but would she risk Peter for it, not at all. Sensing this, John relented, she would come around, he knew change doesn't happen in day.

"I don't think he loves that fact you received my letter." She says straight to the point, John laughs at this.

"So he know all about that does he?"

"Yes, of course he does, I wrote him one too" she grumbled embarrassedly.

"Way to make a guy feel special." John chuckled and Lara Jean stared at him before pricking his thumb without warning. He didn't even flinch, though his eyes shined with amusement.

"You were never supposed to see that letter anyway" she grumbled again, feeling slightly guilty for not giving him any warning. She tenderly bandaged his thumb.

"But I did see it" he said, not skipping a beat. He stilled her hands over his, looking into her eyes. She refused to meet his gaze, but didn't pull away. She found herself in her own head. Wondering for a brief moment, what would have happened if he never moved away? Would Kitty have ever sent out the letters? Was fate a real thing? Would she never have gotten together with Peter?

"Maybe you could un-see it?" breaking out of her own head, she asks hopefully.

"Is that really what you want?" he asks, reading her face.

"Look, I don't regret writing it, but I'm with Peter now you know." She says flatly, pulling away her hands from his.

"Okay, let me ask you this, what flavor ice cream do you like best?"

"Is this a trick question," she suspiciously, she doesn't like being tricked.

"Just answer the question Lara Jean."

"I don't know, I guess mint chocolate chip, why?"

"How did you know you liked it?"

"Because its better than plain vanilla?"

"So you had to try something new to make you realize you liked it better. Its healthy to try new things once in a while, hence the, what was it you said? Mint chocolate chip? The point is, you don't know until you try. Otherwise, it'd be vanilla everyday and you'd never know what you missed." He says, looking at her intently.

"Its just ice cream John, I could live with vanilla everyday." She replied lamely, knowing full well where he's taking this but refusing to let it continue on, she even began packing up her backpack for show.

"Sure, Lara Jean. Sure," he says simply, not pushing it any further but smiling at her in a way that leaves her feeling that this conversation was not, in fact, over.

Peter picked up Lara Jean at her locker before lunch and they made their way to their usual lunch spot. Upon entering the cafeteria, the first sights that greeted them were bright and bold banners announcing the beginning of "Anything Goes."

"Ahem," a tap on a microphone interrupted the excited chatter of the cafeteria, all heard turned to the head of student council who had set up at the very front, "We, of the student council, are very excited to announce what we hope will become a long-standing tradition here-forth known as 'Anything Goes.'"

"These upcoming weeks will be filled with events in the name of friendly competition and school spirit. The entire student body will be divided into sixty-four teams at random to fill up that bracket you saw when you walked in. Each team will contain an even mix of all grades, furthermore each team will decide amongst themselves to pick a team leader. Not everyone in the team has to participate in every game, we leave that up to you and your team. Each week a game will be held eliminating teams until only one team stands champion above all other teams-" at this the cafeteria broke out into explosive chatter. Someone in the crowd shouted out, "do they win anything?"

The student body president chuckled with a shrug, "Other than extreme bragging rights you mean? Well no, we'd like to highlight that while this is a competition, the purpose of these games is to get a chance to know your fellow classmate, bond with people you may have never gotten the chance to speak with - in short this is all about unity. The final and epic game as well as the award ceremony will be held during the annual school camping trip, you'll soon see why this was the best environment." The cafeteria once again broke out in boisterous conversation, the excited buzz you could practically feel in the room.

"Listen up! Teams will be posted tomorrow morning around all major hallways. Games will be announced the same, be on the lookout for those fliers, details for each event will be posted the day prior. May the best team win!" He ends with a flourish of the arms and with that left the podium.

"Think we'll be on the same team?" Lara Jean pondered aloud to the table.

"I doubt we will be, Mr. Student Body President sounded like they want to mix it up a bit, spend more time with different people. Sounds healthy to me." John replied, shooting a look at Lara Jean of which she missed. She was already lost in her own head, honestly it sounded like a nightmare to her. She had gotten more used to socializing with new people, but Peter had always been by her side, really he was the driving force of that. Doing it alone, well, it unsettled her a bit. All in all, it sounded quite exhausting.

Peter didn't miss the way John was looking at Lara Jean, he casually swung an arm around her shoulders shaking her our of her reverie, "Don't worry about it, there's nothing to lose, or win for that matter..." he said with an uninterested shrug.

John's face broke out in a grin, "Why don't we make this more interesting?"

"How so?" Chris asked intrigued.

"Middle school rules amongst ourselves, anyone on the winning team can ask anyone one on the losing team for one wish." John announced, looking around the table to gauge reactions, in particular, Peter's. He didn't miss the way Peter tensed slightly, Lara Jean's apprehensive look, the way Chris' eyes twinkled with mischief, and Lucas' slight smile and shake of the head.

"I don't like it." Peter said at once, giving his best couldn't-care-less-attitude. Peter was done with this game. He swung his arm off of Lara Jean's shoulders, placing his hands leaning forward to look John straight in the eyes.

"Worried you'll lose?" John knew how to get Peter, he couldn't help but smirk a bit.

"Hardly," Peter scoffed, "I just don't want you to get your hopes up, we do this and I win, you'll regret you ever had the idea." He lets out a relaxed laugh, just enough to let the eavesdroppers believe this was all in good humor, though his laughter not quite reaching his eyes which never left John's.

"I'm in." Chris says decidedly breaking the tension, "Lucas, you too right? C'mon! Sounds fun, already compiling a mental list of top wishes from each of you – watch out!" she says devilishly. Lucas just smiles contemplatively, on the one hand, it seemed like nostalgic harmless fun, on the other hand – he had sensed the underlying tension between Peter and John. He remained silent.

"One wish Chris, not one wish per person." Lara Jean corrects, "Wait, right?" she asks looking around.

"One wish, lets not get greedy here. Peter?" John again asks, he knew that without Peter's buy-in it becomes meaningless. Besides, he wanted this to be a fair fight after all.

"You're on Ambrose." Peter says shortly with a confident grin of his own. He had already resolved to speak with John privately afterwards.

It was about to be all-out war and they all knew it.

Please review if you like it!