A/N: Sorry for the late update.This chp should have been up last weekend, but I've been sick. Anyways, here it is, I hope u guys like it. Thanks to all who reviewed the previous chp. It means a lot, thanks =)

Chapter 4…

-Jeremy's POV—

I close my eyes and inhale the fresh air deeply.

Taking a walk for a couple of hours has brought some quietness and peace within me, not without first trying hard to push the annoying thoughts of Lockwood deeply in the back of my head. I'm much calmer, and less clouded with mind draining thoughts, for now at least.

I fill my lungs with air slowly and exhale as I head to Mystic Grill where I decide to spent some time before I go back home to start working on my paper for History class. Once inside the restaurant, I make my way through the crowd and stride to a vacant table located in the darkest spot I could find in a corner of this place and slouch in the chair. I sit still for a moment and just stare around, then I pull my cell phone out and go through Lockwood's text messages, which I couldn't ignore any longer.

'To Talk'Lockwood wanted to talk and I turned down his offer. Isn't that what I want? I could get the answers that I have been dying to know and give my mind the peace it longs for, if we actually had a civilized conversation for once instead of jumping down each other's throats. I can't let these doubts I have about him and his actions to keep me from having a real communication with him. Lockwood maybe means well…

I roll my eyes at my own last thought. Did I just say Lockwood means well? Yeah, right.

Here goes the negativity again. I shake my head and let out a groan.

"You OK, Jer?" Elena catches me off guard from behind me. She moves around the table and sits across from me. Stefan tags along and stands by the table, folding his arms across his chest.

Before I even get a word out, Elena gasps, "What happened to you? Did you get into another fight?" She reaches out and grabs my chin, clearly staring at the cut in my lower lip and so does Stefan.

I pull my face out of her grasp. "It's nothing." I should have used some make-up to cover up the cut, which would have been useless really judging by how nasty it is , or at least used it to reduce its intensity.

Elena leans over the table toward me. "Quit lying to me. Something is clearly up and you won't tell me about it. What is it, Jeremy?"

I lean forward too and look her in the eye. "It's none of your business. Beside, I can handle my own problems myself," I hiss stubbornly.

"Jeremy- " Elena is interrupted by Stefan.

"Alright, both of you calm down," Stefan steps in, pushing us away by the shoulder. He turns to look at me. "Look, Jeremy, whatever it is that's going on with you, if it gets out of control and you need help, then you can count on us. You can always trust to talk to Elena and I, and we won't hesitate to help you out." He stares down at me.

I nod once. I doubt I'll ever tell them about this problem I have with Lockwood. I don't even know what it is to be honest. I'm lost and confused.

I heave a sigh. Elena holds my hand tenderly. "You know I'm always there whenever you want to talk, right?" she says.

I nod.

"Even if you don't want us to help you in any way, but want someone to listen to you, then you can come to me, always," she adds softly.

I nod again.

"Alright then, we will leave now." Elena gets up. Stefan pats my back once and they both leave the place.

I go through Lockwood text messages again and I consider texting him, telling him that I take back what I said earlier and that I agree to meet him tonight to talk. However, something is holding me back from doing that.

I let out another deep, long sigh. My eyes idly wander through the crowd in the house and they instantly spot Lockwood. My heart skips a beat for a split second till I see him holding hands with a girl.

My heart sinks.

Anger builds up slowly and I take deep breaths as my eyes follow the couple all the way inside. I turn away and shut my eyes close. What the hell is wrong with me? Why does seeing him with someone else make me feel… hurt?

I turn to look at them again. He is laughing and is holding hands with a random girl. I see him pull her closer to him, wrap his arms around her and smile while she chatters. He doesn't even seem to be so wrapped up about what happened between us like I am. Here I am, sitting alone and thinking about him like a fool while he is there flirting with a chick like everything is all good in the world.

Terrific.

I study the floor for a moment, mentally cursing myself and snorting at my idiocy before I stand up and sneak out of the place, hoping he doesn't see me.

- Tyler's POV –

Wait, was that Jeremy?

My eyes catches him leaving the place and I keep staring at the door even after he vanishes.

Amy turns my face to look at her. "What's wrong?"

"Um, nothing. I thought I saw someone I knew. So, where were we?"

Once her babbling continues, I lose clarity of her voice and listen to my interior voices wondering about Jeremy. He saw me, didn't he? That's why he left. So, what, now he's avoiding me? He was the reason I came here in the first place. I needed a distraction to keep my sanity in check for god's sake!

"Earth to Tyler." I blink as Amy waves her hand in front of my face.

"Sorry, what?"

"You haven't heard a word I said, have you? Geez, Tyler, where has your mind been lately?"

"Um, sorry…" I trail off, not knowing what to say or what to do.

"Look, Tyler, go home and relax. Call me when you want to have real fun because right now you are kind of boring." She kisses my cheek and walks away.

I sigh miserably. I'm such a fool! I have never been so mentally captured by another person. All I do is think about Jeremy and now I have let a hot date slip away easily and I haven't even tried to convince her to stay.

I throw one, last glare at the door.

- Jeremy's POV –

I have been successful in avoiding Lockwood for the past couple of days. Avoiding him at school was hard, though, but I still managed not to see him most of the time. Lockwood kept sending me his intense stares, between classes whenever I accidentally ran into him, that I honestly craved to know what they meant and what he was thinking about every time he saw me. I was always the one looking away first because, damn, he wouldn't look away!

After school, I make my way to the library. I still haven't finished my paper, but I'm half way through so it should be done soon enough. I push the door open and secretly pray that I don't see Lockwood in here.

But, my prayers are never heard, are they?

I curse under my breath the second I see him standing by one of the long book shelves, holding a book in his hands, but evidently not reading. He sees me too, slams the book shut and set it on a table in one swift move. He, then, marches toward me.

I quickly stride to the opposite side of the room, ignoring him and acting like I haven't seen him. However, I feel a hand grabbing my arm and pulling me to a stop.

"Running again, Jeremy?" he whispers near my ear.

I turn around and jerk my arm out of his grasp while hissing, "Let go of me."

I glance around the room reflexively, checking that no one is watching us.

"What do you want, Lockwood?"

"Why are you avoiding me?" Lockwood inches closer and I take one step back.

"Why does it matter if I'm avoiding you or not, huh?" I hiss in a low voice.

"Because I'm losing my mind here!" he yells loudly and my eyes widen in surprise.

I glance around to see that every curious pair of eyes in the room stare at our direction. I swallow the lump in my throat and look back at his furious, unwavering eyes. A chill runs down my spine. His attention is undivided. He clearly doesn't give a crap about anyone else in this room but me. My heart rate quickens a little as I notice how close his face is to mine so I take a few steps back.

"Calm down," I mumble under my breath.

"Don't tell me to calm down!" he yells again, and I flinch in response.

"No need to make a scene here," I mutter inaudibly.

Lockwood clenches his jaw and continues to glare at me.

I swallow hard as I can feel pink shade color my cheek. Uneasy silence fills the room.

Lockwood then casts his eyes away leaves the library angrily, slamming the door behind him.

What the hell?

I stay rooted in my place, bewildered. A small part of me tells me to run after him and demand an explanation for his little outburst, but I can't bring myself to move just yet. I take a deep breath and move to an empty table, put my backpack on it and sit down slowly. I dig for my paper in the backpack, pull it out and set it in front of me. I look at the words, but I don't see them clearly. I blink a couple of times and read the first sentences once, but I don't understand what I just read so I read it again. My mind doesn't absorb a word written. I go over the sentence again and again and again.

"Damn!" I throw the paper away. I can't concentrate!

I grab my things in haste and storm out of the library.

I spent the rest of the afternoon at home, pretty much doing nothing but lay on my bed and listen to music in hopes to block out any thought of Lockwood. However, no matter how hard I try to do that, his image just keep forcing its way back into my mind to run vividly before my eyes.

Melancholy floats in the air of my bedroom, and darkness fills the room everywhere except for the dim ray of moonlight that makes its way through the slightly open window. I stare at its direction blankly. I'm turning into a gloomy person again like I used to be when I was in love with Vickie. Why do I feel upset? What am I upset about?

I sigh.

A cool breeze enters, causing the curtains to sway slowly, and lightly flips the pages of a book placed on my nightstand. I turn my gaze to it and reach out to grab it. It's my sketch pad.

Elena or Aunt Jenna must have brought it back here when I left it on the floor of the living room.

As if my hand is bewitched, it automatically turns the pages to that same drawing I did of Lockwood: his eyes. I contemplate them for a long moment as I visualize his deep, intense eyes he shot me earlier today at the same time. I swallow the lump in my throat.

Because I'm losing my mind over here! His words ring loudly in my ears. I'm making him lose his mind? Why does he feel that way?

So, he has been thinking about me, hasn't he?

The images of Lockwood kissing me flash in my mind. Truth be told, I liked the kisses Lockwood has given me so far, one that is rough and one that is sweet. Both sent weird shivers down my spine and oddly enough they felt good.

I jump out of the bed, walk to the window and stand by the windowsill, staring out at nothing.

Why have I been having weird feelings toward him? Why is it that I can't stop thinking about him? Why did it feel good every time he kissed me?

Do I have feelings for him?

I close my eyes and let out a sigh of despair. This question scares me.

A few seconds tick by.

'Woods. 2night' 'To Talk' Lockwood's text messages scream in my head. Well, why not go meet him now? I may or may not find him there, but it's still worth the shot. I need to talk to him. I need answers.

I grab my jacket, rush out of the door and run down the stairs in a hurry.

"Where are you going?" Elena shouts from the kitchen as she spots me.

"I'll be back. Don't wait up for me," I shout before I close the door behind me.

To Be Continued.