A/N: So I'll have all you fabulous people know – I quit my job. :]

I just needed more time to focus on school. So now that I have that time (and the fact that I'm taking a [novel] creative writing class), this story should go a whole lot faster. :]

THANKS: I'll get to them.

Disclaimer: uhhh, nothing. Oh wait – The Skulls, Frisco's, and Sour Patch Kids.

I hope you like it!

R&R or R&L please.

THANKS MUCHO!

Teach Me

Chapter Ten

"Party Rules"

~J~ - March 2010

I cannot believe I just kissed Tommy Quincy. Shoot me, please. God, Jude – you are so stupid. This is going to make everything so –

"Hey…Jude."

Even in mid-scolding mode, I manage to turn around and glare. He's not being funny – especially after what we just did.

Tommy's head is poking out of his passenger window, a wide smirk on his face. "Sorry."

I raise an eyebrow. This is not making things better and his odds have just gone down – he should stop while he's ahead.

"There's a party tomorrow."

My eyebrows furrow and I shrug my shoulders. What the hell? "So?"

"Do you wanna go?" he asks, as if he shouldn't have had to ask in the first place.

I jut my jaw out. Is he serious? After what just happened? I can't trust myself so – "No."

"Look, I know that parties aren't really your thing, but I'd – " he says casually as if we hadn't spent the last half an hour in his Viper making out in the dark.

I raise both my eyebrows. So, I'm using myself as an excuse not to be around him more than usual, but that doesn't mean that I don't do parties. I just don't do his kind of parties. There is a difference. "I didn't actually mean that I didn't want to go – I meant I already have plans."

He gazes at me for a second as if he's trying to guess whether or not I'm lying. I'm not, but his gaze makes my mouth go dry and I look away. Coward. "Reschedule."

My eyes lock with his, my brow furrowed. Excuse me? "Um, I'm not ditching my friends just to go to some lame high school party. Nice try."

He opens his mouth, a smile playing on his lips – one that he is deperating trying to fend off. "I didn't say ditch – I said reschedule. I'm betting whatever you are passing up a lame high school party for can be done some other day." It doesn't work – a full-blown smile forms on his face and I resist the urge to walk over to him and smack it off.

I open my mouth to make some smart ass comment, but Tommy decides to cut me off again – this time with a really awkward, yet amusing offer.

"I'd like it if you went. I mean, I'm already going so, you know if you wanted to…we could go together. You know, save gas and all that jazz." He makes a flourish with his hand and leans more aggressively on the car door.

I walk over to him; my lips turn up into a smile. "Did you just quote Chicago?"

His eyes narrow slightly and the smile on my face grows. "Apparently I did."

"Huh, I knew you were a closet Thespian." I bite my bottom lip and tilt my head slightly. He blinks a few times as if he's trying regain some lost sanity. Do I make him flustered? The idea alone is worth experimenting with.

"Jude, I – "

"As…endearing as your offer was…" I start. I lean my arms against his, our faces mere inches apart. My eyes never waiver from his and I can feel my heat rise with just our skin touching. "I have plans," I say.

He seems to register everything I'm doing and the change in his persona is instant. It's almost laughable, but in that instant, I can't find a way to make myself laugh. "And I can't change them?" he whispers, his tongue lightly running over his bottom lip.

I fight the sudden laugh that begins to bubble from my throat. He shouldn't play with fire. He might get burned. But then I guess that applies to both of us, doesn't it? And yet, even with that knowledge – neither one of us has pulled a white flag. I wonder why that is?

I shake my head slowly. "Not for all the Sour Patch Kids in the world." I bit my bottom lip again and I can see Tommy's Adam's apple bob. He's nervous. "And I really like Sour Patch Kids," I confess, making sure I've enunciated every word to the best of my ability.

He clears his throat and tears his eyes away from some place on my face. I'm guessing it's my lips, but I can't be sure. He sits back in his seat, his entire body engulfed in black. "I guess I'll have to try a different angle then," he says, his voice rough.

I smile.

"You should just stop trying."

I turn around and make my way back to my front door. I absentmindedly rub my lips together, feeling the dry air against them. It's then that I realize that we spent almost an entire conversation talking and never once did our kissing mishap come up.

Did nothing change? Or has it not set in yet?

I can't tell and I don't know if that's a good thing or not.

-M-

Fuck. Me. Well, not literally or anything, but really, could today be any more ridiculous? Have you ever tried to ignore Tommy Quincy for a whole day? It's next to impossible. And one would have thought that after our little talk at Frisco's he would have remembered we're treading dangerous waters.

Well, I don't think either one of us paid much attention to that conversation considering the next thing we did was make-out.

I'm still pissed at myself about that.

And my friends are not helping.

When I said I had plans, I meant it.

Now? I have none.

First Kat and Jamie cancel on me and then when I called Spiederman to see what he was doing, he has to go and do the one thing I hate – watch karate movies. Boys, I swear.

"Jude?"

I tear my eyes away from my disgraceful phone and turn around in my chair. I know that voice so my defenses are up. Sadie glances at me with her head wedged between my door frame and door. I don't fight the smile that creeps on to my face. If I could make my way over there and slam the door shut quickly, I'd be an only child. And I probably wouldn't have to deal with whatever bullshit lecture I'm going to get from Sadie about yesterday.

When I got home last night, she was asleep and all day at school she ignored me as usual so I know that sometime soon I'm going to hear it from her.

This is going be good.

"Do you have those purple heels I bought last month?"

My brow furrows. Not what I was expecting. "Why would I have your shoes?"

"You used them for that drama thing, remember?"

I roll my eyes. "It's called a showcase, Sadie. And I thought I already returned them?"

"Whatever it's called and no, you didn't."

I shrug. "Check the chest then."

Sadie walks to my closet and slides back one of the doors. Inside is my sacred chest – I keep everything in there. Well, mostly the important stuff, like costumes and accessories for any performances. Sadie pulls the lid open and sitting directly on top of a large pink boa is the pair of heels she was yelling at me about.

"You returned them?"

I roll my eyes again. "Sue me, I forgot."

"That's not surprising."

I stick my tongue out at her. "Shut up." Sadie stands up. "What do you need the heels for anyway?"

"Party."

"Oh yeah. I forgot," I say.

"You knew?" Sadie's face is red. Motherf-

Nice going, Jude.

I cough. "People talk, Sadie."

"People don't talk about our parties. There's a reason." She places her hands on her hips, the heels dangling from her fingers. She sighs. "Let me guess, Tommy spilled the beans."

From somewhere inside me, I feel like I need to defend him. Stupid unknown recess of my body. I hate you. "He asked me if I wanted to go, but you and I both know that – "

Her eyes widen. "He asked you to go?"

I take a deep breath. "It was a lame – we should go together to save gas and stuff – "

"He has no idea what he is doing," she mutters to herself. I hate when people do that.

"Um, okay, Psycho Barbie."

Sadie narrows her eyes. Fuck. Me. "Jude, you don't get it. There are rules."

I raise one hand. "Spare me, Sadie. Whatever Tommy did that was against the rules – he didn't mean it." At least he better not have.

"Since when are you defending anything Quincy does?" I clean my jaw and she stands up straighter in one of her power moves. I want to push her out of my room with my boot.

"Since it deals with me. I don't care about your little group. I just want the rest of my school year to be drama free, thank you."

Sadie rolls her eyes. "Jude, your drama has just begun."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

She shrugs. "Take it however you want to take it – just remember I warned you."

"You're a bitch."

"Why thank you."

Sadie closes the door and I turn in my chair, clenching my teeth. I hate when she pulls this secret society shit. I mean really, rules? Reasons? What are they – a part of the Skulls? Seriously – their party cannot be so fucking amazing that they have to be secret about it.

Not that I would know or anything, seeing as I've never been invited, but come on –

Wait. I take that back. I was invited. I should go. That would definitely wipe that bitch ass smile off Sadie's face.

My fingers trace absent circles on my desk as I think about my decision. Do I go? Or do I live my life as drama free as I possibly can?

The latter is really really intriguing, but I know that I even though I don't want to admit it – Sadie's right. Just like I was last night. The more time I spend around Tommy – the more the chance for drama to start anyway. But I like to do things in my own way and on my own time so if I make the decision to go – then I control what happens.

Right?

Where's Tommy's number?