Hello everyone! No I'm not dead and yes I know it has been SO long since I updated. But frett not, I am back! (Thank you summer vacation) Thank you everyone for your wonderful reviews and I am sorry for not responding back. Hopefully this chapter makes up for it please don't forget to review this chapter. I want to hear all your opinions. Enjoy!

"So, what happened?"

"He said he'd try."

"Which one?

"Not the boyfriend."

"I thought you were going to dump Brandon?"

"Break up, not dump. And yes, yes I was."

"And?"

"Complications happened."

"Uh huh…"

"Yeah…"

"So, he said he'd try?"

"Yes."

"For the better?"

"Yes."

"And?"

"I shot him down."

"You what?" Lucy exclaimed, catching half the people's attention in the café "Are you serious?"

"Lucy, shhh!" Mara whispered harshly at the older girl "You're disturbing the customers."

"Oh, sorry, sorry," the redhead waved aimlessly off "but really Mara, have you gone bonkers? You shot him down? After the guy just told you he'd change for the better?"

"He said he'd try, Lucy." Mara reminded her "Doesn't mean he's going to do it."

"But at least he said he would try. Why didn't you give him a chance, at least? Before you shot him down? Unless…you aren't planning on breaking up with Brandon, in that case, bad Mara! Very bad Mara!"

Mara rolled her eyes. "Relax Lucy, I am going to break up with him, and I didn't exactly shoot him down…"

Lucy perked an eyebrow. "Oh? Is that right?"

"Yeah," Mara hesitated "I kind of, sort of, backed away slowly and shook my head." She finished lamely.

Lucy shook her head. "Oh Mara…"

"Don't judge me," The raven haired girl defended "I panicked. Besides, it's pointless."

"Why?"

"Because."

"Because why?"

"Because I have no intention of going out with him!"

"…Why?"

Mara sighed. "It's…complicated."

"A lot of things seem to be complicated with you, Mara." Lucy commented dryly just as the front door bell jingled. "Oh look, a customer! Smile!"

Mara sighed and plastered a smile on her face. "Hello, welcome to Java Bean, how may I take your order?"

"School rep?"

Her smile faltered a bit. Why did everyone from her school insist on coming here? There were tons of other cafés around here too. Why was it always The Java Bean? "Hello, Eddie, what would you like to order?"

Eddie blinked. "You work here?"

"Obviously." Mara answered tonelessly "Why else would I wear the shop uniform and ask for your order?"

"Hey, no need to be testy." Eddie smirked "Not my fault you're stuck working in a dingy café while the rest of us enjoy our freedom."

"Speaking of freedom, don't you have detention today? Why are you here?" Mara asked suspiciously "Shouldn't you be in school?"

Eddie shrugged. "Because I want to be?"

"But-"

"Nuh uh uh," He cut her off "You're not in school, which means your authority doesn't work around here, Miss Jaffray. Which means…" He plucked a cookie off the glass pedestal "you can't send me back. I win."

"Hey! Give that back! It's for paying customers only!" She cried, reaching for the cookie, but Eddie pulled it out of her reach. "I'm serious, Eddie. It's no joke." He mockingly took a bite out of the cookie. "Eddie!"

"Swoory" He muffled out with a mouthful "My bad."

Mara glared at him. "I hope you know that cookie will cost you £1.99. And you better pay up. Now."

"Geez, Ms. Rep, why you gotta be so uptight? I was going to pay for the cookie, along with my cup of espresso." He gave her a cheeky look. "Which, you should be getting me right about…now. And hold the milk; I like my coffee extra strong."

"I know something else you'd like strong too." Mara muttered darkly, pulling out a cardboard cup. "My foot up your arse."

"Did you say something?"

"Nothing!" She chirped, with false cheerfulness, slamming his coffee on the counter. "Here is you coffee. That'll be £5.99, sir."

"Wow, I even get a 'sir' this time." Eddie commented, digging in his back pocket. He shoved some bills out and tossed them on the counter. "You must really want me gone."

Mara picked up the crumpled bills and put them in her register. "I have no idea what you're talking about. Here's your change. Have a nice day."

Eddie smirked. "So that's how it's gonna be, eh miss rep? Heh, fine by me."

"Well, well, well. What do we have here?" Lucy asked, suddenly popping up besides Mara "Your friend, Mara?"

"Hardly," the younger girl responded dryly "just your typical rebel in the making."

"Ooooo!" Lucy clapped "A rebel, how exciting. You don't see much of them around anymore. Just some wishy-washy drug addicts."

"Did you just compare me to a drug addict?"

"And he has a cute American accent too!" She squealed "Mara, why didn't you tell me he was American?"

Mara blinked. "Because it never came up?" Where on earth was Lucy going with this?

Eddie cocked his head to the side in confusion. "You were talking about me?"

"What? No." She answered baffled. What was going on? "Why would I talk about you to my boss, of all people?"

"But I thought he was…" Lucy trailed off, giving her a pointed look.

Mara's eyes widened. "Him? What? No! He's not!"

"He's not?"

"I'm not?"

"He's not." Mara repeated firmly; shooting a look at Eddie's direction. How could Lucy possibly even think Eddie was Jerome? She was talking about? Granted, they both had a troublesome air about them, but still! Eddie? Please!

"Okkkk, then." Eddie between the two girls. "I seriously have no idea what I have just walked into, but I think I'll leave. Gotta head back before Sweet notices I'm gone." He gave
Lucy a once over "Nice shirt. Love the Beatles. One of the greatest bands in history." And then he was gone.

As soon as Eddie walked out the door, Lucy whirled at her. "How do you attract so many fit guys, Mara? Huh? Tell me! Is it your intellect? Looks? Hair? Charm? Do you know how many girls would be dying to get into your shoes?"

"Um, I don't know what you're talking about, Lucy." Mara answered, fixing her hat "I don't attract fit guys."

Lucy rolled her eyes. "Oh please, Mara. Fit boys are like bees to honey with you. You have four attractive boys fallen into your smarty web. Your ex-boyfriend, your current boyfriend, your soon-to-be-but-not-quite-there-trying boyfriend, and this American. Clearly you are doing something right in the world to have this much luck."

Mara's cheeks burned. "Thank you…I think?" She awkwardly muttered out "But Eddie is not someone who I have any interest in, romantic or otherwise. And I'm pretty sure he feels the exact same way."

"Uh, huh." Lucy's eyes twinkled mischievously "So you say now. But very soon you'll see he will fall for you. And then I can have gloating rights. Hehe"

Mara threw a straw at her head.

"So, how was work today?" Brandon's fingers were cool on her hand in the crisp night air "busy?"

Mara shrugged. "Not really. It was a Wednesday. Dead day."

"Ah, I see. So nothing interesting?"

"Well, actually something did happen. Eddie popped in for a quick snack."

Brandon's brows furrowed. "Eddie? Didn't he have a detention after school for cutting class with Mr. Sweet?"

"Yup, he sure did. I guess he was skipping." A cold gust of wind made her shiver, and Mara snuggled even more into her coat. May sure felt more like winter than the start of spring.

"You cold?" He asked , looping an arm around her shoulder and nestling her to his side . "I could have brought my car, you know."

Mara bit her bottom lip. How was she ever going to break up with him when he was always being so considerate 0of her. The guilt would be hard on her conscious. "No, I'm fine." She took a deep breath in. It was now or never. "Listen Brandon, I-"

"Wait, before you start, I have something to ask you." Brandon politely interrupted. "I've been meaning to ask you since the beginning of the week, but I kept getting caught by other things. So, Mara Jaffray, would you graciously accept a dinner invitation for this Friday with my family? My parents are eager to meet you and Asiling is bouncing off the walls, as usual."

She stared. "Dinner?"

"Yes."

"With your parents."

"Yes…"

"This Friday?"

"Yes..? Mara are you ok? You're acting very strange."

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine." She answered "And dinner would be gre-" No, she couldn't let this go on. It already had been for too long, and if she agreed to a dinner with his family…well, the web of lies would grow even bigger. "Actually, No. No Brandon I can't accept your dinner invitation for Friday."

Brandon stopped walking, jerking her to an abrupt stop as well. "Oh, are you busy on Friday?"

Mara shook her head and gently pulled away from him. "No, that's not why."

"Well, then you don't want to meet my parents? Or is it Asiling? I know she can be…a bit much."

She shook her head again and watched as realization dawned upon his features. It was like watching a car crash slowly happen. His face contorted into a slight shock that turned into confusion, and finally a blank mask of understanding.

"Oh." He said numbly. "I see."

"Brandon," Mara reached for him but he pulled away "I'm sorry."

"Don't." He said, backing up and shaking his head. "Just, don't Mara. It's hard enough getting dumped without explanation, but apologizing for doing it, makes me look even more pathetic." He sighed and ran his fingers through his hair.

"Just tell me one thing, Mara," Brandon asked, finally looking at her "why did you ever agree to go out with me? Did you even like me?"

"Of course I liked you." Mara protested "I never said I didn't-"

"You never said you did either." He added ruefully "But whatever, I'm used to it. I just didn't expect you to be one of those girls."

"Excuse me?" Mara blinked "What?"

"You know what." Brandon shrugged "After popularity. Dating for popularity."

"Dating for popularity…Are you insane? How can you even think I would-"

"Well what am I supposed to think, Mara?" He retorted back sharply. "When a girl I like suddenly want's to dump me without a reason or an explanation? Especially when, as I saw it, nothing was going wrong in our relationship!"

A gust of wind pulled angrily at her hair, but Mara's eyes were steely. "You didn't even give me a chance to properly explain it! And for your information, I was never after your "popularity". The only thing that got me was locker full of hate mail from your fan girls."

"Well-wait what? You were being harassed by other girls? Why didn't you tell me?"

Mara crossed her arms. "There was nothing to tell. But that's besides the point."

He took a step closer. "No it's not. Why didn't you tell me, Mara?"

"Because it wasn't such a big deal. All they did was write 'break up with him' or 'you're no good for him' or 'I hate you' and stuck it into my locker. No big deal."

Brandon just stated at her and she sighed. "Look, it wasn't and that is not the reason I'm breaking up with you. I-I think I like someone else and it wouldn't be fair to you if we when out while I liked someone else."

"Great, so this whole time you were with me, you thought about another guy. Thanks Mara, no really thank you." Brandon spat out.

"It wasn't like that. I just recently put two and two together and-"

"Broke up with me." He finished. "I know."

"So," Mara asked, as howl of wind blew in between the two "what happens now?"

"Nothing." Brandon shrugged "And everything. We go on with our lives, as usual."

She nodded. "As usual."

They stated at each other in silence until Brandon spoke up. "I guess I better be going. See you in school." With that, he swiftly turned around and started walking the way they came, smashing all of Mara's hopes that he was ok with their break up.

"You're home early." Patricia commented when Mara walked in through the front door "didn't stop to gaze at the trees today?"

"Oh step off it, Patricia." Joy commented "Can't you see she's not feeling well."

"Thanks Joy." Mara sluggish replied, stomping up the stairs "I'm glad someone in this house is observant." She froze in mid step and whirled to face the two best friends on the sofa. "Wait, what are you doing here Joy?"

"Oh, didn't I tell you, Mara?" Patricia smiled "Joy's living with us now. She's sharing our room."

"Oh." Mara answered "Well, that's…nice."

"Isn't it? Finally things can go back to normal. By the way, did Brandon walk you home?" Patricia inquired, flicking a popcorn in the air and catching it with her mouth.

Mara swallowed. "Not…exactly."

"What do you mean?" Joy asked, elbowing Patricia for munching too loudly "Did you walk by yourself?"

"Yes and no."

"Did he walk you half way?"

She nodded, and before Joy could further question her on what happen, she was saved by a very angry looking Amber walking into the living room; followed by a very weary looking Alfie.

"Amber, I told you, I don't fancy Volietta Kingsly!"

"Well why else would you be flirting with that bottle blonde right in front of me!"

"I wasn't! She asked for our math notes."

Amber whirled at him. "And since when do you take notes, Alfie Lewis?"

"I don't!"

"Exactly!"

"Wow," Joy murmured, watching the fighting couple "I guess no perfect couples exist, huh? Thank god you and Brandon aren't like that."

"Yeah." Mara stuttered out. She felt like she was going to be sick. The guilt of her break up with Brandon was gnawing on her conscious. "I think I'm going to go."

And like always, as soon as she turned to go, she bumped into the one person she didn't want to see. She squeaked as she felt herself stumble back, and would have, if it weren't for Jerome's strong grip on her arm. The touch sent a pleasant shiver up her spine.

"Are you ok?" Jerome's voice brought her back. "Mara? You don't look too well."

"I'm fine!" She snapped, breaking out of his grasp "Just leave me alone." And Jerome, for once, did as he was told.

Mara watched in shock as he stepped out of her way. "Then go. I won't stop you."

She stared. Had he..? Really…? Listened to her? What? What the heck was going on? Unless…he was fulfilling last night's promise to change. But then why was she feeling a bit…dejected? Did she honestly miss the sarcastic, nosey Jerome, who would follow her around until he found out what was wrong with her? The absurdity of it all!

"Well?" He asked, bring Mara back to their current predicament "Aren't you going to go?"

And just like that, Mara felt her anger flare up. "I am." She growled, purposely shoving past him and stomping up the stairs.

As soon as she got to her room, Mara shut the door and threw herself on her bed. She wasn't mad, she was furious! How dare he! How dare he, for once when she wanted him to ask, he didn't! And to think, he claimed to 'love' her'. Outrageous!

Mara took a deep breath in and slowly let it out. Ok, so maybe she was over reacting. Didn't she want this, for Jerome to leave her alone? But then why did it bother her so much that he didn't even try to find out what was wrong with her? And really, why was she overreacting so much over this anyway? Maybe it was the semi bad break up with Brandon that had her mood going haywire. She never was really good with boys.

Mara sighed once more and pulled out her cell phone. There was only one person who could understand and help her with her boy problems, who always had. Slowly, she dialed the number in and held the phone up to her ear.

It rang twice. On the third ring the person answered. Mara let out an exasperated breath and smiled.

"Hello? Sara? It's me. I got another boy problem…"

Hope you like it. Please review and I will post more chapters up. Thank You