Later that week Stephanie hadn't seen much of Paul or Shane, they had found an apartment and had been moving their stuff in. Stephanie also hadn't seen or heard from Melanie either which was a relief. Now she was sitting outside of a restaurant with her best friend Allie from high school that she decided to catch up with.

"I can't believe that skank" Allie said talking about Melanie.

"She would never tell me why she was there either. I tried multiple times but she ignored me"

"Just let me know if she keeps giving you problems and I'll kick her ass" Allie replied tossing her blonde hair over her shoulder.

"I wish I would've called you sooner" Stephanie chuckled at Allie's response.

"I've hated that girl for the longest time after she did all that shit to you"

"Yeah I know. I'm so grateful to have you" Stephanie smiled at her.

"Let's not get all mushy, I love you too though"

"I really hope I don't see her again but after she found out that I liked Paul she acted like she was on a mission to get him"

"If that man has any brain cells whatsoever he won't fall for it"

"I hope you're right. I just don't even know if he likes me"

"I think he likes you from what you have said but you should be careful cause he may just be looking for a hook up"

"That's what I'm afraid of. Enough about me, how are things with you?" Stephanie asked after taking a drink of her lemonade.

"Daniel proposed to me" Allie replied with a shrug. Daniel and Allie had been dating since senior year of high school, Stephanie could tell Allie loved him but she wasn't much on expressing feelings well, except for anger it seemed.

"Why aren't you happy about it?"

"I didn't say yes. I told him I needed to think about it"

"Do you not want to get married to him?"

"I have no idea. I just feel like we're too young and for the last couple of months all we have been doing is fighting. He's been annoying me so much that I'm not sure if we will even last"

"You two seemed to be doing so good when we talked last"

"We were and then he started hating my new waitress job because guys flirt with me. I told him that he has nothing to worry about but he's such a jealous guy"

"Hopefully you two can work it out but first Allie you really need to express how you feel to him"

"I'm going to talk to him soon but I'm not sure how it's going to turn out"

"You know I'll be here for you"

"I know" Allie replied with a smile. "Isn't that your man over there?" Allie pointed as Stephanie looked to find Paul a couple of blocks down. He was coming out of a building holding a white bag.

"Yeah that's him"

"He's just a yummy in person as in the pictures you showed me"

"Allie!"

"Don't worry I'm not Melanie. You know I would never try anything with him but he's still nice to look at" Stephanie laughed turning back around to Allie but her dark brown eyes were still focused on Paul. Stephanie tried snapping her fingers in front of her face when Allie's jaw dropped.

"Okay you can stop now" Stephanie said but Allie's face suddenly had a look of pure anger. Stephanie turned back around to see what had caused the sudden change when her eyes landed on Melanie. It looked like she was twirling a strand of her hair which was a dead give away that she was flirting with him, of course.

"I'm going to kick her ass" Allie said in a harsh tone.

"Allie relax. I hate her too but you can't go to jail over her" Stephanie replied still watching them as she heard Allie sigh frustrated.

"I don't get what guys see in her, yeah she's pretty but her personality is shit"

"Does it look like Paul is flirting with her?" Stephanie asked turning her head to look back at Allie.

"It's hard to tell but he is smiling at her now" Allie replied as Stephanie jerked her head back in their direction feeling her heart drop to her stomach at the sight. The last time Melanie had tried talking to Paul he seemed like he wanted to be anywhere but near her and now he was talking and smiling at her. Stephanie watched as Melanie waved at him and walked away.

"I don't understand what just happened" Stephanie said turning back around to face Allie.

"I don't know either but hopefully it's not as bad as we are thinking"

"Anything that has to do with Melanie is bad"

"I can't argue with you there"

"How can I compete with her when Paul has seen me as nothing more than Shane's little sister for years?"

"You are way better than her. I'm not just saying because you're my best friend and if Paul can't see that he's an idiot and you deserve better"

"I think that is the sweetest thing I've ever heard come out of your mouth"

"It's true but don't expect me to go around being all mushy now"

"I don't think that would ever happen" Stephanie laughed while Allie rolled her eyes then started laughing too.

After awhile of talking, Stephanie and Allie said their goodbyes and Stephanie headed home. Paul and Melanie was still on her mind which had soured her mood but she had tried not to let it get in the way of her and Allie hanging out. But now that she was alone her mood had quickly flipped again. Stephanie was laying on her bed with music blasting in her ears trying to put herself in a better mood when she saw her bedroom door slowly opening. She paused the music on her phone and took her headphones out as Paul appeared in her door way.

"Hey" Paul greeted her with a smile.

"Hey"

"So why are you hiding up here?"

"Just relaxing and listening to music"

"Well I wanted to invite you to this thing me and Shane are having at our new apartment tonight" Paul said coming over and sitting on the bed beside of her.

"A thing?" Stephanie asked confused at what he meant.

"Well it's not really a party but we are having a couple of our closest friends over to hang out since we moved back in town and haven't seen anyone in awhile"

"Oh so you guys have everything moved in?" Stephanie asked feeling disappointed she wouldn't see him as much as she did now.

"Yeah we will be staying there starting tonight. So do you want to come?"

"I guess" Stephanie said and couldn't help but smile.

"I've been so busy I feel like I haven't seen you around much" Paul said stretching out beside of her.

"We really haven't seen each other" Stephanie replied rolling on her side facing him.

"I still feel bad about movie night Steph-" Stephanie covered his mouth with her hand cutting him off as she shook her head.

"We've already discussed this Paul, there's nothing to left to say about it" Stephanie replied removing her hand from his mouth.

"I just want you to know that I value our friendship and I don't want to ever lose that" Paul said making Stephanie feel happy and sad at the same time. She was happy he cared about her that much but sad that it was in a friend way.

"Thanks Paul but we are good, okay?"

"Okay" Paul replied putting his arms behind his head propping himself up a little.

"Steph-" Stephanie heard her mother's voice as Linda appeared in the doorway. "Oh I'm sorry I didn't know you two were in here talking"

"It's fine mom" Stephanie said sitting up in her bed.

"I wanted to know if you wanted to join your father and I for dinner tonight"

"Actually I was going to go to Shane and Paul's and hang out with them"

"Well can't you do that after dinner?" Linda asked as Stephanie looked at Paul for an answer but he just shrugged.

"I guess I'll go to dinner with you and daddy if you can drop me off at Paul and Shane's after"

"We can do that. We will be leaving here at seven. I'll leave you two alone now" Linda said with a smile.

"Thanks for helping" Stephanie said looking over at Paul.

"What was I supposed to say?"

"You could of made up something"

"Why didn't you?"

"She would of known I was lying"

"You're right, you suck at lying" Paul laughed as Stephanie playfully smacked him on the chest. Then she laid her head on his chest as she stretched back out on the bed. She felt him shift underneath her for a moment before she felt his hand rest on the small of her back.

"What time does this thing start at your place?"

"About six but it's probably going to last awhile. You won't miss much"

"Steph?"

"Yeah"

"You know earlier what I said about our friendship-"

"Paul-"

"Will you let me finish?"

"Paul" Stephanie heard Shane call from downstairs.

"What is up with the interruptions" Stephanie heard Paul mutter as she seen Shane entering her room.

"What are you two doing?" Shane asked with a disapproving look.

"Just laying here talking, what do you need?" Paul asked looking at him.

"I was coming to tell you we need to go pick up some stuff for tonight"

"Okay give me a minute"

"We need to get going now" Shane replied as Paul sighed.

"I guess I'll talk to you later tonight then Steph" Paul said as Stephanie rolled off of his chest so he could get up.

"Okay I'll see you later" Stephanie replied as Shane shook his head at her annoyed. She really had no idea what his problem was but he needed to back off.

Stephanie watched them leave her room wondering what Paul was going to say to her as she got up from the bed and closed her door. Hopefully she would find out later but for now she had to start getting ready for dinner with her parents.


Later that evening Stephanie was sitting with her parents at dinner just listening to Vince and Linda talk. She wasn't sure why her mom even wanted her to come. They had barely said anything to her.

"Stephanie whats wrong? You've hardly ate any of your food" Linda said while Stephanie just shrugged.

"I ate a little earlier with Allie today so I'm not very hungry"

"How is Allie? I haven't seen her in a long time"

"She's good"

"Maybe you should invite Melanie with you guys the next time" Linda replied as Stephanie rolled her eyes.

"Mom, Allie can't stand Melanie either so I'm not sure that would be a good idea"

"What happened between you guys? You used to go everywhere together"

"That was a long time ago when Melanie actually used to be human" Stephanie replied as Linda gave her a disapproving look.

"That is not a nice Stephanie. Melanie is a great girl, you should give her a chance. She really wants to be friends again"

"So Stephanie what do you plan to do for the year?" Vince asked changing the subject. Stephanie was so thankful Vince had changed the subject.

"I was actually thinking of applying for a part time job to keep myself occupied and so I could support myself"

"I think that is great idea" Vince replied nodding his head.

"Tamara" Linda said smiling as Stephanie turned around to see Melanie's mother and father walking towards them. Stephanie now understood why her mother wanted her to come along.

"Hi Linda, Vince and Stephanie" Tamara said coming over to their table.

"Where is Melanie?" Linda asked as Stephanie looked behind them feeling relieved she didn't see her.

"She said she made another commitment and couldn't make it"

"That's too bad isn't it Stephanie?"

"Yeah real bummer" Stephanie replied with the nicest smile she could manage. For the rest of the dinner Stephanie kept quiet and off into her own little world while her parents ignored her. Next time she was making sure she didn't end up in something like this again. She had no idea what was up with her family putting their nose in her business but she was growing tired of it fast.

"Stephanie" Vince said snapping her out of her thoughts.

"Sorry dad"

"Why don't you take the car and go on"

"What about you and mom?"

"We will get a cab. Your mother was counting on Melanie to be here and she isn't. I know you must be bored, I told your mother this wasn't a good idea" Stephanie couldn't help but smile, at least she had someone on her side.

"Thanks dad" Stephanie replied taking the car keys from her dad.

"Where are you going?" Linda asked as Stephanie stood up from her chair.

"I told her she could leave"

"But-"

"Linda, just let her go"

"Thanks daddy" Stephanie said giving him a kiss on the cheek. She then turned and left the restaurant not wasting another minute for her mother to try and convince her to stay.

Stephanie climbed into the car and started her way to Shane and Paul's apartment. It took her about fifteen minutes to get there. Once she had parked she got out and made her way into the building and to the elevator pressing the number of their floor. After she the elevator reached its destination she walked down the hall and knocked on the door. It only took a couple of seconds before it was opened. Stephanie was expecting Shane or Paul to answer but instead it was some tall guy with dark hair and blue eye and he reeked of alcohol.

"Well hello" he said eyeing her up and down.

"Is Shane or Paul here?" Stephanie asked feeling uncomfortable in his presence.

"Yeah"

"Well can I get through"

"For a price" he slurred with a mischievous grin.

"And that would be?" Stephanie asked rolling her eyes annoyed.

"Show me your boobs" he replied as Stephanie narrowed her eyes at him seriously thinking about kicking him between the legs.

"Dan that's my sister! Move your ass" Shane said coming up behind him.

"Oh sorry I didn't know. Wow Stephanie you look really different" Dan said still eyeing her as Stephanie pushed past him into the apartment.

"That's it you're cut off from drinking" Stephanie heard Shane tell Dan as she moved away from him as far as she could get.

As Stephanie got farther into the apartment she finally seen Paul standing in the kitchen. It looked like he was laughing at something when the blonde in front of him caught her attention. The blonde didn't even have to turn around for her to know it was Melanie, Stephanie felt her blood boil. How dare he invite the one person she hated most. Stephanie turned away from them spotting Shane again.

"Shane" Stephanie called making her way towards him.

"What?"

"What is Melanie doing here?" Stephanie asked as Shane rolled his eyes at her name.

"Paul invited her when he seen her out today"

"But..why?"

"I don't know, he's probably hoping to get lucky" Shane said shrugging his shoulders "So I have to run out real quick will you be okay?"

"Yeah I'll be fine" Stephanie replied feeling hurt over Paul and Melanie.

"Just stay away from Dan" Shane said as he grabbed his car keys. Stephanie nodded her head and made her way over to the couch to sit down but before she made it she heard a voice behind her.

"Hey, Stephanie right?" Stephanie turned around to see a blonde haired guy.

"Yeah"

"I'm Zach. I don't know if you remember me" he said as she stared at him trying to remember him.

"I used to hang out with Shane and Paul and I remember you being with them a lot"

"Yeah I remember, I'm sorry it's been a long time" Stephanie smiled at him thankful to see a familiar face.

"It's okay. You look different" Zach replied but not in the creepy way that Dan had earlier.

"You do too"

"So can I get you a beer?" Zach asked as Stephanie looked back to the kitchen to see Paul still talking with Melanie.

"I would love one" She would definitely need one to keep her from scratching Melanie's eyes out.

"I'll be right back" Zach replied as Stephanie found a spot on the couch and sat down. It didn't even seem like it had been a minute when Zach returned.

"Thanks" Stephanie said taking the beer from him.

"No problem. So what brings you here tonight?" He asked sitting down beside of her.

"Paul invited me but he seems occupied"

"Oh with the blonde"

"Yeah" Stephanie replied taking a drink.

"She's been here for almost an hour and I couldn't stand listening to her anymore"

"She can get on your nerves"

"Do you know her?"

"Yeah and I can't stand her" Stephanie replied as Zach nodded his head in agreement.

"I don't know her like you do but I want to stay away from her. I can't stand girls that act the way she has been acting tonight"

"Then we have something in common" Stephanie replied smiling at him.

"You seem really cool Steph"

"Thanks, you too. The first guy I met when I got here was a major creep"

"I'm going to guess Dan" Zach replied taking a drink of his beer.

"How did you know?"

"He's always like that when he gets drunk. I told Shane not to invite him"

"My brother should of listened to you" Stephanie replied sitting her drink down on the table beside of her.

"I bet he will next time" Zach replied with a chuckle.

"You seem so different from the last time I seen you. I remember you being more the life of the party, with a drink in your hand at all times drunk off your ass"

"I had to get more serious with my life after my dad passed"

"Oh I'm so sorry"

"It was a couple of years ago but it made me pull myself together to be there for my mom and little sister"

"Wow" Stephanie replied not knowing what else to say at the moment.

"Anyway how has your life been since I seen you last?"

"It's been good. I was in college but I decided to take a breather"

"How did your family react considering with what happened with Shane?"

"They were pretty cool with it actually" Stephanie replied as a cellphone started ringing.

"That's me, I've got to take this" Zach said getting up from the couch and heading out the door probably to get away from the noise. Stephanie sighed looking back to the kitchen but she couldn't see Paul but she saw Dan start heading her way so she got up quickly and headed for Shane's bedroom. She didn't want anything to do with Dan, plus she just needed away from everyone for a moment.

Stephanie closed the bedroom door hoping Dan wouldn't come back here. She sat down on the bed and just stared at the blank wall in front of her. She felt miserable, yeah Zach was a really nice guy but he wasn't the one she was here for. She just was giving up hope on whatever she wanted with Paul. It seemed like he didn't want the same thing and she wasn't going to waste her time again pining away on him. Stephanie thoughts were interrupted as she heard the doorknob turn and the door creak from starting to open. Her heart felt like it was in her throat, she was afraid it was Dan and she was here alone. She felt herself relax as she seen it was Paul. He came in and closed the door behind him.

"Hey what are you doing in here?" He asked coming closer to her.

"I came to Shane's room to try and escape creepy Dan"

"Well you're in the wrong room" Paul chuckled leaning on the dresser in front of Stephanie.

"Oh this is your room. I didn't know"

"It's okay. I don't care. So what did Dan do?" Paul asked crossing his arms against his chest.

"When I got here he told me I needed to pay a price to get through and told me the price was showing him my boobs"

"What?" Paul asked looking pissed off.

"I didn't do it but Shane told me to stay away from him so here I am" Stephanie shrugged looking down at her hands in her lap.

"Remind me to kick his ass later"

"You don't need to do that Paul. I'm a big girl, I can handle him as long as he doesn't try to force himself on me"

"That will never happen, I will make sure of it"

"I appreciate it Paul. You're a great friend" Stephanie said giving him a weak smile.

"So what were you and Zach talking about?" Stephanie was surprised he had even seen her and Zach.

"We were just talking about life. Why?"

"He just looked like he was flirting with you and I was curious"

"Sounds like someone is jealous" Stephanie joked but Paul just stood there staring at her. She wondered if she went to far in saying that.

"Steph I need to know if you still have feelings for me" Paul said as Stephanie shut her eyes. She did not want to have this conversation again. It felt like that night all over again but what was she supposed to do? She could feel her heart beating against her chest fast, trying to brace herself for what she knew was about to come.

"Why does it matter?" Stephanie asked quietly opening her eyes and looking down at the floor.

"It matters to me. I need to know" Paul replied softly.

"Yeah I do Paul but don't worry it won't ruin our friendship" Stephanie replied looking at him before shutting her eyes to try not to cry when suddenly she felt his lips on hers. She was stunned for a moment before returning his kiss and putting her arms around his neck pulling him closer to her.