A/N– Ahhhhh. Here's to Spring Break. Today is Monday(at least when I started, for all I know its Thursday by now...UPDATE: actually Wednesday. Sooner than I thought) and Spring Break starts Friday, and I have no clue if Ill update this week again, and I definitely wont over break. So here yah go,

Disclaimer: This story is loosely based on characters, and events made and owned by Lauren Brooke. But I own the characters, and events in which did not appear in the books, so please don't copy:)

Chapter 4

I drove silently eastward towards Jefferson High. I had the music on low and was staring blankly at the road, only half registering what I was doing. My mind was wandering towards thoughts I didn't want to think. Ty was going to work at Heartland, and I didn't know how I could deal with that.

Ty did things to me that I resented, but yet loved. I resented them because in truth he wasn't a very nice person, but the things he did...

He smiled, yet not at me, beautifully. The whole room lit up if he flashed that brilliant smile, and it made my body relax. He had hair that relentlessly fell over his brow, and although he was used to it, when frustrated or hot he would brush it back with one hand. For some reason this movement made me swoon. Also when confused or laughing his nose crinkled, only slightly, not noticeable to those who don't look closely, but crinkly all the same.

Ty affected me. That's all there was to it. And I hated myself for it. Sure he was gorgeous, and totally my type, except for his attitude. I figured it was mainly about me. Around all his friends he was picture perfect. Laughing, smiling, being polite. But around those he didn't like or me, and a lot of the time teachers, he was what my mother used to call an "A-hole." No swear words from my mother. Oh no.

So as I drove to school I contemplated what would be the odds of Lou letting me fire Ty if I told her how he'd been treating me. Probably 1 out of a million. Shed tell me to deal with it because he was the best for the job, and in the long run maybe we'd become friends. Yeah right. Gag me with a spoon.

I pulled into the school parking lot about 5 minutes later and parked in my usual spot. I hopped out of the car and reached in to grab my backpack and purse. I swung both over my shoulder and walked towards the school. I scuffled my feet across the sidewalk as I walked towards the doors. When I opened them a burst of heat hit me and I breathed heavily through it. I walked through the crowds of people making out, laughing, walking, stopping in the middle of the hall, and also a fight going on in A lobby. I stopped to watch for a second, saw it was freshman, and left. I meandered over to my locker and opened it. I stared at a picture that adorned my locker door. In it I was sitting on the paddock fence laughing with my head held back slightly, my hair blowing in the breeze. Next to me was Soraya who was also sitting, one leg on the next rung on the fence, the other flung out in front of her as she leaned back on the fence, her smile flashing in the sunlight. And in-between us, holding Soraya's leg so she didn't fall, and resting a hand lightly on my leg also, incase I decided to copy Soraya, was Matt. His face also held a bright smile, but his eyes were trained on me and Soraya as we tilted off of the fence. I sighed. Life was getting so much more complicated now.

I slammed my locker in frustration and headed towards home room, ignoring Ty as he smirked at me from across the room.

Lunch

Soraya, Matt, and I sat at our usual round table that was off to the edge of the garden. Next to us, in their usual spot, were Jake, Aaron, Ty, and all their friends. I sat eating a sandwich when I heard Jake shout at me,

"Hey Amy!" I turned my head and looked at him, raising my eyebrows in question, "I heard Ty's working for you now. We all made a bet on who would go crazy and kill the other first, you or him. I bet on him. Help me win, ok hun?"

I glanced at Ty to see how he was taking to this, he was smiling along with Jake, and that made up my mind. I stood and walked over to stand behind Ty, "Sure Jake," I leaned down to whisper into Ty's ear, my lips brushing against his lobe, I felt him shiver, "Game on." As I walked away I heard some low wolf calls as Ty stood up to follow me.

"What do you want?" I asked as soon as I felt him near me.

"I uh...well I though I had...but I don't...so..." he obviously was kicking himself for doing whatever he had to do, I smiled, "I need a ride to work."

I stared at him in disbelief. He wanted a ride------from me. Oh this was good, "Mmm I don't think that fits into my schedule, let me think," I closed my eyes for only a second, "Nope. Sorry." I kept a straight face the whole time, and as I walked away from his stunned face I finally broke out in a smile.

End of School

I slipped into the chilly seat that awaited me. I quickly turned my car on and blasted the heat, the temperature had really dropped since that morning. I looked back over my shoulder, sighing as I realized there was a line of cars blocking my hopeful quick exit. I settled into my seat, waiting for someone to remember their common courtesy as I once in a while backed out the slightest bit, hoping to nudge my way in. I was nudging back the slightest bit for the 3rd time when there was a tapping on the window. My heart leapt into my throat as I stifled a scream. My hand flew to my chest as the calm rhythmic beating of my heart turned rapid. I glanced out the passenger side window and saw Ty. I pressed the window button and it whirred downward,

"Yes?" I asked, still breathing quite heavily.

"Can you unlock the door?" he said glancing at the lock, that wasn't within reach of his arm and the amount of space id given him through the window.

"No."

"What?"

"I said no, I will not unlock the door," he stared at me in surprise,

"Why?"

"I told you I wasn't giving you a ride," I stated calmly and slowly, as if talking to a child.

"Well then how am I supposed to get there?" his face was starting to get angry—but I was used to that by now.

I shrugged, "Walk," it was then I noticed that the long line of cars had dwindled down, and someone had seen me trying to get out, and was now waiting for me. I reversed smoothly out of the parking spot and sped away from the glaring Ty.

An hour later: Heartland

I walked out of the front barn with a grooming kit under my arm and a broken lead rope over my shoulder. I walked towards the tack room, setting the grooming kit on a trunk and the lead rope in the garbage. As I was walking towards the house to get something to drink I spotted him. In the distance, about a quarter of a mile from the beginning of my long driveway, was Ty. He was walking with his back pack slung over one shoulder and his body leaning to one side in what looked to be a limp.

My mouth dropped open in shock. I had figured he'd call his parents for a ride or find someone to give him one. When I had suggested he walked I was only kidding. But there he was, walking in the cold. School was miles from Heartland, and he had walked, and now he had to work—ouch.

I sighed, giving in to my guilt and walked towards my car. I saw that Ty was walking sluggishly and barely at all. He must be tired because he had only gotten about 5 feet closer to my driveway when I pulled up to him,

"Get in," I said softly, for I had seen him up close, and it wasn't pretty. His brow was sweating profusely, even through this chilly weather, and his eyes showed how he was holding up. He had pure determination written on his face, but his eyes held fatigue and pain— it looked as though he may have pulled a muscle or two carrying what looked to be a 50 pound bag. Damn myself for making him walk.

As my mother used to say, "Two wrongs don't make a right", and at this moment I found out why. Ty may have been horrible to me, and made me feel ugly and unwanted, but I shouldn't do the same to him. I should be the bigger person and not hold it against him, not make him suffer for making me suffer. And that wasn't like me. If it had been Jake or Aaron or even Matt I would have let him walk the rest of the way, torturing them for what they'd done. But with Ty he made me feel guilty, for everything. Like what he did to me was my fault, and why in the hell should I make him suffer for what was my doing. I knew that wasn't the case, I knew it wasn't my fault, but I also knew I couldn't help the way I felt. And that was horrible.

Ty glanced up at me as all this ran through my head. He hadn't even noticed my car pull up—he was in bad shape, and not physically. He had his button up shirt undone over a white wife beater which stretched tautly across his wonderfully muscled chest, and his arm strained against his book bag, showing off his biceps. No, not physically, except maybe a muscle in his leg, that could have caused the slight limp. No he was in bad shape mentally. He had been thinking when id pulled up, that was easily seen, but thinking about what? He had been deep in thought, so it had to be something important. What does an 18 year old guy think about as he walks over 8 miles to work?

Never mind, don't answer that.

When he looked at me he made me feel all the worse. He registered who I was and what I was doing and simply shook his head, "No."

My mouth literally dropped open, I shut it as soon as I noticed, "What do you mean? Come on, get in. Ill take you the rest of the way," he merrily shook his head again. This time more firmly.

"Why not?" I whined, feeling quite horrible and wanting to make it up somehow.

"Because I deserve it," I narrowed my eyes,

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that I was a bastard, an asshole, a jerk, and any other word in the book. And I was all of them to you, which is unforgivable. But if I do this, maybe Ill have a chance, or at least somewhat forgive myself," he turned his eyes away from mine in what I thought was shame.

"And why is it that you just realized all of this?" I was inching the car forward to match his pace.

"Well I've had a few minutes to think it over," he said sarcastically, then turned to me with an apologetic look, seeing me flinch, "Sorry, reflex. Anyways I've had some time and I realized that at the gas station," he stopped and turned, I pressed the brakes quickly

He searched my face for a moment, "At the gas station my family and I were on our way here. We came from New York, and truthfully I didn't want to leave, not at all. So on the way here me and my dad got into a huge fight and when the gas gauge pinged we had to pull over and I decided to get away for a few minutes. I didn't have any money so I just decided to read, at least the magazines I read weren't changed. Anyways, every time the door jingled I looked up, fearing when it would be my dad, and that would mean we weren't far from our new 'home'. Then," he paused and looked me straight in the eyes, "I heard the door for what had to be the fifth time and I looked up, not seeing my dad I looked back down, but I registered what I saw and looked back up again. I saw a beautiful girl with long spirally hair that shined and swirled magnificently. I was paralyzed as I looked at her," I realized he was talking about me and my heart stopped, he smiled as he saw I understood, "I finally pulled my eyes from you when I saw that you were looking around the store, and I didn't want you to see that I was staring at you. So I sat there, reading the same line over and over again, waiting for when it would be safe to look again. Finally I did, and I was surprised to see that you were looking at me. I meant to look away but I couldn't, and then you did. But still I couldn't keep my eyes off of you. And when we bumped into each other on the way out of the store I swore it was fate. I was meant to know your name,"

He stopped his speech as I laughed slightly, remembering my sarcasm from earlier as I thought about what this speech could mean, friends, and I'd thought 'Gag me with a spoon' , "Sorry, keep going,"

"Well as I walked towards my car I couldn't help but wink at you, and then I left. I thought about you for a long time, all the way here in fact. But I stopped when me and my parents got into another fight. One that topped all fights. I ended up taking my car, which had been here for 3 days before we got here, and left. I stayed in a motel that night somewhere outside of Jefferson. I came to my senses in the morning and went home, but ever since me and my parents haven't been talking. I guess im just bitter and I took it out on you, the one thing that actually excited me for the first time since I found out I was moving here. Maybe I resented the fact that anything could excite me when I wanted to be mad. I don't know, but I did. And then I met Jake and Aaron and they seemed cool, they actually reminded me of my friends from home, and so I was nice to them, not wanting to be a loner,"

He was done, "Wow,"

He smiled slightly, "Yeah, sorry. When I tell a story, I really tell a story." I nodded.

"Well, um, can I give you a ride now?"

"Do you forgive me?"

"I guess," did I mention I hate myself? Im such a god damn softy.

"Good," and with that he kept walking,

"What now!" I groaned,

"I haven't forgiven myself----and I still have some things to think over,"

"Fine, suit yourself," and I drove home, my head spinning from all the new information.

A/N– I know, realllllly short. But I needed to post, and I cant type tomorrow, and I should be doing an essay on Death Of a Salesman right now, so be happy I posted at all. Otherwise you wouldn't have had an update till April...24th, 25th...around there. So, here you go, hoped you liked it, and all look forward to the next chapter, which includes:

CAUTION: DON'T READ IF YOU DON'T WISH TO KNOW WHAT WILL HAPPEN IN THE NEXT CHAPTER

Now then,

Amy and Ty start off working together...and it doesnt go too well

Ty has a fight with his parents that causes some problems coughleavescough

And here's a teaser:

"Why cant you look at me?" Ty's voice sounded hurt,

"I do look at you," I answered, startled,

"Not in the eye you don't. Why not?"

I thought that question over, swishing it through my head until I finally found the answer, the one I'd been trying to stifle, the reason my eyes dropped from his when I dared look at him, "You slept with Ashley,"

I instantly saw his face fall, guilt written all over it, "Oh,"

So he had. He'd gone all the way, they hadn't stopped. I turned and walked away, tears prickling the back of my eyes, jerking my arm away as Ty's hand settled around it.