"Here," Mariah said, holding out a bowl. Steam rose from the pasta and wafted through the air, carrying the scent of chicken and pesto, drawing him closer. "Take a break,"

Ray sent his books down, eagerly reaching for the dish. "Thanks." He twirled the fork around, gathering a mouthful, "Mhmm,"

"Don't choke," Mariah warned. She crossed the room and crawled on her bed, balancing her bowl with ease. She sat crossed legged, facing him. She took her own big bite. "Mmm-mm! So good," she said, her cheeks stuffed full.

"Don't choke!"

He laughed as she rolled her eyes. Ray didn't know what to expect when he suggested they move their study location. All he knew was that he wanted to make things easier on Mariah. Every time there was an attempt to progress their relationship past tutor and student or simply classmates, something went wrong. He crossed a line or a fight broke out, or some other event that made him feel they were taking two steps back.

Walking in, he was once again surprised by the homey feeling. Life burst from every corner of the home, unlike his house which felt sterile by comparison. Seeing her dad standing at the stove, smiling as they came in, created a feeling of comfort and suddenly he understood why Mariah spoke of them the way she did.

"So," he started around another mouthful, "how are things going with Julia and Mariam?"

She looked at him with wide eyes, before taking another bite. "Fine. I guess," she mumbled.

Ray nodded, expecting he'd hit a wall there, but before he could move on, she continued.

"Actually, no. Julia's all bent out of shape all because I told Tala that he couldn't flirt with Hilary,"

"Tala was...flirting with Hilary?"

"And it's like, I did that for her. Because if she found out that Tala was going after another girl, she'd get upset. And if she found out that girl was one of my new friends, then she'd have nowhere to send that hate because she'll never hate him as much as she says she does."

"You consider Hilary a friend?" He was happy to hear her say that. It meant that she possibly considered him to be her friend.

"So, what does she have to be mad about? My looking out for her? Constantly taking her side even when she's the one who causes her own problems?"

Ray waited for her silence to carry for a moment. She sat, twisting her fork but not eating.

"May I offer an outsider's opinion?"

Her golden eyes narrowed as they focused on him, but she nodded for him to continue.

"Do you remember when you taught me about triangles?"

"Yeah,"

"Well, some triangles were like normal triangles, right? And some had sides that were different sizes. Sometimes you have to figure out the length of a leg or the angle, but what always stays the same is that there are three sides."

"Okay?"

"I'm saying you're like those triangles. Sometimes the angles change and sometimes it's the legs, but there's always three points that connect. That's what makes it a triangle. Things may change with Julia. Doesn't change that's part of your triangle."

Mariah stared at him. "I taught you that?"

"No," Ray drew out, chuckling. "You taught me about triangles. It's was actually my friendship with Ty and Hil that taught me about...well, friendship."

"Hmm," she went back to her bowl, "you may not be a dumb as I thought,"

"Gee, thanks,"

They lapse into silence except for the forks scraping the side of their bowls. Mariah still looked pensive and Ray got the impression she wasn't done talking about it.

"What's the deal with them anyway?" he asked.

"Who?"

"Julia and Tala – that's the redhead, right?"

Mariah nodded. "Yeah. They've been dating since we were fourteen and Tala was fifteen and all her firsts are with him, so no matter how much they fight, she'll always go back."

"Are they a bad match?"

"They," Mariah took a deep breath, thinking about her answer. "They love each other. They fight, they push hard against each other, but I don't think I've ever seen another relationship there's. For people our age, of course."

Ray sat his empty bowl on the desk. "They're that serious?"

"Yeah. I think if they could ever get over themselves and actually talk instead of fight, they could last, but they just," she paused again, struggling. "They set something off in each other."

"Wow," he muttered. "I think it's amazing that they can have those feelings for someone so young,"

"Why? You think those feelings just come out of nowhere when we become adults?"

Ray shook his head. "Not at all. I just can't imagine feeling that way about anyone right now,"

"I think it comes at a different time for each of us. If it comes at all,"

"What about you?"

Mariah blinked. "Me?"

"Yeah, have you ever felt that way about...someone? Or can you imagine possibly...for the right person?"

Ray felt like a fool allowing the sloppy words to fall flat between them. He tried to distinguish what her thoughts were by the expression as her feelings flitted across her face.

"I could if I had the time, but it's not something I've allowed for myself. I've got too much to do."

"So, you've never...like, had a boyfriend or anything?"

A slow smirk slid across her face. "Ray, you're blushing,"

He wanted to backtrack, advert his gaze, and change the subject. But there was a push to hold steady. A voice inside said she'd never respect him if he bowed under the pressure. And he was never one to bow under pressure. His gaze held strong.

Mariah's smirk faded into a small grin and she shook her head in answer. "What about you?"

Relieved to have past her test, he replied, "Nope. No one special to speak of,"

She set her bowl on the ground before her, laughing. "I find that hard to believe,"

"What? Why?"

"You're, well, you," she gestured wilding in his direction.

Ray shook his head, no clue what she was going on about. It wasn't like he had people throwing themselves at his feet. Sure, there was the occasional confession or note, but that was just high school. Everyone had a crush at some point and he could only be flattered that he was the object of someone's affection, even if the feelings weren't mutual.

She rolled her eyes. "You really have no clue the way people react to you?"

"I'm friendly," he reasoned, humored by the accusation. "So, they act friendly in return."

"Look, I'm telling you right now, that your motive for being friendly and their motive are totally different. That's probably one rumor you don't know about,"

"What do you mean?"

"Do you know why it's such a big deal to them that we're dating?"

Ray hadn't thought to consider it. He'd gotten a call from Miguel who'd heard from Mathilda who'd been called by multiple people for confirmation, asking if it were true. Then when he got to school to wait for Mariah so that he could prepare her, he'd overheard two girls talking.

"She's probably just using him to make herself look better," one said.

The other agreed, "It can't be serious,"

They stopped talking when they saw him, avoiding his stare as the scurried away.

"It's a big deal," Mariah continued, "because you're the Unattainable One,"

He snorted. "The what?"

"People have been trying to get with you since forever. I first heard about it in our first year when someone was talking about how you denied them at summer camp. People try, and you politely turn them away. I'm sure people have been taking bets to see who'd land you."

"You're crazy,"

"Oh my god," Mariah gasped, "you didn't even know! Really didn't know."

It was all news to Ray. Memories started to flood in of all the times he thought someone was acting strange, overly friendly, people he didn't even know. Could that be what she was talking about?

"Unattainable One?"

"That's you,"

"But they think you...attained me?"

Her eyes got wide. "Do you think they'll make me queen?" She broke into giggles, "I should wear a crown tomorrow,"

He was happy to see laughing; really laughing. Not that fake, proud smile she put one when she was trying to keep up the appearance that nothing affected her.

"That'll basically confirm their thoughts,"

"I should come up with a story to tell when they ask," she said. "I know! You were so taken with me during our sessions, so in awe of my intelligence, that you practically begged me to be your first kiss."

Ray stalled, alarmed by her words and how correct they were. How did she know? And was she making fun of him? He wasn't insecure about it, not having ever seriously kissed anyone. He knew it'd happen one day. There was in no rush.

Her laughed died off. "Ray?" Her eyes still danced with amusement but he wasn't laughing. "What's wrong?"

"Would that embarrass you?"

"What do you mean?"

"If you were my first kiss? You probably want someone with more experience,"

She laughed again, calmer now. "Are you serious, you've never even kissed anyone?"

He didn't answer.

"What did you even do at summer camp? No truth or dare or spin the bottle?"

"I made pottery," he answered, counting things off on his fingers, "I practiced mediation. I climbed a mountain, but I don't recall spin the bottle. Must have been in another cabin."

"Well, then," Mariah said, and then left it hanging. Her eyes darted around, unable to focus on one thing.

"What about you?"

Her eyes came back to him. Her mouth fell open as if to say something but nothing came out. Her expression was guarded but he thought he saw a little apprehension peeking through, though she quickly covered it up with a smirk.

"I've done stuff," she said slowly.

"Played a lot of games of spin the bottle, huh?" Ray joked, hoping to lighten the mood. He didn't want her thinking that he was judging her any more than he wanted to be judged for his lack of experience. He didn't think she'd done anything wrong.

"Not that many," she looked away, "but probably more than you,"

That was the crux of it - the core of his discomfort. She was probably used to a guy who already knew what he was doing, who didn't blush at asking a girl if she'd ever dated anyone, and what they'd done.

A guy who had already had his first kiss by seventeen.

"We've wasted so much time," she said. At first, he thought she was speaking existentially but then he saw her looking at the clock.

It was well past their usual hour and his parents would be expecting him home soon. As much as he wanted to carve out some independence from his mom, Ray didn't want to push too much. She was trying, after all. Whatever his dad meant by that was still unclear to him because he was still on the receiving end of her cold shoulders.

"I'll see you out,"

He gathered his things, zipping his bag. They didn't get nearly as far as they usually did on his studies, but he felt they got much farther in other areas.

Upstairs, the rest of the dinner had been put away and the kitchen cleaned up. There was no sign of her father anywhere. Ray couldn't believe he'd left them alone, down in her bedroom. If it had been his house, they wouldn't have even been allowed upstairs much less left alone.

"Thanks for dinner," he said once they were next to his car. "It was great,"

"I'll tell my dad you thought so,"

Now empty-handed, Ray stood before Mariah, door open but for some reason, he couldn't get in. Once again, he was consumed with the desire to stay with Mariah. Judging by the way her soft topaz eyes followed him, it wouldn't be a leap to say that she felt the same. At least, he hoped she felt the same.

A slight breeze picked up, tossing her thick pink hair over her shoulders. He reached forward automatically, tucking it back behind her ear. "Things will get better between you and Julia,"

"Mmhmm," she hummed, eyes wide. His hand still rested on the curve of her jaw.

"Okay," he said, awkwardly dropping his arm, "I should go. I'll see you tomorrow,"

"Right," Mariah took a step back and allowed him to get in his car. She walked around as he started the car, gaze directed to the ground. Once she reached the porch, she turned suddenly and waved.

On the way home, Ray cursed himself. He wasn't some Casanova with slick moves, so what did he think he was doing, touching her like that. She probably thought he was playing games with her.

Which is exactly what he didn't want her to think.

Okay, he can admit that he's been a bit slow about it. Dim, some may say. Tyson would call him outright stupid – hilarious, coming from him – and Hilary might dance around his feelings by saying he's been cautious.

It took a while, but there was no denying it any longer: he liked Mariah.

He liked the way her wrier smile grew slowly in response to something he said.

He liked the way she didn't back down from a challenge, as proved by every second she'd walked the school halls.

He liked the way she worked hard for what she wanted.

At first, it was about the fact that Mariah irritated his mom. She demanded perfection and Ray had never disappointed. It wasn't like it was hard – not to sound cocky, but he found early on that he was naturally good at just about everything he tried.

Sports, cooking, friends, and even school when he was younger. None of it ever threw him off his rhythm.

Math. He never understood it before but he'd always done just enough to past until his later years of high school. His mother's barely concealed disappointment as his grades fell in a swift decline chafed his already bruised ego.

Mariah was his last choice for a tutor. He'd heard his mom complain about her; he heard the rumors in school; he'd seen her act out in front of the teachers.

She was the only one who accepted.

He wasn't sure what Ms. Kincaid had to do to get her, because it was clear from the start that tutoring him was the last thing she wanted to spend her time doing. And as he got to know her he could understand why. To put it simply: her life was hard.

Slowly, she'd won him over.

…

…

Who was he trying to fool? Himself? She'd had his number since the beginning, even as he denied it to everyone who asked. It had never been about pushing his mom back. That was only a side effect, a perk.

His mom had drawn a little perfect square for him to live in and for years he'd been happy within those lines. Mariah dared him to walk outside of it. And what was he discovering?

He liked life outside those lines.

Sure, he'd only stepped out here and there, and then quickly went back into where it was safe and familiar.

Safe and familiar like the neighborhood he lived in. The streets which had always looked so clean and homey before were starting to look boring. Nothing like the character of Mariah's neighborhood.

He parked in the same spot he always parked in and walked into the same kitchen. It was sparkling, clean, immaculate. Despite the fact that he could smell the roast his mom was making for dinner, there wasn't a dirty dish in sight.

The house was silent, though he knew he wasn't alone. She was somewhere, roaming about, cleaning something or correcting an imperfection, so scared that if something were out of place the whole world would come crashing down around her.

"Rei, is that you?" she called as he neared the top of the stairs.

At the sound of her soft voice, his irritation with her dwindled. "Yeah, Mom, it's me,"

"You're back late," she appeared in the doorway to her and his father's bedroom, holding one of her husband's freshly ironed shirts from a hanger.

"I was studying," he said slowly, "at the Wong's."

She blinked once; pale yellow eyes widen at the implications. Her bottom lip trembled and he couldn't tell if she was holding back tears or a tirade. Before she could say more, Ray went to his room. As he closed the door, left a space open for the briefest of moments.

"And I had dinner there, too," he announced through the crack and then shut the door with finality.

The next morning, he left the house without saying anything to his parents. Mostly, because he left an hour earlier than he usually did, texting Hilary and Tyson if they wanted to meet for coffee before school he was buying.

Tyson didn't answer, expected as he was probably still asleep, but Hilary responded with a simple 'sure'.

He hadn't seen much of her since their disagreement (what he had decided to call it since fight sounded too harsh). He pulled in front of her house for the first time in almost a week, feeling surprisingly excited. Something was still off and maybe she'd talk about it if it were just the two of them.

Moments later, she jogged down the driveway and opened the door, sliding in. The familiarity took him back to old times when they first got cars and an iota of freedom. There was never anywhere to go but that never stopped them from going.

"How are things with your mom?" She asked as he drove out of the neighborhood. "I assume that's why we're making this early morning run,"

He chuckled. "Can't you go easy on me? Maybe dance around it for a few minutes,"

"Do you want me to? I thought you came to me for straight advice," The smile on her face let him know she was still in a good mood.

Ray thought about where he wanted to start. "I can feel myself become angry and I don't want to be but I don't want to go back to not be angry,"

That didn't make any sense.

"I get it," Hilary nodded.

"You do?"

"Yeah," she said, smiling at him from the passenger side. "I've been with you since we were kids; I know how your mom is. It was only a matter of time before you started to feel suffocated,"

"Suffocated?" he muttered.

"Look, we're growing up, so this is all to be expected. I knew Mariah would spark something and, honestly, I think it's good. You've spent so long being the golden boy: unattainable and perfect. Something was bound to break eventually."

"The Unattainable One,"

Hilary laughed. "She told you about that, huh?"

"You knew? Why didn't you tell me?" He was overjoyed to hear her joking with him again.

"What was I supposed to say? Those poor girls trailed after you and you never gave them a piece of mind. Should I have made you feel bad about it?"

"I didn't even realize,"

"I know," she agreed. Then her laughter faded, sobering into a more contemplative expression. "But you give Mariah a lot of thought, don't you?"

He pulled into the parking lot and came to a stop, letting the engine idle. "I can't help it," he answered. "I just don't know...how did it get this complicated? Is it always this difficult?"

Hilary shrugged. "I don't know. I've got just about as much experience as you. And at this point, I'm not even sure what I believe as far as all that goes,"

Ray eyed her carefully. The way the sun hit her eyes made them look like dark glass. "We haven't been very close lately,"

"That was bound to happen too,"

"I don't think that,"

For a moment, she looked like she was going to say something. Ray waited in anticipation.

"Let's just get coffee," she said, opening the car door and getting out without waiting for a response.

Feeling heavy-hearted once again, Ray trailed after her.

"What's the sour look for?"

Mariah plopped down next to him at the lunch table. Hilary was mysteriously missing again and he and Tyson had just been talking about the conversation he had with her earlier.

"Hilary's off her rocker,"

Mariah turned to Ray for clarification.

"She's still acting...different,"

Golden eyes dipped for a moment before coming back up, new light behind them. "I'm sure she'll get through whatever it is she's going through,"

The choice of words struck Ray as strange, but it wasn't enough for him to comment on.

"So, what do you guys have going on this weekend?" She asked as she opened up her lunch container, revealing leftovers from the dinner they shared.

The boys shrugged. Hilary had been the planner of their group, constantly arranging for things for them. It seemed without her they're lives were pretty boring.

"What about you?"

She shrugged carelessly, "Just hangin' with friends,"

"Same friends?" Tyson asked.

"Yeah, and a few more,"

"At your place?"

She snorted. "God, no. My parents are cool but not that cool."

Tyson and Ray shared to looked. Tyson's smile grew by a mile. "Sounds like a party,"

Mariah looked at him and then shifted her eyes to Ray. "No. Oh, no."

Tyson nodded. "Oh yeah,"

"Ray, stop him,"

"There's no stopping him,"

"Good luck finding the place," she snipped.

"We'll find it, just watch. I've got a nose for this stuff." Tyson pointed at her, "And when we do, you'll see the true meaning of the word 'party',"

Ray watched as Tyson got up and left, going over to one of the other tables to round up more attendees.

"Ray," Mariah warned.

He chuckled. "I'll try to distract him,"

Mariah leaned her chin on her hand, pushing her food away. "You're nice," she said.

Ray smiled as he looked at her but as their eyes connected, his smile drifted. She was difficult to read, her smirk soft and playful. Slowly, she reached out, her hand wrapping around his braid. She didn't pull but he felt the gentle movement against his back.

"Did you ever think of letting your hair down? Or at least leaving it unwrapped?"

He had to take a deep breath before answering. "It's too long, the school would have a cow,"

"Is that what your mom told you? Look around," she motioned to the cafeteria. "Tyson's hair is long. Not as long as yours, but still enough to pull back. Rick's isn't that short. And remember Garland? His was pretty."

"You mean his hair?"

"He just pretty," she winked. "Just something to think about."

He did. For the rest of the day, Ray thought about the way her hand had twisted around his hair, the way she looked at him.

An idea struck; one he wasn't able to get rid of. He'd told Mariah he would keep Tyson under control but he was thinking he was tired of being in control. And that's what he told Hilary as they walked out of their last class.

"A party?"

"Yeah, I just don't know where it is,"

Hilary sighed. "How important is this to you?"

He paused to think about it. It wasn't the smartest decision and would likely get him in trouble. But nothing was swaying him away from the idea that he needed to be there.

Hilary knew from one look. "I may know how to find out," she said as she pulled out her phone.

"How?" He watched as she texted, trying to peek at her screen. She tilted it away from him, eyeing him up and down.

Her phone lit up moments later, a new message coming in. "Got an address. But," she smiled, "you only get it if you bring me. Consider it a thank you."

Ray's eyes widened. "Who are you?"

More than ever before, the Hilary in front of him looked like a stranger. She tapped her phone against her chin, holding all the power, a smirk tipping up one side of her face. There was something very, very wrong.

But if something was wrong with her, then there was something wrong with him. However, he wasn't ready to consider that to be a problem just yet.

I'm sorry for anything mistakes that slipped through editing. Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed. I look forward to hearing any thoughts you feel like sharing. Stay safe, every one.