When principal Johnson had said he expected great things from her, Alyssa was certain working with mobsters wasn't what he'd had in mind.

But that was certainly the way things were going. It had started out simple; Fish asking for her input on something when she came to pick up the bottles on Friday. In time it turned into having some of her boys teach her to fight – protection she had said, but Alyssa wasn't so sure.

It didn't help that high school was going south fast. Alyssa had grown dependent on Edward to help her pass all of her classes, but junior year that was put aside for his first crush.

Now, Alyssa wanted to say she was happy at the idea of her best friend liking someone, but this girl – Mary-Alice Thomas – was track jock who didn't know he existed. Even when she did, she didn't return his affections.

But every now and then she'd smile at him or tell one of the football players to stop making fun of him, and Alyssa would have to listen to a long and happy rant about how there was 'hope.'

Being his social crutch, Edward came to Alyssa for advice on how to win her heart. Wanting nothing more than to keep the smile on the boy's face, Alyssa offered every idea that came to her head; flowers, poems, secret admire notes. Nothing worked. To her credit, Mary-Alice tried to let him down easy, but perhaps she was a little too easy.

Oswald though the crush was adorable, and loved teasing Edward about it. Going to a different school, he had never met the girl however. But he took pride in knowing Alyssa, which was why he'd pulled her aside one day with a worried expression.

"Alyssa, what's wrong? You've been off the last few days."

"Have I? Hadn't noticed." she hadn't, but she did notice the slight edge to her tone now.

"You have. Ed was just talking about Mary-Alice, and you looked like you were ready to hit something."

Alyssa frowned. "Why would I do that? I think its sweet that Eddie has a crush."

"Yeah, but everytime he mentions her you – oh..." Oswald's eyes went wide in realization.

"Oh? Oh what?"

"Oh my god, you like him!" the freckled boy grinned.

"What?" Alyssa's voice squeaked in surprise. "No I don't!"

"It all make sense now, how upset you look when he talks about her, how you try to convince him she's not the right girl for him –"

"Ozzy, shut up." Alyssa said, putting her head in her hands. Everything he was saying made perfect sense, but she had never realized. It was like someone had flipped a switch, suddenly all she could think about was Edward. His grin when she answered one of his riddles, his flustered look when he spouted facts in place of not knowing what to say, his laughter when she stole his glasses and made fun of his poor eye sight...

Oh crud...

"Watch where you're going, creep!"

Alyssa stumbled as she was shoved into the hard metal of the bleachers she had been pacing up and down. She glanced at Edward, but he was too busy ogling Mary-Alice.

"Excuse you, but you were the one that shoved her." Oswald said, setting his homework aside to stand. The jocks were much bigger than him, but he matched there height by standing on the bleachers.

"Ooo, lookie here, the druggies got herself a boyfriend!"

Alyssa's jaw tightened. The kids at school called her plenty of things, but the only things that ever hurt were when they referenced her family, who everyone knew had been in the drug business.

"Yeah Jack, think she could hook us up?"

"Oh, I'm sure her daddy left a whole stock behind, but she probably used it herself by now!"

The worst part was that all of this had drawn Edward's attention. But he stayed silent, looking at his hands in his lap.

This was what caused Alyssa's anger to snap. She threw a hard right hook that gave Jake a bloody nose. Oswald leaped on the other guy's back, trying to bring him down, but he was too small to do so.

The next thing she knew, all five of them were in the principal's office.

"The chick's crazy! She probably got nutty from her high!"

That was all Alyssa remembered from the conversation. The principal could only punish her and Edward, but he did make a call to Oswald's mother.

"Alyssa, why would you do something like that?" Edward demanded once the three of them were set free.

"What are you talking about? You heard what he said!"

"And that gives you the right to attack him?!"

"Yes!" Alyssa snapped. "And while we're on the topic, why didn't you do anything?"

"I didn't want to get into trouble! But once again, your antics have landed me in detention!" he waved the pink slip in his hand.

"My antics?"

"E-easy you two..." Oswald came between them. The last thing he wanted was for his friends to fight.

But Alyssa was far from done.

Her angry look faded, but she still glared at her best friend. "You know what Ed? You're not a good friend."

Edward's face fell. "What are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about how nowadays, you're always blowing me off to stalk Mary-Alice! Or how I can barely get a word in because you're always talking about how perfect she is! Or how about what those idiots were saying? You didn't even try to disagree with them!"

"Alyssa, how can I disagree with what they said, if there's a chance what they said might be true?"

"Excuse me?!"

"Well you have been off these past few months, you've been going places you won't tell me about, and sleeping at odd hours –"

Edward was cut off with a sharp slap to his cheek that knocked his glasses loose.

There had to be a much better way to deal with an emotional sixteen year old girl, but Edward didn't know what it was.

And for the first time in his life, he didn't care to find out the most logical way to do something. He just wanted Alyssa to open her bedroom door.

"Edward?" His mother came up being him. "Is everything alright?"

He sighed. "Alyssa's mad at me."

"What happened?"

"These boys at school were making fun of her. We got into trouble when she and Oswald attacked them."

"Are you hurt?" Ms. Nygma laid a hand on her son's cheek.

"I'm fine." Edward frowned. "But Alyssa got upset with me for not defending her. She called me a bad friend."

"You know I can hear you!" The girl in question shouted from her room.

"Alyssa Connors, you come out of that room this instant!" Ms. Nygma ordered.

"Fine..."

When she had both of them in the living room, Ms. Nygma did what a mother does best; play peace maker with her kids.

"Now why don't you tell me why your so mad at Edward?"

"Because all he cares about is his stupid crush."

"Mary-Alice is a wonderful girl!" Edward exclaimed. "Mary-Alice barley knows you exist!"

"Who's Mary-Alice?" Ms. Nygma asked. That was when both of them realized they had never told her.

"She's the most amazing girl to ever walk the face of the earth." Edward said with a dazed look.

"She's a tramp!"

"Alyssa!"

"I'm sorry, I can't do it anymore!" Alyssa exclaimed, standing. "Mary-Alice doesn't like you, she's never going to like you, and frankly, I don't like what this crush has done to you! You can't go five minutes without bringing her up!"

"Well you can't go five minutes without trying to talk me out of liking her!" Edward snapped, standing and towering over her with his height. "I can hardly enjoy having a crush, because of what it's doing to you!"

"Because it's killing me!"

Edward's face fell. "What?"

"You're going after this girl and you're gonna get your heart broken! And that is the last thing I want to happen. And yeah, I guess I got mad when she was suddenly more important to you than me, but I'm your best friend! You're not supposed to just forget about me!"

"And you're not supposed to shut me out!"

Alyssa hesitated a moment, then held out a hand. "Truce?"

"...Truce." Edward nodded, shaking her hand. "Alyssa, I'm sorry for assuming. But you can't fool your best friend, I can tell something's wrong with you."

Alyssa bit her lip. "I can handle it."

"Alright." he looked down. "But if you ever need my help –"

"I know." she nodded, looking between mother and son. "You two have always been there for me. And you know, I don't think I've ever said thank you for that. So thank you."