*Haley POV *

"I hate Paul. I hate him." Anna pouted, staring up at my ceiling. Her large feet were pressed firmly against my wall, her red hair sprawled out beneath her as she laid on my bed.

"That makes two of us." I grumbled, strolling into the bedroom. The thick, white towel kept me cozy as steam arose from my still damp skin, curls clinging tightly to my neck and shoulders as I sat in front of the mirror. For a moment, I stared into the wide, brown eyes that met mine, wondering whose they were. Was I really Haley Purser? Did this face...this body, really belong to me? It seemed, at least according to the way people had been treating me, that the girl who fell off the cliff and the girl who'd risen from the water were two different people. Out with the old, my inner voice whispered gently. I shook the thoughts out of my head, pinning bits and pieces of curl away from my face. Kim had always been better at doing hair than I was.

"No, really, I hate him." Anna emphasized, meeting my eyes in the mirror.

"Yes, really, that makes two of us." I laughed shortly, turning to look at her. Although Paul had severely pissed me off, more than usual, within the past 24 hours, the words felt wrong to say. They felt like a lie, even though I knew they couldn't be. He tried to kill you, my little voice reminded me. I heaved a sigh as Anna turned to face me on her side, her legs curling up behind her as she propped up on one arm.

"Do you think Embry will ever speak to me again? You know how boys are. If their friend's don't like a girl, THEY won't like a girl. Paul is such a cockblocker."

"Of course he will, he sees you every day in class."

"I mean on purpose," she wailed. "Do you think he'll ever ask me out?"

"So you DO like him?" I smirked, leaning back. Anna rolled her eyes at me.

"He's sweet," she murmured. "I like the way he touches my hair and looks at me. I like his jokes. I like everything about him. He makes me feel..funny."

"Like tingly funny?" I asked, my eyes growing large. I could feel the heat rush to my cheeks as an image of Jackson flashed itself across my thoughts, my heart speeding up quickly.

"Maybe...is that the way someone makes you feel?" Anna asked quickly, her eyes flickering to mine. They seemed to shimmer with mischief. I gulped, and nodded. "I KNEW IT. I KNEW YOU LIKED HIM."

"Jackson," I breathed, at the same time she screamed: "PAUL."

We both froze.

"Paul?" I asked, disgusted.

"Jackson?" She asked at the same time.

"What the Hell are you talking about?" I demanded, siting up right.

"What the Hell are you talking about?!" she cried. "That Jackson kid is a freak, a hot freak, but a freak nonetheless. AND he has a girlfriend, AND Paul is much taller-"

"You hated him a good minute and a half ago!" I yelled, throwing my hands up in disbelief. Since when was Anna team Paul?!

"Yes, yes I DO hate him, he's an asshole, but so are you so it's like a perfect balance."

"I am NOT an asshole."

"You are when he's around."

"So clearly he brings out the worst in me."

"Or the best...it wouldn't kill you to grow a backbone." Anna muttered, plopping down on her stomach. I rolled my eyes.

"Paul is just..."

"Paul is just what?" she chided, raising an eyebrow at me. I couldn't do anything but shrug. What was Paul? An asshole. My inner voice said simply. I laughed a little. "Paul is just WHAT?" Anna pressed.

"Paul's a douchebag. And I-"

"HALEY?!"

Anna and I both froze.

"No way," she breathed, a smile playing at the corner of her lips. "No friggin' way."

"HALEY?!" the voice cried again, feet pounding up the stairs frantically. Anna started laughing hysterically as I rose from my seat in disbelief, throwing my bedroom door open just in time for Paul Lahote, dressed gloriously in nothing but a pair of skin-tight, black boxers, to topple me over. We hit the floor with a thud, my curls clinging wildly to any wet skin it could find, and as I thrashed on the floor with Paul on top of me, my cheeks reached a new level of red I never thought possible.

"WHAT THE HELL," I screamed. "YOU'RE NAKED!"

"YOU'RE NAKED!" Paul yelled, grabbing my wrists as I tried to swat at him like a vicious animal. The boy, wedged between my legs, wrestled with my long, clawing arms for what felt like hours.

"GET THE HELL OFF OF ME!"

"I WOULD IF YOU'D JUST STOP MO-"

"COME INTO MY BEDROOM, MY FREAKING BEDROOM OF ALL BEDROO-"

"-NOT LIKE I CHOSE TO BE HE-"

"SWEAR TO GOD I SWEAR TO GOD, PAUL LAHOTE-"

"IF YOU WOULD JUS-"

"BIG, COCKY, ARROGANT DOU-"

"-AND NOTHING I EVER DO IS GOOD ENOU-"

"-ADE A PAIN IN MY ASS AND I HA-

"-YOU NEVER STOP TALKING AND YOU ALWAYS THINK YOU'RE RIGHT AN-"

"SHUT UP!" we both screamed simultaneously. I shot Paul a deadly glare, practically fuming as he held my tiny wrists in his hands.

"I am trying to help you," he growled, narrowing his eyes at me. "But you ke-"

"I don't want your help!" I shouted.

"Oh that is just like you!"

"What the Hell is that supposed to mean?!"

"The SECOND someone offers you help you wanna-"

"ALL I'M SAYING IS YOU STORMING IN HERE BABBLING AND BITCHING AN-"

"LITERALLY MAKING FRIENDS WITH PEOPLE WHO WANT TO KI-"

"OH YOUUUUUUUU WOULD KNOW ABOUT FRIENDS WHO WANT TO KILL ME-"

"FOR THE LAST TIME YOU HAVE IT ALL WRO-"

"-SICK, SOCIOPATHIC SON OF A BI-"

"STOP IT! GOD DAMN IT JUST STOP IT HALEY!"

The entire world seemed to freeze. Even Anna, who usually irritated everyone with her lack of self control, had fallen silent, her eyes wide as tears welled up in mine.

"I hate you!" groaned through clenched teeth, my cheeks flaming as the tears grew stronger. "I hate you!" I kept my eyes on him as despair crossed his features, no trace of anger or irritation lingering on his face. He shook his head gently, keeping his dreaded beautiful eyes locked on mine.

"You don't," He whispered, his face twisted in hurt. "Haley don't say you-"

"No, no, no, I hate you-"

"Haley please-"

"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE?" Adam demanded, towering in the doorway, his eyes flickering with hatred for Paul. The boy on top of me didn't look away from my face as I laid my head against the ground, closing my eyes and letting the tears fall as they wished.

"It's a long story..." Anna murmured on the bed spread.

What the Hell had just happened?

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