A/N sorry I haven't uploaded in a while. It's been really busy with school, homework and I have just come back from holiday. So here it is, hope you like it. Review and tell me what you think and some idea's for the next chapter :)

I was just minding my own business at home when my father came barging through the door, unannounced, with the phone. I jolted in my desk chair. My father gave me a concerned look at mouthed the word Shelton. Huh, I had not even heard it ring. That's probably because I was staring into space, my mind occupied with the mental image of Tory sprawled on the beach, laughing and smiling, again. I have got to stop daydreaming about her!

'Thanks dad.' I choke out as he closes the bedroom door with a loud thud. I press the phone to my ear,

'Hey Shelton, what's up man?' I ask casually, thankful that my voice has righted itself. I have known Shelton for years and if my voice is off, he would know something's wrong.

'What is going on with you and Tory?' he asked straight away in a clear voice, not stopping for small chit chat. I recoiled in alarm. How could he know that I like Tory? I haven't told anyone, and I'm certainly not obvious about it. Am I?

'What do you mean?' I asked clearing my throat. Good, that sounded convincing and my voice didn't break so that's a bonus.

'Don't "what do you mean" me,' Shelton said in exasperation. 'Do you like her?' and I thought I was the blunt one in the group! I paused on the phone, weighing my options. If I told Shelton he might be supportive and helpful, giving me another man's mind to deal with it. Not that Shelton is any more experienced than I am. Coming from this small island and everyone on the main land assuming we are weird does nothing for your love life. Not that I would probably have one anyway. Or I could make up some elaborate excuse that doesn't sound convincing but would bore anyone from prying further. But then again, in all the books and movies, when you lie you almost always get caught in the most embarrassing of ways that makes you regret not telling the truth in the first place. No thank you. I took a deep breath and decided to come clean.

'Shelton, before I tell you anything you have to promise you won't laugh, okay?' I asked in a strained voice.

'What do you mean Ben?' Shelton insisted on asking.

'Just promise!' I said in vexation.

'Okay! I promise' he said. I could hear from the tone of his voice that he was baffled as to what I was getting at. Shelton is a genius, surly by now it must have clicked. I wish it would, and then I wouldn't need to explain it to him myself. But I could tell that it wasn't going to happen.

'I like Tory.' I said in an almost whisper, my voice suddenly husky.

There was a pause on the other end of the line, and I could hear a million thoughts flood through my brain. How would he take it? Would he laugh even though I asked him not to? Would Shelton tell Hi straight after our phone call? Would Hi then call Tory? Does Tory feel the same way about me? Will she laugh? Will I want to die? Does Shelton already know? I doubt that last thought actually, Shelton seems like a novice on the whole love area too.

'You like Tory.' Shelton repeated slowly, taking it in. I sucked in a breath, waiting for his verdict.

'You like Tory!' he yelled this time, excitement coursing through the sentence. 'You like Tory! You like Tory! You like Tory!' he said in a singsong voice and then broke into a fit of laughter. I wanted to go over to his house and strangle him. It was beginning to be my least favorite sentence ever.

'Shut up!' I yelled back. I heard Shelton trying to recover from his giggling fit. Coughed a few times then cleared his throat loudly. 'You said you wouldn't laugh!'

'You're right, I'm sorry but I just can't believe it. You like Tory.' He said, this time for my own benefit.

'I know I like Tory. Now Shelton, what am I going to do?' I asked slowly and carefully. Hopefully he wouldn't start laughing again. I wouldn't be able to take another round of mortification.

'Tell her?' he asked dumbly but genuinely.

'And how would I do that Shelton? 'Hi Tory, I like you as in like like you. Do you like me in that way too?' I asked, putting on a melodramatic voice even though this was eating away at my insides.

'I see your point.' Shelton agreed, 'But there's got to be something that you can do.' He spoke with confidence, confidence was what I needed right now. It's got to be better than this gut wrenching, butterfly feeling when my hands go all tingly and numb.

'Ooooohhhhhh I know!' Shelton said suddenly with overwhelming enthusiasm. 'You can climb up to her window at night, under the full moon, and sing her a song about your undying love accompanied but a small portably boom box!' this time I wanted to punch him.

'Shelton!' I said in humiliation. 'Could you even see me scaling a building under the full moon? Why are you not taking this seriously?' I sighed loudly, getting up from the desk chair and slumping down hard on my bed. All this talking, or confession, has really tired me out. I stared up at my plain white ceiling in frustration, wracking my brains for something that I could do to tell Tory the way I feel. I certainly won't be using any of Shelton's suggestions.

'You're right again, I'm sorry. It's just; you're not acting like yourself today. No cryptic Ben.' He explained with a sigh.

'That's what Tory said.' I muttered under my breath. Why is she always right?

'Oh, so you've been talking to Tory lately have you?' he asked. I could almost she Shelton smirking on that other end of the line.

'Oh be quite Shelton, it's not like we don't see her often. An I –'

There was a sharp nock on the door, stopping me mid rant.

'Come in!' I called, leaning away from the phone. The door opened slowly.

'Uh Shelton, I need to call you back!' I said, hanging up, as I saw the figure in the door way. There she was, looking as beautiful as ever, with her hands on her hips and a determined stare penetrating my eyes. Tory.

'So Benjamin.' She said with slight venom. 'I think it's time we had that little talk of ours.'