Here's a challenge. I challenge everyone of you that reads this to write a review. For those of you who like to go above and beyond, I challenge you to give me an idea/ quote/ scene topic/ something to do/ or just some inspiration. Who knows…your reviews might just turn into chapters.

Alek decided that it would be easier to pretend he didn't know that he liked her. He was going to go back to teasing her and picking on her. He was going to be mean to her, but in a healthy/fun way. And he started it off with the usual 'I could be an assassin' card.

"I-I got off work early?" She said it as a question hoping that he would accept her answer. The look of anger on his face didn't pass.

"Someone could have snuck up on you and killed you, and you would be lying dead in some alley because you didn't wait for your protector to pick you up." He snapped. She wished that he would realize how afraid he could make her. She knew that it was unlikely. He shook his head at her and she took a deep breathe, wanting to let it go. They walked back to her house in silence. She thought about telling him that she was going out tonight, with Brain, but she knew that the subject made him angry.

I'll put it off. She thought. When they got to her house, she went inside and ate dinner with her mom. Her mom did the usual round of questions about her day and school.

"Did you do your homework?" Her mother asked her.

"Ya, the store wasn't busy today. But I'm going out to see Brain in a little bit. Maybe get some ice cream or something." She could hear a head shaking from her roof, as a sigh was let loose. Disappointment. Chloe never failed to disappoint him when it came to her human, as he liked to call Brain.

"Okay, but don't stay out too late. You still have school in the morning and you need to sleep." Her mom said, doing her job as a single mother. She had to be the nice parent at the same time as the bad parent. Chloe had long ago accepted that, after her dad left. After dinner, Meredith offered to do the dishes while Chloe wiped down the counter and the table. Her mother was completely unaware of the near-silent conversation she was having.

"And when did you plan on telling me?" He said from the roof.

"I don't know. Why does it matter?" She asked.

"Because," He paused thinking quickly of a reasonable explanation. "it makes me have to be aware that much more. I have to be on the lookout while I survey the area around you."

"So that's your reason for eavesdropping." She muttered to herself before realizing that he heard her.

"You do know that this relationship of yours will go no where, right?" He questioned.

"We're just friends." She exaggerated the last word, forgetting to keep quiet.

"What did you say honey?" Her mother turned to look at her, her hands covered in soap.

"Oh…nothing" She lied, running upstairs. Her mother silently questioned her daughter but decided it was nothing and went back to the dishes.

Chloe checked her emails and responded to the few she had. Then she checked her instant messenger to see that Amy was online.

"Hey Amy"

"Hey"

"So what did you do today? It had to be better than what I did."

"No, not really, just…homework."

"Why did you say it like that?"

"No reason, aren't you going out with Brain tonight?"

"Ya, he'll be here any minute."

"Have fun, I gotta finish my homework though. Night."

"Night."

Chloe shut her laptop and turned around to see Alek making his way to her bed.

"Do you mind?" She asked him. He shook his head no and laid down on her bed. "Well then." She said, getting up to go to her closet. Chloe had always picked out her outfit the night before. It was just something that she had gotten used to over the years. It saved her time in the morning so she could focus on actually getting out of bed. She hesitated, looking at her tops. She finally picked an outfit out and laid it on her chair.

"Chloe, Brain's here." Her mother called from the floor below. She turned to look at Alek, who raised his eyebrows at her. She grabbed her purse and went to meet her friend.

They went to get ice cream and they sat outside at one of the little tables.

"This is really good." Brain complemented as he looked at his dessert.

"Yep." She agreed, taking another spoonful. It was too big of a spoonful but she let it melt in her mouth, swallowing slowly.

"Chloe, I know you say we're just friends, but that's not how I see it." He said, saying what he had been dying to say for days now. Chloe sighed, trying to finish the ice cream in her mouth. He took advantage of the opportunity and kept talking. "I know that you keep saying that you want to just be friends, but I'm willing to take it slow." He said looking into her eyes. "As slow as you want." He added.

She swallowed the remainder of her ice cream. "Brain, I can't." She said, even though she had said it a million times before.

"I just think that you should know that I like you. I really like you. I think I might even love you." He crossed the line. She knew that this would lead to a kiss and she just couldn't let that happen. As much as she wanted to let it happen, she couldn't let her friend die.

"Brain, I-I just can't. I just can't date you. Not now and not ever. And if you can't just accept 'just friends' than I can't see you anymore." It hurt her, but it hurt him more. She cringed at the foul words as they poured from her heartbreaking mouth. She wanted to take them back and kiss him, and be his girlfriend, but she knew it wasn't an option. The best thing for Brain, and possibly herself, was to end their friendship. Alek had known it all along, she just hoped that he was wrong. She kept telling herself that they could just be friends. But she was wrong. Friends wasn't enough for Brain. Chloe let a single tear fall from her eye as she got up, running to an alley where she was sure she could get access to a roof. She knew that Alek would be up there, and it wasn't why she was going up there. She just wanted to run, as fast as she could, out of the public eye.

And she did.

She ran home, she hopped down to the street and went through the front door. Her mother looked at her and turned back to her novel. Once she realized that Chloe was crying, she immediately put her book down and turned to her daughter. She got up and ran to her side.

"Chloe," her mother said. "What happened?"

"He wants to be more than friends, but I just can't. I can't mom." She said, sobbing into her mom's shoulder. Her mom hugged her tight and Chloe continued to cry. "I told him that I can't see him anymore." She let out a loud weep and squeezed her mom even tighter. She kept reminding herself not to squeeze too tight. She didn't want to seriously injure her mom over some boy who couldn't understand 'just friends.'

"Honey," her mom said, stroking the hair of her heartbroken teen. After a few more minutes of tears, Chloe collected herself and retired for the night.

Alek stood in the corner of her room. His look asked if she wanted to talk, but Chloe just started to cry again, falling onto her bed. She grabbed the pillow, holding it tight, and letting it absorb her tears. Alek sat on the edge of her bed and he rubbed her back gently. She was shocked to see his caring side. Alek was no 'Mr. Sensitive' when it came to her. Ever. She looked up at him, confused.