AN: I need to know if I should continue posting this on here…I'm not getting any reviews, the only reason I'm posting this on here. :( Come on people! I know you have it in you. It takes like, two seconds?

I accidently brushed shoulders with someone, a spiky haired kid with the skateboard, and he flipped me the finger as I tried to apologize. I rolled my eyes and continued to walk as we got into the middle of the outdoor mall.

"We're just shopping. I needed a new pair of shoes."

I rolled my eyes; Zo and her shoes were ridiculous. I don't know where she got all the money to buy her shoes. She had to easily have owned a hundred pairs.

We stopped at the local Hot Topic, where there was a sale going on. There was always a sale going on. A man with huge gauges and a metal rod sticking through the bridge of his nose greeted us at the door. "And just so you girls know there is buy one get on half off on the band tees," he waved his hand towards the back wall and then smiled warmly at us before helping a customer with the gauges, which were locked in the display for security purposes.

"Ooh, these are cute!" Zo picked up a pair of zebra platform heels and displayed them for me, and I nodded enthusiastically.

"How much are they?" I asked.

"Um…" she paused for a moment to take a peek at the price tag before continuing, "They're only thirty bucks!" She jumped around in excitement, and a couple girls dressed in Aéropostle stared her down. I gave them a good hard stare until they looked away before grabbing the heels from Zo.

"Are you sure you want these and not another pair?" I raised an eyebrow; I had been subject to Zo's rage when she bought a pair of shoes and then found another she liked more, only to learn she lacked the funds to buy the second pair.

Zo nodded her head vigorously taking the pair up to the counter. "I'm sure. But Al? Please don't let me spend any more money. I need to start saving it." She flashed me her pouty lip and batty eyes, and I patted her on the back with a grin on my face.

"You're cut off missy."

The guy at the counter had a huge green Mohawk that was spiked up today, and he was wearing cat eye contacts. He scanned the heels and asked, "Will that be all for you?" Zo nodded so he tapped the keys on the cashier. "That'll be $31.47 as your total. Would you like to donate a dollar to the Invisible Children fund and get a free bag?" He gestured to a small black bag with a skull on it and a larger bag with "Music = life" printed in white on the front.

Zo shook her head, her cheeks flaming lightly with embarrassment. She hated turning down donations. "Sorry, not today." The cashier gave her a small smile and took her $32 dollars.

"You're change will be $0.33 and you ladies have a wonderful day." He plopped the change into Zo's outstretched hands and I stopped looking at the small pins that said things like "Practice safe snax. Always use a condiment" and such, and followed Zo outside the store.

"Where are we going now?" I asked, looking around absentmindedly before spotting a head of black hair over the crowd. "Is that Killian?" I asked Zo, bouncing on my tip toes to try and get a better look. "It is!" I gasped and starting running to who was in fact, Killian. He turned and went slightly wide eyed but held out his arms for me just the same.

I folded into his arms, which wrapped around me perfectly, and took in that sweet scent of his, sighing contently. "I missed you," I mumbled into his shirt, and then looked up at him, planting a kiss on his lips. His lips were sweeter than ever, as if he had just finished a bowl of fruit.

"Missed you too, love." Killian wrapped his arms around my waist and lifted me into the air, spinning me around like in those cheesy romantic movies. Zo was grinning ear to ear every time I passed her while I was spinning, and I stuck my tongue out at her. "Shopping, I presume?" He set me back down on the concrete and pulled me over to the side so we weren't in anyone's way while we talked.

"Yes, I needed new shoes. How are you, by the way?" Zo wedged herself into the conversation, and my guiltiness meter went up a few notches when I realized that we were not including her again.

"You and your shoes Zo, it's getting out of hand." I smacked Killian playfully on the arm, because I knew he was joking. Zo did too, because she laughed and nodded.
"I should probably get that checked out," Zo joked, tugging her fingers through her bangs, a bad habit of hers.

I leaned into Killian's side, suddenly exhausted with today's events. I checked my phone; it was half past three. "I should probably get home. Meet me at my house, Killian? I need to talk to you about something."

"Of course, love." He pecked me on the lips and wrapped Zo in up into a friendly hug before disappearing around the corner. I stared at the corner he disappeared around for a moment, lost in thought, when Zo tapped me on the shoulder.

"Come on, Alea. Let's try to beat Killian to your house." Zo laughed and started to walk, but I remained quiet. Killian had seemed on edge. As if he already knew what I wanted to talk to him about.

My stomach protested loudly, so we decided to take a run through a McDonalds on the way home. Zo tore into her Big Mac while I gripped the fruit salad in my lap as I drove home. I don't eat and drive for safety reasons.

I decided to drop Zo off at home because I wanted to talk to Killian on my own. She seemed to pout for a little bit – I could tell from the disappointed energy that flowed from her body – but I told her that we would get together later that night to plan the bonfire and that perked her right back up.

I pulled up to my house and noticed that Killian had gotten out one of the other horses from the stables and was waiting for me with Elvina next to him. He rode on Shadowfax, our white horse that had reminded us of Gandalf's horse in The Two Towers. I flashed him the pointer finger and ran inside, giving Dad the change and admiring the fact he had actually put away the groceries. I shoveled down my salad and explained to Dad what I was doing before bounding out of the house.

The door clanked behind me and I ignored it as I walked up to my horse, which kneeled down to let me on without a saddle. Bareback was my favorite way to ride her, because what animal wants to be strapped into all that riding gear? You would have thought my experience with that terrifying creature would have veered me away from riding bareback, but I didn't let silly things like fear get in the way of doing something I loved.

"'Ello, love. I beat you again," Killian poked his tongue out between his lips, and I rolled my eyes. He would never let me down that he was faster getting around to places and yet he wouldn't let me in on the secret as to how that was possible.

"Whatever. Putting that aside, I wanted to ask you if you knew someone." I glanced over at him as we warmed up the horses, taking them from the tree in the middle of the yard to the house before we took them on the trail in the woods. "It's someone who mentioned you by name, so please don't lie to me."

Killian looked appalled at the fact that I would suggest he would do such a thing, but he nodded and sighed. "I promise to speak nothing but the truth, darling." He turned Shadowfax and led him into the forest, where it was bursting with life from the rain we had been getting.

I followed and tried to think of how to put it. After mentally struggling over it for a couple of minutes, I decided to just come out and ask if he knew him before I explained. "Do you know someone named Adrian? He was tall and had an auburn faux hawk."

He paused and turned, and I saw that he was struggling to control his emotions. Well, at least my question was answered. "How do you know of him?" He murmured quietly, and chills started to roll down my back. He was angry when his voice got low, I had learned that when I did something he did not like a couple months ago. I refuse to elaborate because I refuse to think about that incident. It involved trying to follow him to one of his gigs.

"He…" I paused, afraid to tell him. What if he laughed at me like Zo did? It could have been a possibility that the man was just a hallucination and that I was half asleep and delirious. That still wouldn't explain seeing him today on the side of the road. And the fact I needed to know how Killian knew him, it was obvious now that he did, forced me to tell him.

"I hit him with my car, only he wasn't hurt. He told me Zo stopped to pick him up, but I swore we hit him. I…" I paused to clutch my hair in frustration and confusion, "I just don't understand how I could see something like that and it was utterly untrue!"

We took the horses through the short trail, and when we got to our favorite meadow, not as beautiful as the one that appeared when I was kissing Killian of course, we dismounted and let Shadowfax and Elvina graze.

Killian had gone quiet when I had my little freak out session, and when I finally stopped speaking he wrapped his arms around me and I could feel him trembling. Whether it was from fear or anger, I could not tell. He locked me in his embrace for what seemed like eternity, leaving me very confused as to what was going on. Finally he pulled me away from his body to study me.

"Adrian is an old buddy of mine. I suggest you stay away from him."

I looked down, cheeks flaming in embarrassment. I spoke when I heard him sigh. "He kind of invited himself to my bonfire party I'm having. He told me that he was going to show up anyway after I told him he couldn't come. Please be there?" I pecked his forehead and then peered into his eyes, trying to pour my concern. "I can tell you don't like him, which means I should be worried. So I want you there with me."

"Of course, love." Killian smiled at me reassuringly and sealed the promise with a loving kiss on the lips. He ran his fingers lightly up and down my arms, his gaze getting a faraway look to it as he lost himself in thought.

"Killian?"

"Mmm," he murmured, not really paying attention to me at all.

"Is Adrian human? Is he even real?" I said this with a nervous tone to my voice, and I really didn't want to meet eye contact, but I knew I wouldn't get an answer unless I did. I held his gaze steadily for a moment, hoping that he would, for once, open up to me and tell me what was going on.

However, my wishes were denied to me. "What are you talking about, Alea? Of course he's human. And unfortunately, he's very real." He patted me on the shoulder and gave me a lopsided smile, then pushed past me. "Come on. I need to make us dinner."

I exhaled noisily through my nose, unattractive, I'm sure. However, I followed him towards the horses, which nickered excitedly and allowed us to mount the both of them. "I ate at home," I told him, hoping to steer the conversation back to Adrian, but no avail. He only shook his head and then wiggled a finger at me.

"That fruit salad I know you shoveled down before you came outside hardly counts as a meal." He whispered to Shadowfax, who immediately followed whatever he told him and bounded forward into a gallop.

I mumbled in frustration and clicked at Elvina to do that same, irritated at what little Killian was telling me. And me not eating enough? Hah! Killian never ate anything other than what came out of the Earth. He ate even less than I did.

It was reaching dusk by the time we got back to the house, and by the time we cooled the horses down and brushed them, Dad had already left for work, leaving the house to ourselves. I didn't understand why Dad had so much trust in me by allowing Killian and I in the house alone, but I never complained. I never did get as much out of Killian as I wanted, though, either.

Killian led me inside and sat me down at the dinner table, giving me a stern look and telling me to stay. I crossed my arms and pretended to pout, but he only turned around and started to fry me some bacon and eggs. I didn't really know why he always liked making me breakfast for dinner, but I wasn't complaining. Bacon and eggs were one of my favorites, and he knew it.

Zo called while we were eating asking if she could come over, and I agreed. She arrived when we were cleaning the dishes; I could have heard her coming from miles away. Her mother's truck had the loudest muffler on it.

"Wait for it…" I told Killian, and laughed as he shot me a look of confusion. Zo burst through the door and started waving papers in my face, and I tried not to strangle her for smothering me.

"I started writing up who should come and when it should be. I was thinking the 21st , like I said earlier, which is a Saturday and it would give us a couple weeks to get invitations out. I was thinking of just do the grapevine effect and getting word out about it, because that would be the easiest. We'll need refreshments and maybe even hotdogs and marshmallows for the bonfire. I – oh hey Killian, I didn't even see you there!" She took a break from her rant to grin widely at Killian, who rubbed the nape of his neck nervously and returned the smile.

"Hey Zo. I um…Al? I'm going to leave you guys to your party planning. Mind if I take Shadowfax for the night? I'll have him returned in the morning." I nodded in agreement. Killian frequently took the majestic horse for days on end, and the old animal seemed rather pleased for the vacations.

"Fantastic," Killian said, clapping his hands together and planting a kiss on my lips on his way out. "I will see you guys' later, okay? Alea Raye, I love you." He winked at me, and the way he said my name was causing my heart to flutter like butterflies caught in a hurricane, and then he disappeared out the back door.

Zo didn't even give me time to swoon over the fact that he told me he loved me again; she grabbed my hand and dragged me to my room. She pushed me down on the bed and when I made a jokingly suggestive remark, she just stared at me and struggled not to laugh.

"This is not the time for jokes!" She commanded, pushing the papers into my arms and plopping down beside me on the bed. "Now, it's down to business." She rubbed her hands together and started pointing to names, and I paid attention enough to nod in the appropriate places. The sun made the shadows dance over my room as it grew progressively darker, and we started to wrap up the plans.

We decided that we were going to have the bonfire Saturday the 21st, which was in a couple weeks and that we were just going to try and spread the news of the party from word of the mouth. Killian could get word out really easily. We would make Killian help us set up Saturday, and Zo and I would go grab some food and drinks from the gas station that morning.

"So…are you gonna invite tall, dark and mysterious like he asked you to?" Zo batted her eyelashes pitifully at me and latched onto my arm like a lost puppy. "Please? You can't deny your best friend a hot man, especially when you got the only one here in town." She waggled her finger at me when I shot her a look of denial. "Don't give me that look. Killian is probably the hottest guy in this whole state, and when someone like Adrian comes along you can't just keep him to yourself! Besides-"

"Okay! Jesus, Zo, I never said no." I laughed, but nervously. I really didn't want to invite Adrian, but I couldn't deny her eye candy either. I wouldn't let them near each other though; I just didn't trust Adrian. "And whatever happened to Derrick?" I asked, teasing.

She pushed me off the bed. "Hey, you know the girl code! I can look, just not touch." She waggled her eyes at me and I just blew a strand of hair out of my face and laughed.

I had placed Adrian's number in my phone earlier, and with Zo watching me intently I texted the number to see if he would like to come to the bonfire. "There, I did it." I snapped my phone closed and stared intently at the invite list until Zo looked away.

A few minutes later my phone made its ding! noise, and I grabbed wildly for it, my heart pounding for unknown causes.

"Someone's excited," Zo joked, but peered over my shoulder.

Who's this? The text read.

"Is he dumb?" I muttered grumpily. It was obvious he was toying with me for his own personal amusement. However, I could be overreacting. I hadn't given him my number in return.

It's…uh…Alea. The girl that gave you a ride into town. Killian's girl. I texted back. My cheeks blossomed red in embarrassment. I must have sounded like a stupid seventeen year old girl. I knew I WAS a seventeen year old girl, but that didn't mean I usually acted like one.

Oh. 'Ello sexy. ;) Of course I'll be there. I told you I would come whether you wished me there or not. Saturday it is! Was the reply.

"Whatever." I rolled my eyes and harshly slammed the phone on the bedside table. "He's stupid." I didn't know where this anger towards someone I barely knew was coming from, but it definitely wasn't foreign. It reminded me of the time when Zo found out that one of her exes was cheating on her. I was that angry.

"Whoa. Cool it, tiger." Zo put her hands up in mock surrender, a cruel smile playing on her lip gloss pink lips. "No need to get snippy."

"Sorry. I don't like him at all. Want to crash here tonight?" I asked, trying to change the subject and stifling a yawn behind my fingertips. "Dad won't mind." I stood up, pulling a shirt and PJ pants off from the dirty floor. I changed into my PJ's while waiting for Zo's answer; we weren't shy.

"Nah. I'll catch you sometime tomorrow. Mom will need me at home. She isn't feeling well." Zo grew quieter towards the end of the sentence, and I stared at her, concerned.

"Is Mama Amy okay?"

"Yeah. Uh…she's fine." Zo looked away and rubbed her arm as if she were cold. "I got to go. See you tomorrow." She grabbed the bonfire information and left the room before I could say anything, and I stood there for a minute.

"Okay, cool," I said to myself.

I went to bed with ease that night; it was the most restful night I had had in a long time.