Heyy, it's Chapter 11! Enjoy :)

A week after, I was back to my anti-socialising self, married to my laptop, and the only drama allowed in my life was the one that involved Shakespeare. It was a month until finals and I had to step up my a-game. When I wasn't in class or working at the library, I was either hidden behind walls of books at the university's study room, or locked in my room with the curtains drawn so that a particular balcony neighbour wouldn't interrupt me.

It was all going well, I had my mind set, I had blacked out everything except my notes, and Enzo had even volunteered to spend as little time as possible at home, so as not to get in my way. He knew what I was like when I was stressed, and it wasn't a pretty sight.

Today, however, was a different story. My concentration decided that it wanted an off-day, and chose today for its holiday. Try as I might, I just couldn't concentrate, and the more I tried, the more the peeling paint on my wall became interesting. Finally admitting defeat, I opened the curtains to let in a bit of sunshine and fresh air. It was now mid-May, meaning that most days were now sunny and bright, practically begging you to just forget everything and go outside. Just forty more days, and I will be free, I thought.

Playing with my pen, I was aimlessly staring into nothingness, lost in my own thoughts, when something caught my eye. Someone was enjoying the bright, May sun, alright. As it were, Kol had been testing out his pool, and seeing that beautiful turquoise colour made me wish even more that summer would just arrive already. There he was, glistening in the sun, soaking wet as he grabbed a towel lying next to the pool, roughly drying his hair before finally patting himself dry and throwing it around his shoulders. He made his way to the deckchair, where a drink was waiting for him, beckoning him to just relax and soak up the sun.

I was brought back to reality when my mobile phone suddenly vibrated, signalling that I had a text message. Shaking my head back to consciousness, I opened it:

Hot, isn't he?

Knotting my eyebrows in confusion and heart racing, I looked around, almost expecting to find a hidden camera somewhere in my room. Of course, there was none. There was, however, an annoying neighbour in my midst.

I looked out again, and saw Damon, who was sitting down in the balcony, casually resting his legs on the railings. He waved at me, wiggling his fingers, with a self-satisfied smirk on his face.

Not wanting to yell, I glared at him as I grabbed my phone to text back:

Don't you have anything better to do?

I watched him as he looked at his phone, chuckling to himself. I waited for the reply as I saw him tapping away.

Bleep. Stop stalking our neighbours, Maya. That's not neighbourly and, might I say, creepy. O.O

I raised my eyebrows at him, wanting nothing more than to wipe that cute-but-oh-so-annoying-at-times smirk off his face. Not wanting to waste more credit, I simply shrugged him off, closing back the curtain, determined to start something.

Unfortunately, all I managed to get through was "Two households, both alike in dignity" before my mind started to wander again. Looking back at the direction where Kol would be, I couldn't help but think about what Caroline had told me earlier. She had said that when she was out with friends last weekend, Kol was there, and he had hit on at least three girls, according to her. Maybe that's why I couldn't concentrate.

Maybe Kai was right. Maybe Kol couldn't be trusted. After what had happened at the café, and what Kai had told me, I had been avoiding him. Why, exactly, I didn't know. My subconscious hadn't cleared that up yet. I liked him; that was pretty obvious. Kai obviously saw something that I didn't… right? Did I like him enough to feel jealous that he was flirting with other girls? Why was I avoiding him? Did it annoy me? Did I want to see how I really feel? What was I so confused about anyway? He could do whatever he wanted, it's not like he was mine…

Being a female is so darn complicated.

My trail of thought was once again interrupted by yet another text message. Before checking to see who it was from, I promptly peeked from my curtain, but Damon wasn't there. Deciding it was safe, I opened the text:

Knock knock.

Kai. Smiling, I texted back.

Who's there?

Bleep. Kai.

Uhh… ok? I decided to go along with it, just for the sake of it.

Kai who?

Bleep. Kai come in?

I let out at chuckle at that response. It just had to be Kai.

When has that ever stopped you?

A few seconds later, and Kai was sitting on my bed. I didn't even have to get up, with him having my key and all.

"You're right, that has never stopped me. But I wanted to be a true gentleman and knock before I burst in. You might have been naked."

"How noble of you."

"Not that that would have necessarily been a bad thing…"

"Kai!" I gasped, shocked he would even say such a thing.

"Whaaat, my best friend isn't bad to look at, let me be!" He threw my teddy bear at me in reply.

When I said nothing, he continued. "So, what are we doing?"

"We are doing nothing," I replied, petting my bear. "Finals are in a month, Kai, I need to study. As should you," I added, raising an eyebrow.

"I know, I was," he said. "But I need a break. And I haven't seen you in a while, sue me."

I put the bear back on the bed, standing up. "I know, Kai, but I really need to work. I haven't even done anything today. I can't bloody concentrate," I sighed.

"See? That's a sign you need a break too. Come on, Maya, just a quick coffee and I'll bring you back here. Promise. My treat."

I looked at my notes, contemplating his offer. As I looked back at him, I noticed that he had grabbed my teddy bear, his head cocked to one side, waving the bear's hand at me.

"Please?"

Damn those puppy dog eyes. How could I resist?

He was right, I did need that break. A couple of hours later I was back at my desk, going at it like a cheetah on steroids. By night time, I had ploughed through Romeo and Juliet, and started Hamlet. Oh, them tragedies. I could say the same about my love life.

At the library the next day, I was cataloguing some books, moving the trolley through the aisles, all the while listening to Caroline who was following me around like my shadow, telling me about her week, which was anything but a tragedy. Apparently, that time she saw Kol when she was out, he had been with his brother Klaus. As it were, Klaus had apparently wanted to make a move for ages, but it was Kol who actually had to push him into it. As she described it, while she was talking with her friends at the table, Kol and Klaus were at the bar, observing their every move. He finally sent her a drink and eventually plucked up enough courage to speak to her when she got up to visit the ladies' room.

"And how am I getting to know this now?" I asked, jokingly accusing her of not being a good friend.

"I know, I'm sorry… It's just it happened so fast and you had enough drama already with Kol and Shakespeare and whatever else you're studying…"

"Nevermind, it's fine. Proceed. What happened then?"

"Well I was a little light headed but I know he did say one thing," she said, pausing for dramatic effect, resulting in me bouncing up and down, urging her on.

"I fancy you."

In a burst of laughter, I blew whatever spit I had in my mouth. "Seriously?!"

"I know! It was so… British," she exclaimed, her face lighting up.

"And do you fancy him, Miss Forbes?" I teasingly asked, nudging her.

"Stop it," she laughed. "He's sweet and… mysterious."

"Nothing mysterious about 'I fancy you'…. Sounds pretty straightforward to me," I grinned.

She playfully punched my arm, sucking on her teeth. "He's taking me to an art gallery tomorrow, he wants to show me something."

I grinned at her, poking her stomach. "Caroline has a daaateee!"

"Do you know that he paints? You'd like him… when's the last time you've drawn something?" she asked, deciding to ignore me.

"I know, I haven't had the time," I said, getting back to the books.

"Kol?"

"No," I insisted. "Shakespeare. There is nothing going on between me and Kol, remember? The only relationship I have right now is with old Willie."

"Speaking of…" she mumbled, looking ahead.

"What? Shakespeare?" I asked, looking over my shoulder to see what she was looking at.

"No you donut… Kol," she whispered.

"Kol?! Shit… hide me," I mumbled, frantically trying to find a hiding place… not that she was helping really.

"Maya?"

"Too late," she mouthed, forcing herself not to grin. "Hi, Kol."

"Hi Caroline," he smiled. "Maya, can I talk to you for a sec?"

I looked back at Caroline, pleading for some help, only to realise that she was already gone. Some friend. Pfft.

"Uhh, yeah, sure. What's up?" I asked, trying to act cool. Although how good my acting was, I couldn't tell. Inside, I felt like I was going to throw up, my heart threatening to pound right out of my chest. Why was it so hard for me to talk to people?

"Okay, uhh, I'll just go out and say it… are you okay?"

That question caught me off guard so much I started to slip off the shelves I was leaning against. "Uhh, yes?" What that an answer or a question? Was I okay? Ugh. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"I don't know. It's just… something's off. I used to talk to you almost every day, either over coffee, over by your house… or mine," he chuckled.

"Oh yeah, it's nothing. Finals are coming up soon so, I'm not really going out much." I managed to smile.

"Right. But still, I feel like I've done something I don't know I did."

Well, someone was being annoyingly perceptive today.

"What? Nooo," I chuffed, leaning against the shelves again. "Why would you say that?" Clearly, I wasn't going to win an Academy Award anytime soon.

"Well for one thing you're not at the cafeteria at the time you normally are anymore."

"Like I said: finals."

"When you're outside getting the mail, I go outside to talk to you and you promptly go back in, shifting through the papers."

"Uhh… I was expecting a very important letter."

"I'm by the pool, you're in your balcony, but you don't call out."

Crap. He saw that?

"I have pretty good eyesight," he smiled, when it was horribly clear that a look of shock had taken over my eyes.

"I didn't want to interrupt your… swimming session," I tried. Where the hell was my brain coming up with these lame excuses? I mentally slapped myself. I deserved it.

"Okay," he said finally, admitting defeat, with a disappointed look on his face. "Since you obviously have a logical answer to all my questions, I'll leave you be. For now. I'll see you Maya." And with that, he was out of the library, making his way to the cafeteria where we usually meet, and making me feel like the biggest dumbass ever.

"What was that about?" Caroline jumped up from behind me out of nowhere, scaring me half to death.

"Wha – I don't know."

"You're avoiding him. Why?"

"Honestly? I don't know." Not buying it, she simply stood in front of me, hands crossed, waiting for the true answer.

"Ugh, yes, I like him."

"No shocker there."

"It's just… wait, what? Never mind. It's just… what you told me. And what Kai's been telling me."

"What has Kai been telling you?"

"That he doesn't trust him. And you saw him with those girls. Do I want to get involved with someone who hits on every girl he sees? Am I just another one of those girls?"

"Look, honey, I know I said that, but honestly? You never know until you try."

"Easy for you to say, Klaus only has eyes for you."

She blushed. "Why is this bothering you so much, anyway? It's not the first time you've been on a date."

"That's exactly why this is bothering me so much," I replied, waiting for her to join the pieces together. She was right; I had been on a number of dates before, and while I wasn't the most sociable of sorts, I had even managed to be in a couple of relationships that had lasted more than two months. So, what happened, you might ask?

I just was another one of those girls, with a sign on my forehead that apparently said "We're done here. On to the next one." I found my first boyfriend at a party with another girl, while he was 'working', and my second boyfriend left without so much as a goodbye note. Five months later, he was on the newspaper. He was engaged.

Now you see why all the anxiety, especially when I meet the opposite sex. Prevention is better than cure.

"Maya," she started, with an apologetic look on her face. "It doesn't mean Kol's like that, you don't know. He was only talking to them."

"Isn't he? You're right, I don't know. But what if I am just another one of those girls? Who's going to pick up the pieces then?"

She smiled. "Me."

Over the next few days, I ended up playing hide and seek so many times, I lost count. After much hullabaloo from Caroline, I managed to convince her to tell Kol that I wasn't around if he ever showed up at the library looking for me again… which as it turns out, was a lot. The excuses varied from "She's on her break" to "She had to meet her brother" to "She has an appointment" to more ridiculous ones like "She is helping her great-aunt Bertha look for her lost cat". I knew he wasn't buying it, but I couldn't face him. I already had anxiety issues with meeting people as it was, why did things have to become even more complicated?

After today's shift, which involved the excuse "She had jury duty", I made my way to the bank as I needed to deposit my salary cheque, and the ATM wasn't working. Thankfully, the line wasn't long, and fifteen minutes later I was ready to go home.

Until I turned around and found Kol blocking my path, that is. Why me? I wanted to pass through, head low, but it was too late. He had already seen me.

"Maya?"

"Kol?" I asked, trying to act as if nothing was wrong.

"What are you doing here?"

"I – I had to deposit a cheque."

"I thought you had jury duty," he said, obviously suspicious.

"Uhh, yes, I did. I just finished."

"Then why are you wearing your uniform?" I looked down at my clothing. Damn it.

"Oh. Right. Well, you see –"

"Why are you avoiding me Maya?" Why was he so damn straight to the point every time?

"Look, Kol, I'm tired. I just want to get home, please?" I said, pleading.

"No," he replied unfazed. "Not until you tell me what it is I've been doing wrong."

"Kol… we're causing a scene." I looked around at the people in the bank, who had by now started whispering.

"Then just tell me! Tell me, so that I can make it up to you."

"Kol, just leave me alone, okay?" I said frustrated, quickly grabbing my phone which had started to vibrate from my pocket to see who was calling, angrily switching it off. I didn't have time for this.

"Look, Maya," he started, when he noticed Caroline's name lighting up my screen.

"Wait, is this about last weekend when I was with Klaus? She saw me talking to those girls, didn't she?"

Realising my mistake, I slowly put my mobile back in my pocket, cursing myself for being so stupid.

"Okay, I'm not going to hide it. I had a couple of drinks and I was talking to some people, mostly girls. But that's it. I was talking. Klaus was trying to get Caroline's attention and I got bored. That's not a crime, is it?"

"Kol, it's okay, you don't have to explain –"

"No, listen to me," he interrupted. "Maya, I like you. I think everyone except you knows that. Now I don't know what everyone else has been telling you about me – though I have a pretty good idea – but I want to show you that I'm not like that. Yes, I like girls, but what normally sane male doesn't?"

"Uhh… okay?"

"Ugh, that totally came out wrong. I mean, it doesn't mean that I'm going to pounce on every single girl I see."

"Kol really, it's fine –" I tried to make my way to the front door, but he kept blocking my path.

"Let me prove it to you. I know, it's cliché. But give me a chance to show you that I'm not what they think I am. Please."

"I – I have to go."

I pushed past him, determined to make it through this time, but as I walked past, I felt his hand gripping my arm, not ready to let go.

"Please."

I stared in his eyes for what seemed like hours, my eyes searching for honesty; his eyes searching for approval. None of us got our answer though, as the front door suddenly burst open.

"EVERYONE DOWN ON THE GROUND, NOW!"

Ooh :) What do you think? Should she give Kol a chance? Or kick him to the kurb like others did before her? Let me know!