Jane glanced up at Reid from her math book. He was looking at her just like Tyler had before he had kissed her. The two boys had always looked at her like that and she had never understood why. But Jane knew now and she wished she didn't.

Because looking at Reid's expression was like looking at the death of the three's friendship. And to Jane that sounded like the worst idea ever – no matter how much Tyler's kiss had set her on fire and no matter how hard her heart was pounding now in response to the look on Reid's face.

She shut her book and began to gather her things. "I have to go," she told Reid. Her voice seemed to awaken him from his trance and he thankfully stopped looking at her like she was his first Christmas morning. She was glad he made no move to stop or follow her as she swung her bag around. Turning, she began walking away.

"Wait," he said. He sounded so much like Tyler when he had pleaded with her not to leave him after their kiss. She couldn't fight her response this time and stopped, turning around to look at him.

He was looking at her in that way again and Jane was scared. He attempted a smile. "Nicky's later?" he asked.

And Jane said, "Yes," because she had never been able to answer in the negative when either boy had given her that Look. She didn't understand why before but she did now and she wished she didn't. The only reason she had left Tyler after their kiss was because she was so struck by the heartbroken expression on Reid's face. Inwardly, Jane knew Tyler's had matched Reid's when she had abandoned him in an effort to find the blonde and console him.

Reid smiled for the first real time in days and it was almost worth it. "I'll pick you up at eight," he told her almost shyly. But Reid Garwin was never shy and Jane felt her heart clench in something she wished wasn't anticipation. She told herself that she wouldn't wrap herself up in a bow just to see him smile. She knew she was lying.

He had never picked her up for anything before by himself. It was either she met him up or both he and Tyler came around to her room. The change almost physically hurt her. But she said a small, "Okay," because the one thing that could probably contend with the Look would be one of their smiles.

His smile grew wider and all Jane could say in reply to it was, "Merry Christmas," before turning and walking away. She tried to tell herself it wasn't a promise.

-

Reid walked her to her door and she would've laughed at the teen movie angst of it all if she weren't so anxious.

"So," she said, stopping in front of her door. She inwardly winced at the cliché manner of it all. Couldn't she have said something a little more intelligent?

"So," Reid said back. Jane suddenly didn't feel so dense, because, surely, if Jane were stupid for saying it in the first place, Reid was stupider for repeating it. "I had fun, Janie," he said it like it was supposed to answer all her questions.

Jane rolled her eyes. "Duh, when do we not?"

Reid smirked. "This is true." He scratched the back of his head, skewing his beanie some.

They stood there for several moments.

"Screw this," Jane said, throwing her hands in the air helplessly. "I don't know why the hell this is so awkward right now but this is a little too much Not Another Teen Movie for my tastes. I'll see you tomorrow." She turned away.

Reid grabbed her arm. "Wait," Jane could hear the Look in his voice. She closed her eyes then turned around.

"What?" It came out a lot less sharp than Jane wanted it to. She looked away in shame. Damnit, how the hell was she supposed to ward him off if she was acting normally instead of being a bitch?

He didn't say anything and just Looked at her. When she refused to meet his gaze he took a hold of her chin and tilted it accordingly. "Its only fair," Reid said softly.

"What's only fair?" she asked, her voice a little too breathy for her tastes.

Reid leaned down so that their mouths were only a few inches apart. "It's only fair that if Tyler got his teen movie moment I got mine as well." His breath fanned against her face and she closed her eyes again, signaling her agreement to his unspoken question. She already knew she could never deny him when he Looked at her like that.

Being kissed by Reid was different than what she expected. It was softer, and it literally curled her toes. His tongue slipped in and explored as if he was trying to savor her, as if she was the best thing he ever tasted (Jane was scared because she liked feeling that way). And, although it was different than her expectations, it was undeniably Reid. His scent was in the air and his sheathed palms weren't itchy but such a different texture from his skin that she almost arched in the decadence of the whole experience.

What wasn't surprising was how different his kiss was from Tyler's. If Jane could ever bring herself to compare the two kisses (which she later did in the comfort of her bed, however much she tried not to) she would notice that both boys kissed like how she had expected the other to. Tyler's had been passionate and frantic. He had kissed her with a desperation that comes only from hearing the girl you're in love with talk about another boy and thinking herself in love with him. Tyler's kiss made her forget everything but the kiss while Reid's had made her hypersensitive to the world around her (if she could just combine the two it would be a heady experience. But it was wrong to think such things so Jane shook that thought away).

She realized there was one thing that was similar with the two kisses when Reid released her: they both made her forget she had a boyfriend.

Jane scowled at the smirking, triumphant Reid. "You're an asshole," she told him, shaking her head in disappointment and irritated beyond belief.

Reid can safely say he didn't run away after this kiss, because Jane pushed him away and went inside her room before he could do so.

TBC.

Disclaimer: The Covenant isn't mine.

A/N: She's kind of being a bitch. Can you blame her? The two boys are assaulting her and she doesn't know what to do.