A/N: This chapter isn't what I saw at first, but I'm glad it changed my mind. I truly hope you enjoy it and I would honestly LOVE it if you let me know your feelings on it! Much of this was written while listening to the fantastic group Lost in the Trees if you have never heard of them you should look them up and witness the wonderment they bring.

The title of this chapter is inspired by the song Almost Lover (Can you tell me the artist?) and it came when I was completely unispired to write this, I'm glad I happened upon hearing it, or perhaps it happened upon me.

Enjoy.

Almost Lovers

Annie was closer to throwing a fit than she had been since she was five years old, a hair pulling, teeth gritting, leg kicking tantrum. With her fingers knotted in her hair, she stared at her dismal reflection. Of all the clothes strewn about her floor, the ones she was wearing were certainly the worst. Throwing her hands up in exasperation, she fell backwards onto her bed, blowing out a huge breath of air as a steam engine would billow a scalding mist. Honestly, she thought, what in the hell did one wear to a beach party in October?

For the past two hours she had been at this, terrorizing her closet in search of something perfect. If only she had any idea of what that might be. A glance at her alarm clock told her that she had little more than an hour before Corrine came to call, whisking her off to a night of drunken delusions on the edge of the world. She hoped nobody would drown.

"You're trying too hard."

Annie bolted from her bed, so startled that her hands were shaking. Her eyes darted about the room, finally coming to rest on her open window outside of which Corrine was resting on a branch that belonged to the giant oak tree just outside. She looked as a lioness lounging after a long afternoon hunt.

"Jesus, Corrine! You scared me to death," Annie breathed.

"You look okay to me," Corrine winked as she gracefully slithered into Annie's bedroom.

"I have a front door, for future reference," Annie rolled her eyes, but there were hints of a smirk on her lips.

"Where's the fun in that," Corrine replied, "Anyways, I'm here to rescue you from a fashion faux pas. In short, I'll choose for you."

Without waiting for a response, Corrine pranced to Annie's closet and began riffling through. Annie watched her closely. There was something telling about her as though her image was wavering and Annie could catch glimpses of the girl trapped inside a brilliant costume.

"You look good in blue, as Jai pointed out and if Jai noticed, all of the boys will notice."

Auggie won't notice, Annie thought absentmindedly. She started then, as though the thought spooked her.

"God. Don't freak out so much Walker, you'll have wrinkles before you're thirty," Corrine scoffed, misreading Annie's reaction. She was quickly distracted though and soon began throwing an entire outfit at Annie to try on. "This is definitely perfect for you."

Once dressed, Annie looked at her reflection with a smatter of indignation. For two hours she had unsuccessfully searched for an outfit that worked and then this near stranger waltzed into her room and easily threw something together. It was annoying. But she had to admit that the dark wash jeans, white Toms, and three quarter length navy and white striped top worked seamlessly.

"How did you do that so fast," Annie asked, trying her hardest not to pout. Her mother was always telling her that it was unbecoming.

"I'm a professional sweetheart," Corrine said with empathy, "Trust me."

xXx

For the first time in her short seventeen years, Annie was afraid for her life. The car swerved and bucked, it whizzed through yellow lights and rolled around corners just centimeters from curbs and she was absolutely positive that before the night was over she would be dead in a ditch. It was like Corrine was daring the universe to put her in her place.

"Holy shit," Annie exclaimed, squeezing her eyes closed as the car came to a screeching halt, mere inches from destroying the back of a Mercedes. Eyes still closed, Annie groped for something (anything!) that would keep her in her seat because, with Corrine at the wheel, the seatbelt wasn't enough.

Corrine, who was haphazardly searching for a CD while simultaneously making sure the beer wasn't clanging too much and NOT keeping her eyes on the road, looked at Annie with something of a manic smile.

"Relax Barbie," Corrine said, laughing as Annie's eyes narrowed at the cursed moniker, "I'm in control. Oh! Here's that damn CD!"

She slid the CD into the disc player that sucked it in like a spaghetti noodle and as soon as the music slipped through the speakers, Corrine was all but dancing in her seat. Annie hung on for dear life.

xXx

The smells and sounds of the ocean wrapped about him like warm bath water, dousing him in comfort and familiarity. Cool, salt scented air rushed off of the deep velvet blue waters, carrying with it a gentle mist like a kiss from the ocean. Auggie smiled as it touched his face. He loved the ocean. Always had. There was something sacred about the atmosphere, about the roar of water or the way it made the earth soft, about the way the ocean and the sky seemed to meet in the distance, stretching as one into eternity.

A car door slammed and, after a few gritty footsteps, a gentle hand touched his arm.

"You ready," Jamie asked, waiting for his brother's hand to wrap securely around his elbow before heading down to the beach.

"I'm always ready," Auggie smiled. He listened to the voices wafting up from further down the beach, the wind dulling their volume and carrying them away, "Are there a lot of people here yet?"

"Nah, not to many," he answered, his eyes scanning over the dozen or so people on the shore. He smiled at his brother and in a voice much softer, he said. "Sunset's real nice tonight though."

"Yea?" A sad smile pulled at his mouth.

"Yea."

"Hey, hey," Corrine called, approaching them with swagger in her hips and two red-plastic cups in her hands. "You made it!"

"There were doubts," Auggie asked skeptically as he took the cup she touched to his hand. Bringing it to his nose, he breathed deeply and smiled. "Sam Adams. Somebody loves me."

"Well, with this old lady carting you around, one never knows," she laughed, tapping Jamie with her fist. He rolled his eyes. "And I love you. There's enough variety tonight to satisfy an Irish fraternity so get down there and help yourselves."

"I owe you my soul," Auggie said reverently after taking a swig of beer, "Oh hey, is Annie here?"

"Absolutely," she replied, dragging out the word, "Drove her here myself."

"Is she alive," Jamie muttered.

"Ha! Ha!" Corrine laughed triumphantly. "I knew I could get you to talk to me!"

"Cory," a voice called at a distance, "Cory come on! We're playing beer pong and we need our reining queen!"

"Aha! I'm on my way," she yelled back before returning her attention to the brothers, "My court has summoned me. I'll catch up with you two later!"

After giving Auggie a quick peck on the cheek, she tripped through the sand, barefoot Jamie noticed, to attend to her intoxicated subjects. Before they made it halfway to the bonfire at the center of the beach, Auggie had already downed half his beer. Jamie, taking notice, dumped his own untouched beer into his older brother's cup, tossing the empty vessel into the trash.

"Not in the mood," Auggie asked with amusement.

"We've already got a drunk queen and a well on his way king," Jamie began with a sigh, "I don't think we need a drunk court jester too."

"Well said, little brother. Well said."

xXx

"Oh!" The small crowd chorused as Annie's ping pong ball made a buoy impression in the half buried cup of beer. She threw up her arms in triumph, her teammates gave her claps on the back and impromptu hugs for the victory she brought them.

"Okay, okay," Conrad shouted over the raucous teenagers, being on the opposing team he had had more beer and it smeared his speech. "Who's sinking this one?"

He dug the last cup out of the ground and looked among his teammates. "Corrine!" They announced collectively before bursting into laughter. Everyone's cheeks were rosy, their blood rushing beneath their skin. The aforementioned walked towards Conrad to pay her team's penance, her hips swaying rhythmically.

"You guys are such lightweights," she said in mock annoyance before chugging the last cup of the game. Once the contents were drained another bout of cheers arose and Annie couldn't help but be impressed, Corrine had drained four cups already.

"Anyone up for another round," Conrad asked. A few of the audience decided to join in, but the majority who'd already played laughed and meandered away, their bodies in disagreement with their feet as to where they were going.

Corrine sauntered up to Annie, her eyes unnaturally bright with a mixture of dying sunlight and booze.

"Looks like you won this round, sweetheart," she said in a low voice close to Annie's ear, "But I'm still king of this hill."

She blew Annie a kiss and flashed a dangerous smile before falling into step with a group of her friends headed towards the parking area. Annie wasn't entirely sure how to feel about the other girl's reaction. She was as changing as the wind.

"Hey Annie!"

She spun to see who called her, her previous thoughts erased instantly. Jamie was waving at her from his seat by the bonfire, she smiled hugely, though not necessarily because of Jamie. Beside him sat August Anderson, his chestnut hair wind tossed, his beautiful face sharpened by the flickering firelight. The russet orange hoodie he wore looked warm, and as the chill wind kissed Annie's skin she wished she could crawl in with him. Oh how his flesh would feel against hers.

On her way to the inviting fire and company, her body began to sway with the music that slid smoothly from the car speakers of one of Corrine's beer pong teammates. He smiled when he saw her, giving a small nod. As she sat a little less than graceful beside Auggie on the makeshift driftwood bench, he smiled in her direction.

"I hear congratulations are in order," he said, his warm brown eyes sleepy, "My sources tell me that you just pwned at beer pong."

"I did, though I can't say Corrine was too happy about it." As she spoke, her honey brown eyes spied the oversized blue cooler that held the evening's spirits, like some twisted treasure chest, tempting and magical. "You need a refill?"

Her hand fell comfortably to his knee, a habit she'd nurtured during her time with Ben, her cheeks flushed with realization of her actions. Quickly she pulled away as though touching hot coals, Jamie's eyes were wide his mouth a half formed grin.

"Uh. Sam Adams," Auggie answered belatedly and a bit out of breath. It may have been from the fire's heat or the warmth of alcohol heating his blood but Annie could swear Auggie looked a bit flushed.

"Great! And Jamie?" Her words were rushed together and she stood awkwardly, ready to flee the scene of a brutally murdered conversation.

"Just Coke," he answered, his smile aggravatingly huge.

The icy cold glass beneath her fingertips felt like a rush of heaven on her too hot skin. Her skin felt swollen and tingly, her bones a slick, supple liquid. It had been months since she'd had her hands on this much booze and it felt magical, liberating. She took in the two brothers sitting side by side, Jamie was leaning in towards Auggie's ear, whispering something that made the latter boy smiled wickedly. She shook out her blonde hair and smiled, pretending not to notice the exchange.

"Drinks on me tonight, boys," she giggled, holding Auggie's drink out for him after handing Jamie his soda.

There was an awkward pause when he didn't respond and she blushed a brilliant pink. Her mind was too fogged to work out this problem herself, surely it would have been simple were she sober. The moment lasted only a split second before Jamie came to the rescue, taking the drink from Annie and lightly touching the ultra cool bottle to the back of his brother's hand.

"You can buy me drinks anytime," Auggie smirked, completely unaware of the awkward tension Annie held in her shoulders as she retook her seat beside him.

"Good to know!" She exclaimed, finding the comment more funny than it probably was. She popped the top from her own Sam Adams and took a long swig.

The air suddenly went softer, the heavily dropped beats that had been pulsing from the car speakers had ceased to be, replaced by the smooth, singing notes of a piano. Corrine came dancing up then, her smile wide, her eyes bright, sweater lost, tank top thin and hair tangled. She looked stunningly wild.

"You're going to dance with me," she said to Auggie, taking his hand into hers, "Won't you please darling?"

"I would be delighted," Auggie smiled. He stood to his feet, stumbling slightly before Corrine caught his other arm. "God I've had too much to drink…"

"Hurry, hurry, I love this song," she urged, pulling him along, closer to where the music wielding vehicle was idling.

"If I'm not back in twenty minutes, come looking for me," Auggie laughed.

"More like ten," Jamie muttered once the two were out of earshot.

"You don't trust her," Annie asked before she could stop herself, her bones weren't the only thing that alcohol made loose.

He looked at her then, his light green eyes alert, absent of the haze of booze that clouded everyone else within a hundred foot radius. His gaze wandered back to the dancing couple. They looked happy, Auggie's hands on her waist, her fingers entwined behind his neck, they were laughing and talking. A pang of longing clenched in Annie's stomach, all her emotions intensified by the night's activities.

"She's not… responsible," he said softly. Annie got the feeling that Jamie did everything softly. "And sometimes she forgets."

"So what's her story anyways, why is she so… Reckless?"

"Because she doesn't care," he answered simply, "She threw in the towel a long time ago. I just don't want her pulling Auggie down with her."

At that same moment a flash of very pale, very cold male genitalia streamed past her vision, it's owner hooting and hollering as he ran with his arms up in victory across the beach. His goose bumps were so severe that Annie could see them from where she was sitting. Her eyes were wide as lollipops, jaw slack in surprise.

"I would like to introduce you to Yahya," Jamie said through his warm laughter, "But we like to call him Streaker Johnny."

"I think I know Johnny a little more than I would like to," she laughed, unable to tear her eyes away from the sight.

"Streaker Johnny strikes again," Corrine exclaimed dramatically as she brought Auggie back to the fire, "Annie you are now officially part of our sick little family and Auggie you've never been so lucky to be blind!"

"Damn straight," Auggie laughed.

xXx

One hour later and the once lively beach held a completely different scene. Dozens of comforters and sleeping bags were sprawled all across the sand with teenagers squeezed beneath, curling together to fend off cold and the ever-present loneliness that burns in the bones of adolescence.

Annie found herself happily cocooned between August and Jamie, their heat warming her to her toes. No one was asleep yet, everyone simply enjoying the sleepy stupor that comes after the high, gazing at the stars and realizing for the first time how truly small they are. Annie herself had never taken the time to fathom the universe, but tonight it seemed like the right thing to do.

Briefly she glanced over at the tall brunette that laid beside her, Corrine's hand was laying palm up on his chest and his long fingers were tracing senseless patterns on it's surface, his soft eyes galaxies away. Annie wished she could follow him but knew she would never be able to.

Without consideration, she laid her head on Auggie's shoulder, her heart fluttering when laid his head on hers. It had been the best night of the year, the heart that had been broken into too many pieces was being put back together. For the longest time she thought it wouldn't get better, but now she knew for certain that it would. She let her eyes drift closed, her body aware of the skin that melded with her own; Jamie's arm pressed against her, her arm on his stomach, someone's leg across her thigh, a hand near her shoulder, Auggie's steady breathing rustling her hair.

There was something sacred in this closeness as so many people laid as one like almost lovers on the brink of brilliance. It was something that couldn't be spoken aloud, something that could only be translated by the unity of beating hearts.

I hope you enjoyed.
If so please leave a comment to let me know and if not I would love to know why.
Really I would!
I know that some of you are probably wondering where the A-Squared romance is.
It's coming I can promise you that but I want it to be intimate I want it to take time and feel real.
Thank you for reading!