Tyler's POV.

Whistling away I slammed my locker shut, now that I had retreated my black sports bag from it. I felt good. Really good. I mean, apart from rumours about the whole Matt situation during school, today had been pretty successful for everyone. At least I thought so. Sounds distracted my mood. Whimpers. As I turned the final corner of blue lockers and curved the bench centered in the middle, I saw who was releasing the whimpers. My heart skipped a beat. In fact, everything stopped at that moment. A beautiful need to comfort her flushed right through me. I shoved my bag of off my right shoulder immediately and my feet fluttered over to her in a quick motion. I knelt down so I was on eye level with her.

Caroline starred at me as she felt my hand touch her arm. Stray tears sparkled off her ivory skin that looked so graceful with her golden hair. However I couldn't be struck by her beauty now. I had to help her. "Oh Care" was all I could say. She let out noises and let my warm arms wrap around her. I shushed her as we sat in the cold floor, reassuring her everything was okay even though I had no real idea of what her sudden break down was about. Holding onto my hand she finally started to find her breath and calmed her crying. She sat up from lolling on me, which I didn't mind, and looked at me. "How can we be like this?" She whispered. The words vagley reminded of something I had said only a couple of weeks ago. We've never been close...not like this... I repeated my own words in my head. I also repeated the feelings I were feeling as I spoke them. It was when my fascination with my newly found friend had started, although now, my fascination had turned into something much deeper and my newly found friend had turned into...well... a friend. I thought, saddened by the fact. It overwhelmed me if I was honest. How I had to remind myself that we were and could only ever be just friends.

"Be like what?" I finally answered, brushing back a piece of hair clinging to her eyelashes. She blinked as a random, last tear dropped from her right eye.
Shrugging she replied. "Like... this...a month ago I wouldn't dare let you invade my personal space, forget hugging me! and that I-" She paused as if she she'd been in the middle of slipping up on a huge secret. Maybe she had. I, however was eager. That she what? She sighed and let out a humourless laugh. "that I kind of feel better when you invade my personal space and hug me..." she said. That sweet innocent voice that could get anything it wanted, making the toughest of guys feel warm and fuzzy. I replied with a smile. I desperately wanted to kiss her, to hug her even more and make her feel even better. I wanted to tell her about these foreign feelings that have been floating around me since that night in her house, when I admitted to her things I couldn't to anyone else. And how, since she has came into my life fully, I realised I did have someone to talk to, someone to tell how scared I was and how much I actually needed someone to be there for me.

She sniffled and stood up. I looked up at her as she smiled gratfully. "Come one!" she exclaimed, in what I pressumed faking a smile. "Your the hero of the night and we're sitting her with numb asses of the cold floor, cuddling and crying! we should be celebrating doing something wild" excitment flickered in her eyes. I laughed and jumped up to her putting one of my hands on her cheek, feeling her usual cold skin fluster. "Easy there tiger..." I said in a calming tone. Her excitment faded into pure friendiness and something more that I couldn't quite figure out just now.

"Okay... well lets at least go get something to eat on the way home. My treat?" She asked. I laughed not noticing how our faces were inches apart.
"I'm sorry, I'm taking you home?" I asked sarcastically, attempting to lighten to mood. It worked. Caroline giggled and fluttered her long lashes.

"Damn right you are Lockwood!"

We drove to find a good looking burger place. The drive was quiet but we appreciated the silence. It gave us both time to think. I, personally was thinking about decisions. Tonight I had Caroline all to myself. I could take advantage of that and tell her how about these crazy feelings, or I could do what I always did. Drop her off at her house and remain bottled up possibly until Mason comes back. God dammit why did this have to be so hard? Why did I care so much if she did reject me? Or maybe that was exactly it. Maybe I was scared in case she didn't. I was scared for the long term. Her leaving me. Could I go through loosing another person? First Vicki, then my Dad, then Mason and now probably Matt. I already knew the answer. Caroline pointed out that she knew a good burger place just around the corner and so we removed ourselves from my car and entered the shop. She wasn't that hungry so she just ordered a small hamburger. I laughed when the guy asked me for my order.

"A double cheeseburger, extra ketchup, tomatoes, lettuce and onions... but not a lot of onions" I turned to an astonished Caroline and whispered. "I hate onions!" She giggled, her tongue sticking out of her teeth. She made comments of how I could sure as hell eat a lot. Surprisingly our food was done pretty quickly.

"Do you want to find a bench or something?" Asked Caroline as she handed over a ten dollar bill, awaiting her change. I nodded taking a huge bite out of the burger. Honestly it wasn't as great as it sounded when I was saying it. Walking out of the shop we slowly walked to a small wooden bench sitting just across the road from where the car was parked. Rubbings my stomach after my actually-too-much-to-eat burger I threw the remains and wrapper in the trash can just at the side of us, Caroline not far after. The streetlight only made her look even more divine that what she usually did. Her eyelashes seemed thicker and longer and her hair had a particular glow to it. Then something came to mind. Before I could stop myself I spoke in a soft, tender voice.

"Caroline what was all that about in the locker room?" slightly shifting my body weight in order to make myself closer to her, giving her my full attention. I sighed as if she knew it was coming. A small smile touched her lips almost in regret.

"Everything just kind of..." She paused, eyes glued to the floor. "Came over me. I'm stronger than that, I am it was just a moment of weakness" I waited for her to continue with her story. And so she explained. How Matt had walked in, made another completely unnecessary comment. My teeth grinded against each other. What the hell was his problem? I mean yeah, okay be mad at me but what has Caroline done? I was infuriated. Caroline noticed my mood change.

"But I feel fine now" She reasured me. Well, tried to reasure me. I rolled my eyes.
"What do you mean by 'everything came over you'? what's been going on Care?" I had to ask. In a way I was taking out my anger on her, which I knew was wrong but I didn't know any better in my state of mind at the moment. Suddenly it hit me. She had been feeling what I had. About me and her, about us... maybe she was falling for me faster than I was falling for her. The look in her eyes told me I was right. I didn't bother asking her. I should have. But instead I just suggested that I take her home as it was getting late. An uncertain atmosphere clouded the car and I was uneasy as we pulled up outside Caroline's house. She didn't get out straight away. Instead she looked at me, waiting for me to say something. I tried putting into words but I couldn't. And this may very well be my last opportunity.

She broke the silence. "Well this is me" She pointed her thumb to her house. I nodded. Her face broke my heart but the moment she was about the get out the car I stopped her with my voice.

"Caroline..." She responded by turning, leaving the door open. I sighed and looked at the steering wheel. She understood and shut the door, relaxing in her seat. "Have you ever... thought about us?" I asked. I was truly pathetic. She was clearly shocked, but hid it well. She shrugged.

"I guess... we're friends Tyler" She laughed and leaned over, kissing me gently on the cheek. Her lips lingered for a while but she soon pulled away. "I'll see you Monday..."

She opened the car door and was gone. My cheek tingled and a sudden rush of adrenaline ran through my veins. I opened the door, unashamed of what I was about to door. Caroline must have heard my door shut as she looked from her front door. I ran to her, god I ran. My hands cradled her face. She looked in my eyes, lips slightly parted. My forehead rested on hers, our noses touching. Her cool breathe against my hot skin. I simply couldn't resist the temptation anymore, and she couldn't either. I kissed her, those gorgeous red rose lips I'v been wanting to kiss for weeks now. Passion and danger. What a mix. We knew we shouldn't be doing this, we knew this was "breaking the rules" but we both wanted it, we both needed this. My hands entangled in her silky hair and her hands placed on my chest. My heart raced and I knew hers would be too if such a thing could be possible. She pulled away, her hands now around my neck and my hands still within strands of her hair.

My voice had escaped me. I just smiled. "We shouldn't have done that" she whispered her eyes still closed, our foreheads and noses still touching. I laughed and nodded. Her eyes opened. Her arms were now at her side. Sadness hung in her sky blue pupils. "Friends..." She repeated. I looked at her.

"Friends don't kiss each other like that Caroline!" I spoke. She shrugged knowing I was right.
"You caught me of guard how could I reject you?" She fought.
"WHAT?" I yelled. "you could have pulled away, hurried getting inside your house or even slapped me in the face! but no..." I paused and wrapped my arms around her waist, she pushed me away but I ignored her and pulled her closer to me. "you put arms around my neck and your lips against mine..." I whispered in her ear. She blinked and moved out of my hold.

"I think you should leave..." She said not looking me in the eye. I was about to protest but knew it would end in a fight. Not just a verbal one neither. I sighed and walked away. Just like that. I should have stuck there and refused to leave until she admitted her feelings towards me. Feelings that maybe I'd been kidding myself about. Feelings that maybe don't contain within her heart at all...