I'm so incredibly sorry for not updating this. I've been all creatively juiced-out for this story. I just needed a little bit of free-form writing to help me come up with new ideas, and I think I got some pretty good ones. Again, I'm sorry for the wait. I can't promise updates every other day – but I can promise they'll be a lot faster then this :)

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Lilly Truscott was never once, in her entire sixteen years of living, afraid to approach anyone. She was never afraid to talk about an issue with any of her classmates, for she always had the upper hand. She wasn't afraid to bitch out her own mother when she refused to buy her the new limited edition Chanel sunglasses. So this feeling of being scared to talk to Oliver and admit to her faults? She wasn't adjusting to it well.

A week has gone by, and Oliver hasn't said a word to her. Did he ask around about her? Does he now hate her, and never want to speak to her again? Repeating Miley's question in her head, Lilly couldn't help but wonder, What hold does this kid have on me?

He no longer tries to sit next to her in any of the classes they have together. She catches him glancing at her once and while, but she tries to avoid noticing that, for it ends up with them making eye contact – which ends up being awkward.

She sat at lunch, again, not feeling hungry. She fiddled around with her salad, pushing a cucumber slice around with her fork.

Jake was next to her, and looked at her with concern. "Hey, you okay?" He asked, placing his arm around her.

She smiled weakly at him, leaning forward and pecking him on the lips. "I'm fine." She took the fork and shoved a piece of lettuce into her mouth. She didn't like the speculation she was getting. Even from Jake, who's usually too much of a moron to pick up on anything.

Jake watched her for another minute or so before returning to his conversation with Michael. Lilly sighed, and continued playing with her meal. She looked up and placed her chin onto the palm of her hand. She scanned the cafeteria, out of pure boredom, and stopped when she reached familiar brown eyes. They were Oliver's. He was staring right at her. They stayed like that, making eye contact, for what seemed like way longer then a minute, until she finally broke it. She stood up from her table.

"Miley, I have to use the bathroom." She informed, picking up her food so she could dispose of it on the way to the restroom.

Miley set down her sandwich, instantly getting up and following her friend.

--

Oliver shook his head, watching her walk away with her brunette friend.

Kyle looked at his new friend knowingly. "Dude, have you even talked to her?"

Oliver looked up, his face etched with confusion. "To who?"

Kyle rolled his eyes. "Lilly! You're always staring at her. She's hot and all, but it's getting a little creepy."

Oliver sighed, and ran his fingers through his hair. He looked distressed. "Listen, man. I have talked to her, okay?"

Kyle raised his eyebrows. "You have?" He asked, sounding skeptical.

"I'm not lying!" Oliver defended. "I met her over the summer. She was so different then. She was nice. And funny. We hung out every day."

Kyle looked at Oliver with disbelieving eyes. His expression read from 'I kind of feel sorry for you' to 'Wow, I can't believe I ever talked to you.' "Alright, I don't know what fantasy world you're living in but -"

"-It's true!" Oliver cut him off. "I swear! It was in Mexico!" He groaned. Then a thought hit him. His cellphone. He had a picture of her on there. It was of her and a talking parrot one of the natives had. She wanted a picture with it, but didn't have her digital camera with her. Oliver took the liberty of taking it. He quickly got out his phone.

Kyle watched curiously as Oliver fumbled with the buttons.

"Here!" Oliver held the picture up to him. "I took that! In Mexico! Because she wanted a picture with the stupid parrot!"

Kyle slumped back down into his seat. He scratched his head, thinking. "Well, I mean. Yeah. I guess I believe you." He bit his lip. "She was.. nice?" He asked in disbelief.

He nodded. "And funny." He subconsciously looked her way. She was back from wherever it was she walked off to.

"Wait." Kyle said. "If you're cool with Lilly.. could you get me in with Miley?" He looked hopeful.

Oliver furrowed his eyebrows. "Who's Miley?"

He sighed. "Her best friend! The brunette she's always with! You should know this!"

Oliver nodded slowly. He knew exactly who he was talking about now. "Oh." He grinned. "So.. you like this Miley girl?"

Kyle nodded. "Yeah. She's amazing. One time, in freshmen biology, she was my partner for this assignment we had." He sighed. "It was awesome."

Oliver couldn't help but chuckle. "And you think I'm the creepy one?"

"I don't sit there and stare at her!" He defended himself.

He laughed. "Sorry, dude, but I don't think I can get you with her. Lilly won't even talk to me."

Kyle shrugged. "So, talk to her."

"I've tried.."

"Try again!" He urged him.

Oliver narrowed his eyes. "You just want me to be cool with Lilly again so you can get to Miley."

"No, I just want you to be happy." He replied sarcastically, grinning.

Oliver rolled his eyes just as the bell rang. He threw away his trash, say goodbye to Kyle, and headed off to English class. Which Lilly is in. He took a deep breath.

--

Oliver got to English fairly early. Lilly wasn't there yet. He sighed and took a sit off to the left hand corner. Suddenly, the smell of Lavenders rushed into the room. He looked up. Lilly had entered, one of her other friends following behind her. This one had brown hair also, but he knew it wasn't Miley. Her name was Jacqueline.. he was almost sure of it. She was cute, he noticed. But all thoughts of Jacqueline went down the drain when Lilly took the seat next to him.

He looked around the room, checking to see if this was the only available seat and she sat here because there was absolutely no where else to go. He thought he was going delusional. There were plenty of seats available.

She cleared he throat. Slowly, he turned to her.

She handed him a small folded piece of pink paper. He opened it. It had an address on it. He looked up, his eyebrows knitted together tightly.

"Come to my house after school today." She told him before he could even ask her what it was. "Come through the back way. Text me. I'll let you in." She clutched her purse and stood up from the desk. She leaned in, right before walking away. "We need to talk."

She didn't even give him enough time to protest, to agree, to say anything, before she walked away and took her normal seat at the back of the classroom next to Jacqueline.

Oliver scratched the back of his neck nervously. Was he really going to go to Lilly's? He sighed. He had to. This was probably his only chance to get all the answers out of her. She's finally willing to talk to him. He needed to take this opportunity. He glanced at her, but she wasn't looking at him. She didn't look at him for the entire class.

--

Oliver fumbled with the address in his hands. He looked up to the house. Yup. It was the right address alright. He was sweating, he noticed, as he walked up Lilly's driveway. The house was huge, but he couldn't concentrate on how amazing her house was at the moment.

He gulped, walking through to the back. He got out his phone, sucked it up, and texted her, letting her know he was outside.

Merely minutes later, the back screen opened and Lilly appeared. Her hair was thrown up into a high bun and she was wearing white shorts and a plain baby blue tee.

"Is baby blue your favorite color?" He randomly asked, before he could stop himself.

She looked confused at first, but then nodded. She grinned. "Yeah, it is. How'd you know?"

He shrugged. "I don't know. I just noticed you wear it a lot. Like that sweatshirt you wore the first night we met." He mentally kicked himself. Way to sound creepy, Oliver.

All she did was smile. "Yeah. I can't believe you remember." She shook her head, but seemed pleased. "You can come in, you know."

"Oh, right." He chuckled, as he followed her into her house and up one flight of stairs. Finally, they reached her bedroom.

He looked around. Her walls were baby blue. Go figure, he thought.

She sat cross-legged on her bed.

He sat down awkwardly onto her computer desk chair.

She sighed. "I'm sorry I've been ignoring you."

He shrugged. "It's fine, I guess."

She shook her head. "It's really not, though. I mean.. I should at least tell you why."

"Yeah." He nodded. "That's be nice." He chuckled.

She cracked a smile. "Well, first off.. I lied to you. A lot."

He nodded slowly. "Yeah, I kind of got that." He furrowed his eyebrows. "Why?"

She shrugged, and played around with her bed comforter. "Well, I guess because I was sick of my life?"

"You?" He asked incredulously. "What are you talking about? I've seen people at school – They're all over you."

She sighed. "That's the thing!" She shouted. "I'm sick of having to perfect all the time! I hate having to live up to all these people's expectations!" She groaned. "I didn't know you, I thought I'd never see you again. I didn't want to be Lilly Truscott, the girl everyone loved.. or hated." She laughed bitterly at that. "I wanted to be Lilly Truscott, just a normal girl."

"So.." She started. "You became Lilly Stewart?"

She nodded. "Yes."

"First of all, Lilly, you could never be a normal girl." Her face fell. He stood up and walked over to her, placing a hand on her shoulder. "You're too beautiful to ever be a normal girl."

She smiled, and he thought he saw a faint blush on her cheeks. She playfully pushed his hand away. "Yeah, yeah."

He sat back down in the chair. "So.. just one question." She raised her eyebrows. "Was that the real you? The one you showed me?"

She bit her lip. "Well, I guess it's more of the person I want to be. The person I should be if I wasn't so.." She sighed. "pressured."

He nodded, and looked at her sadly. "I really liked that person."

Lilly looked back at him in the same expression. "Yeah, me too."

She groaned. "I just want someone to tell me it's okay!" She shouted, standing up from her bed and pacing. "That it's okay to fail a test at least once in your life, that it's okay to wear sweats to school, that it's okay to just be.. normal!"

Oliver blinked, taken a back at her outburst.

Suddenly, Lilly's bed started vibrating. She walked over and picked up her cellphone. "It's Jake." She said coldly. She looked to Oliver. "I think you should go."

He nodded. He stood up from her chair and made his way over to Lilly. She looked at him, confused as to why he wasn't leaving. He hugged her, and whispered into her ear. "It's okay."

--

Um. Haha. I don't know. Hoped you liked it, even with the long wait!

Review!

xo,

Steph.