Sorry for the wait to my few readers, I'm pretty inconsistent with my updates so you'll never know when I'll put out another chapter. Like always, feel free to message me; whether it be questions, hate mail, love letters, or just how your day was I don't care. Your suggestions and opinions are appreciated though.

Chapter 2:

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters at all, they belong to ABC family, I'm just borrowing them. If I owned these characters I would be rich enough to actually be a writer.

Talya's POV-

"Okay class, today we are going to be staring a new project. A group project; which means, you have to work in groups." Timothy, the English teacher sends a look Callie's way and she just rolls her eyes.

That's kind of adorable the way she thinks she's being all rebellious. Wait, what I am I thinking? She's the reason Brandon broke with me. Though, I guess upon further reflection he wasn't the best boyfriend. He always had that faraway look in his eyes, he never really tuned in. I just sigh and wait as Timothy calls out all the names of the groups.

"…Let's see and last but not least Callie and Talya." I glance over at Callie whose eyes widen a bit and for a second I swear I thought I saw her smile but it might have been my imagination because immediately she puts on her bored face again. Hmm… interesting, I wonder if I imagined that because if I didn't this could be fun.

"Now, I picked these groups for a reason so there will be no trading or switching of partners, got it." Around me the class just half-groans because no one's really that awake, except for me. I'm fine as long as I have my cup of green tea in the morning. "The point of this project is to get to know your partner, along with all their strengths and the cracks in their armor. Now, I know none of you want to open up to people you're not even friends with but this is for a significant percentage of your grade so maybe that will motivate you." The class lets out another grown tuning in now that they know this counts for a grade.

This will be soooo much fun because Callie is such a sharer. Pshhh, yeah right. After waiting for the classroom to settle down again, Timothy continues with his directions.

"Anyways, after getting to know them you have to write a poem, story, or presentation, anything creative about them describing them. I want detail guys. Detail! And I want it to be interesting, don't give a list of all their character traits; show me what they're like; you can use pictures for all I care. Keep in mind that this is a poem, you have some leeway. Now this is all simple enough, the kick is that you'll have to take their biggest flaw and turn into a bonus." Timothy pauses here and waits for that to settle in. "Okay, now you guys can get together with your partner to work out times to meet up, times meaning multiple because you'll have to really spend some time with your partner and open up."

As everyone gets up to meet with their partner I walk over to Callie. "So partner, how are we going to do this? When and where do you want to meet up?"

"I don't care, there's no fighting it at this point. Whatever."

"Well, I've already read your journal so I say that we have a head start." Callie just looks up at me and gives me a strange look.

"I never really understood why you never did anything with that information, why not?"

I just shrug, "I don't know. I mean, I realize now that I don't really blame you for the whole Brandon thing. I realize now that you were never attracted to him...no it was the other way around." I mutter the end bitterly and look down, remembering when I realized that I couldn't blame on Callie what she wasn't at fault for.

"I-I'm sorry about that." Callie says softly, actually looking me in the eye when she says this. She seems really sincere and I'm taken aback by this abrupt niceness.

"It's cool like I said. I feel kind of bad though, I bet we could have been friends or something similar. I guess this project is kind of a second chance, huh?" Callie just shrugs. "Hey, are you going to be okay with this whole feeling sharing thing?"

"I think so, I'll get over it. Plus, if you didn't tell about…him, then I think we'll be okay. And, I'm not going to be the only sharing so if you know my secrets, I'll know yours and we'll be even." Callie nods, though more to herself than anything I think.

"Good point there. So why don't we just try to talk more at school and how about you come over to my place after school today?"

"Sure."

"Great!" As class ends and I start to walk away I remember something. "Oh, and feel free to sit with me at lunch, for real this time. Because of the video incident I don't really have that many friends anymore so you don't have to worry about other people." I try to smile but I know that it doesn't exactly come out right. Callie, once again looks surprised. There's more to me than meets the eye I guess, I think to myself.

"Yeah, that sounds cool." She smiles, but it isn't a bitter smile or sarcastic smirk this time it's a real smile and I'm shocked at how it transforms her face. W-wow, pretty, I mean, uh, she would look nice if she smiled more.

Callie's POV

I can't believe I actually smiled at her and shit, what's up with me? I question myself about my behavior in English this morning. I wonder how this project will go. I know I'll have to share about me but it's hard, I'm a lot better at it now that I've told everyone about Liam, but it's still not easy. As the class I was in ends, I walk into the hallway. It's lunch now so I have to decide what I'm going to do. Should I sit with her? I kind of want to, but what if I let my emotions show again? As I'm pondering this I walk outside with my lunch.

This noise is really loud and I look around to see if I can find Wyatt. He's probably somewhere making out with a guy. I swear, I think he's pretty much kissed every boy in this school. I think it's the luscious hair that drags them in, because god knows it isn't the eloquent use of his words. I scan around to see if I can find an empty table when someone taps my shoulder from behind. I turn around to see the girl who has been occupying my thoughts since this morning.

"Hey! It looks like it's pretty crowded here, you want to go sit on the beach and watch the waves." Talya says this to me, smiling shyly, as if I would say no.

"Yeah, that sounds great actually. I kinda hate crowds if you could tell." Well there you go, now I don't have to decide, plus the beach sounds nice.

"Noooooo, I had no idea." We both snicker there because I'm not exactly secretive of my dislike of people in groups of more than 5. We both start heading in the direction of the beach with her leading the way through the crowd. Once we're on the beach and away from the large group of people I relax a bit.

"So, where does the name Talya come from anyways? I've never seen it with that spelling before. It's pretty though." Talya blushes and looks at her feet. Who would have thought, Talya blushed so easily!

"It's nothing much it's really just a variation of Talia, you know spelled with an i."

"It's still cool though, I like the y." I mean it too, I've always like her name.

"So where does your name come from?"

"Well, actually it's short for California. You know how some parents name their kid Georgia? Well, my mom thought it was like, after the state or something so she did the same. She always said it because I was pretty like California."

"That's really sweet actually." I just look down, thinking about all the blurry memories I have of my mother.

We get to the more secluded part of the beach and sit down, watching the waves roll in. As we eat our sandwiches I sneak sideways glances at Talya. I can't really help it; she's just so pretty that you get drawn in. You see her once and you're captured.

Suddenly, I hear Talya chuckling at something, with her hand over her mouth. "What's so funny?" I ask her curious.

"It's nothing. It's just that who'd a thunk you and me would gaze meaningfully at the ocean together?"

"Did you just say 'thunk'?"

"Yep! Who'd a thunk is the best phrase that fits what I'm thinking."

"Okay, then. Whatever you say." I just chuckle, thoroughly amused by this girl in front of me, Why would Brandon ever dump such an amazing girl? Hmmm, good question self. Let's look into this since we are doing this for a project after all. I'm totally not just curious or anything. "So, you don't really have to answer this but uh, do you know why Brandon dumped you? 'Cus I asked him if I was at fault because I felt guilty for the whole Liam thing and he said it wasn't just because of me." Talya's face just gets thoughtful and after a moment of pondering it over she starts to talk.

"Well, because you were spending so much time with Brandon I was getting jealous, but the weird part is that I wasn't jealous of you. I guess maybe I was jealous that the person who is supposed to devote all their attention to me not doing it. It sounds kind of selfish, but I've felt that people never really pay attention to me, they look at me and hear me but they don't see me or listen to me. You know?"

"Yeah, actually. I do. I still don't understand though, why did you get so jealous."

"Ugh, I don't know" Talya runs her hands through her hair. "I just…whenever I saw you with him I'd get this rage in my chest. But it wasn't at you, it was never at you. I tried to tell myself it was you but it wasn't. I was…angry… at him I think if that makes sense. Because you seem like this cool person who deserves someone who'll like, get to know you before making a move on you. Because you deserve better than a quick fuck. And I see him talk to you, I see him just staring at your lips or chest or something and I get so angry. How dare not see you as the person you are, how he dare not always look you in the eye because that's where your soul is. How dare he be so blinded by his arousal that he can't what a fantastic person you are! It just makes me seethe!"

Once Talya finishes her tirade she seems relieved at first and she's panting a little from saying all of that so quickly and angrily. Then, as I see her realize what she said go a brighter red than her hair. I'm just kind of blown away. Someone thinks I'm a fantastic person? I'm also blushing, I don't think I've ever seen anyone ever care so obviously, it was…elating. "Y-you think I'm a cool person?" I say in disbelief.

Talya looks at me for a moment, eyes wide, and head titled to the side and she just bursts out laughing. Not the cute chuckles or giggles, she guffaws. She's laughing so hard that she has to bend over and starts gasping, out of breath. "I say…all these things" she gasps out and wipes away a tear, "and all you get…is that I called you a cool person?"

"Heh, yeah. Pretty silly thing to get caught up on I guess," I mutter embarrassed and turn my head. Talya's laughing has died down by now even though she's still smiling and she reaches over to gently pull my face to look at hers. "There is nothing to be embarrassed about that was adorable! You are adorable. You sure know how to take a compliment though." I blush even more fiercely and from the way my face feels it must at least be as red as hers was if not more. Talya sobers a little though and says more softly, "I guess you don't get those often, do you?"

"N-not really, no." Now that I think about it, I don't remember the last time I got a sincere compliment from someone.

Talya's hand is still on my face though it has shifted so she's holding one side of my face, her thumb stroking my face. I look into the eyes that are gazing at me so intently. Those eyes, those eyes could suck you in. They're…breathtaking, what a shade of green, they almost look grey. And they're getting closer? I realize that she's leaning in and I'm leaning right back. It feels like I'm on the edge of something big, like those eyes are a gateway and every second I get closer and closer to falling into them. We're so close that I can hear her inhale and I look down at her lips. They look so soft. My own lips part slightly and I tip my head so we don't collide. We're moving so slowly, one centimeter at a time, I can't even help myself. I couldn't stop now even if I wanted to. Her lips are so close, so very close and I can feel her breath on my own lips. What's this feeling? I feel butterflies; but not in my stomach, no they're in my chest, trying desperately to break free. Just as our lips are about to touch, I'm surrounded by wetness. Surprised I look down and I see that we're fucking surrounded by water.

"What the fu-" I scramble up before any more of my clothing gets soaked. Are you fucking serious? What the fuck did I do to deserve this? I look up to see Talya standing next to me, looking just as shocked as me. We lock gazes, and there's a moment of silence until we both have these giant grins on our faces. Soon we're both laughing heartily. I glance over again, as I tend to do and once again I'm blown away by how beautiful she is in this moment. I just want to capture her face the way it is now. Before I forget, I whip out my phone and snap a picture of her.

"What was that for?" she questions still smiling as the laughing wears away.

"Your face. It was just so full of joy; I wanted a picture, to add to my collection."

"You're a photographer? That's perfect, I can finally have my own private paparazzi!" she gives me another smile, this time a joking one, a half smirk. I take another picture.

"With those smiles, I'm half-thinking of taking it on as a full-time career. I could sell pictures of you and become rich!" She shoves my shoulder gently.

"Flattery will get you nowhere!"

"I don't know…I think it could get me pretty far." I wiggle my eyebrows suggestively. Did I just do that?

"Oh my god, stop! Aren't you supposed to be the moody sarcastic girl, not the flirty goofball?"

"I don't know, you bring out the silliest in me." She laughs and shake her head.

"I can see that."

From the school, we can hear the bells signaling lunch is over. We both look at each other in surprised that time has passed so quickly. "Shit! We're going to be late! And wet!"We start running to the school, desperately to not get detention. Since we have math together we both run in the same direction and I don't know how but we end up holding hands. We both see the class and the door about to close, we let go of each other's hands and make a mad dash for the door, slipping in right before the teacher closes it. The moment we're inside the classroom, there's this moment of shock at our state. Everyone's eyes are on us and the teacher just says, "I don't even want to know what happened to you two, just sit down and try not to soak your homework."

I'm still giggling a little as I sit next to her, That was so crazy!