Author's Note: So, I'm not going to be sleeping tonight! Far too psyched up about my Yankees and their win tonight...anyway, I wrote this during the game. I like it, as I said, these stories are going to be MUCH shorter than the originals, I just don't have the stamina for the sixty chapter epics anymore.

Disclaimer: I own nothing

Chapter 3: Real

One day about a month later Eva walked quietly into her history class. She liked history so far. Mr. Germaine seemed like a great teacher, and she was smart enough to be in honors, which was great. She reached into her bag to take out her text book and smiled finding a note slid in between her books.

E - Meet me behind my dorm at lunch? I'll treat. I miss you. – M

She smiled. She and Mikey hadn't gotten together in a few days, since their, whatever it was they were doing was still a secret, it was hard for them to make excuses to be together. But luckily for her, Mikey's birthday was coming up this weekend which was the perfect excuse to see each other, although not alone, since Uncle Jimmy and Aunt Julie would be coming, along with Stephanie and Elisa. She missed him too, although she was a little frustrated that their relationship remained a secret. She'd asked him the other day if they weren't doing anything wrong, which they weren't, why shouldn't they really be together? His response had been that just because it wasn't wrong didn't mean that Rick, her father, was going to be OK with it, or that Julie and Jimmy would be. They expected a more mild response from Cassie, since when she was Eva's age she was smoking pot every day and sleeping with college boys. She daydreamed about Mikey and doodled all through class and when the bell rang she rushed out. She had fifteen minutes in the art studio and wanted to use every second of it. As usual, she was in a daze when her books went flying.

"We really have to stop meeting like this," she heard David laughing as he handed her some loose leaf.

"Right," she said, looking at him, and immediately looking away, when she realized how much she was blushing. She realized her sketch pad was missing and that David was holding it, flipping through the pages. "Please don't look at that." She said abruptly. He looked at her. The last thing she needed was him seeing some of things she'd doodled over the past month. Mainly the many pictures of Mikey and the few of him, it was embarrassing.

"Oh, right," he said, "sorry, you're really good."

"Thanks," she said, snatching it back quickly. "Sorry, I've got to sneak some studio time." He nodded. "Are you coming to Mikey's birthday party this weekend?"

"Wouldn't miss it," he nodded. Repeating in his head as he noticed the way her body moved as they started walking fourteen, fourteen, fourteen. His younger sister Liz was twelve, in two years would guys his age be looking at her like this? That cleared his mind. "So you're heading to the arts building?" She nodded. "Mind if I walk with you? I have to talk to Mrs. Germaine about something."

"No problem," she said. "What do you have to talk to her about? Did your elective not get transcripted or something?" He looked at her.

"No," he said. "Um, I have to schedule an audition for this conservatory, it's not a big deal." She looked at him as they started walking his hands were shoved in his pockets and now he was blushing.

"You're a musician?" She said. He nodded.

"Classical piano and some guitar," he said. "I'm crap on winds, but I've got decent rhythm so I can play some percussion and bass." She stared at him. "What?"

"I'm just surprised," she said. "I mean, I've met your family, I know them pretty well and classical musician just doesn't seem…"

"My father," he said sharply, "he taught me how to play. I had this teacher in Denver who got me into the classical stuff."

"Kevin?" She said. "Kevin plays the piano?"

"No, not Kevin, my real," he stopped, he hated using that terminology. "Patrick taught me, my biological father."

"Oh right," she said softly, "I always forget." He nodded.

"Most people do," he said softly. She frowned. He looked sad.

"I'm sorry, if you don't like talking about it I understand," she said. He looked at her.

"You really do, don't you?" He said. She said. "I've noticed that about you, you understand things."

"You've noticed that about me?" She said. He nodded. "You've noticed me, period?" He laughed.

"You're a very hard girl to ignore, Evie," he said gently. She looked down. "You don't like that, do you? Being called Evie?"

"I like it fine, from my family," she shrugged. "And Mikey and Steph, I guess," she amended.

"You don't count them as your family?" He asked.

"Steph I do," she said. "Mikey doesn't like to be." He nodded. "Have you noticed that too?"

"He feels like it devalues his parents," he said. She nodded. "Like if you guys are his family that means Julie and Jimmy are his parents, and it's like Cal and Elyse were never even there."

"Why did you move to Denver?" She said abruptly changing the subject. He looked at her. "I mean, when you lived in Chicago we saw you all the time, now we never do."

"I thought I was getting in the way," he shrugged. She frowned. "Stupid, I know, but I did. I was ten." She nodded. "I didn't realize seeing me meant that much to you." She blushed as they got to the arts building and stood in front of the door.

"It didn't," she mumbled. Liar, she thought, he's almost 18, he'll think it's funny that you had a crush on him, it won't change anything. "It's just your mom always seemed so sad."

"It was hard on her," he nodded. "I regret that." She looked at him. "But you get it kind of, right? I mean, TJ and Bella have lived like a totally different life than you."

"TJ at least sort of remembers when things weren't perfect," she said. "He has those vague toddlerly memories of living in the big house while my dad was in law school, Bella," she laughed sadly. "I think she might be a lost cause. My mom used to cry all the time, because she was so scared that we'd never be able to stand on our own, neither of them remembers that at all." He pushed her hair behind her ear. She swallowed, she knew what came next here, and she was afraid of it.

"Hey," Mikey came jogging over. David put his hand down and Eva turned and looked at him guiltily. "Um, was I interrupting something?"

"No," they both laughed.

"Of course not," David said, "I should get inside, good talking to you." He nodded at Eva. Mikey looked at her.

"I have to work," she pointed at the door. "Really, we were just talking."

"I know," he said. "And even if you weren't it's not a big deal. I'm not your boyfriend Eva." Suddenly she felt all the blood rise to her cheeks. If he wasn't even going to be jealous what was the point?

"No," she said, her voice dripping in anger, "you're note my boyfriend are you?" She marched into the building. He groaned and followed her.

"Evie!" He said. "Evie, come on!" He grabbed her arm. She stopped and looked at him. "I'm sorry OK? It's just this whole thing is really confusing."

"What's confusing about it?" She asked. "Do you like me?"

"Yeah, a lot," he nodded. "And it's one of those things that I," he sighed. She looked at him.

"It bugs you, doesn't it?" She whispered. He cocked his head. "That if your parents were alive it would be perfectly OK for you to like me." He cupped her face.

"Yeah," he whispered and kissed her softly. "Something like that." She sighed. "I'm really looking forward to hanging out with you this weekend, I'd rather you weren't mad at me since it is my birthday and all." She giggled.

"I think we should tell everyone," she said.

"Evie," he closed his eyes and shook his head. "I'm not ready to do that."

"What else do you need to know?" She frowned. "Why are you doing this?"

"Believe me," he said. "I'd rather not be." She looked at him. "That came out wrong. I mean, I didn't want this. But that day, in New York, you just looked so, well kissable." She smiled, "and every time I've seen you since then, it's been the same. I can't not kiss you."

"That's actually really sweet in a twisted way," she sighed. He smiled.

"We will tell them," he said. "I promise, just , can we not ruin my birthday with it?" She smiled.

"Fine," she said. "Can we at least tell Steph?"

"No we cannot tell Steph!" He sighed. "She'll tell Aaron and Aaron will tell Taylor and Taylor will tell Julie and then it's even worse because they heard it from someone else." She nodded. He was right again. "If it's that important to you that someone knows, we can tell David." Her eyes got big.

"No," she shook her head. "No, it's not that important." He frowned. "I have to go." She kissed him and ran off.

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