nice! 10 reviews :) this time though, i challenge you guys. to do what? so glad you asked! i challenge you to write a REAL review. one that actually shows you read the chapter. and because i believe you're gonna do it, i give you my second to longest chapter :) happy reading!

Chloe POV

"Any reason you're avoiding him?" Jazz asks, breathing hard as she leaps over the rooftop to keep up with me.

"I'm not avoiding him," I spit back, bending my knees to get more airtime. "I just needed an Alek break."

We reach our destination and I crouch over, gasping for breath. It's been a while since we've done this and I'm sad to report that I'm a little out of shape. Besides, fury and jealousy will only fuel a girl for so long. My mind is buzzing with theories, and I can't seem to keep focused. It's so strange. I knew Alek liked to act like the player type, but I wouldn't have guessed he'd actually ever cheat on a girl. I guess I was stupid and naïve, but I actually believed he'd never think to cheat on me. Even though we never had an official title, I was something to him and he knew that he meant plenty to me. Those kisses on my rooftop, my front porch, that last one in my room...did they mean nothing to him that he would throw it all away for someone else?

Alice. The name tastes like acid in my thoughts. I start to wonder what she looks like. Is she prettier than me? I know that's extremely superficial, but I can't help but feel my heart twist at the thought that I probably look like a troll compared to her. After all Alek wouldn't-

"Chloe!" Jazz grabs onto my shoulder and yanks me back into reality. "I've been calling your name for the past minute, where are you?" I blink a few times and try to clear my mind, but everything just feels so wrong. I can't focus my supernatural hearing without Alek. Without his heartbeat everything is too loud and completely overwhelming. I rub my eyes hard and pull my hair back into a ponytail.

"I'm right here, Jazz." I say, then catch myself. She's the Mai leader. I can't call her that anymore. "I mean, Jasmine." I say, a few seconds too late. She has a sad expression on and after a few moments of silence she begins to rock on her heels.

"Can I tell you something?" She whispers finally, and I lean in to hear her better.

"Of course," I answer automatically, concern lacing my voice. A leader secret was something you took to the grave. Even I knew that.

Jazz tucks her dark hair behind her ears and meets my eyes. "I'm scared," she finally says quietly. "I wasn't ready for this, Chloe. I wasn't ready to be the leader. My mom talked about it, sure, but she never...never really prepared me. No one expected for her to go so soon," she murmurs, tears rimming her eyes and flying down her cheeks. "I'm only 17, how in the world do they expect me to know what I'm doing? I can't do this, Chloe. I can't play pretend for the rest of my life."

My heart feels like lead as I pull her into a hug. It's a bittersweet moment for me right now. I feel horrible for Jazz that she has to be so strong when she feels so weak, but at the same time a part of me is rejoicing over the friend I thought I lost. She's admitted to being human, which is more than her mother would ever have done. After a little while I pull back and hold her by her shoulders. She gives me a small embarrassed smile and I wipe a few tears away with my thumb.

"Jazz, you don't have to. If you feel like this is too much for you, the Mai will understand. Hell, they're probably blown out of the water that you've been the leader for this long. No one expects you to do this. I know you want to for your mother, but if Valentina was here right now, she'd call you crazy and tell you to assign it to someone else for now. You can always take over later when you get older, Jazz. Remember that."

She nods silently and I think she's really taking what I say to heart. After a minute of awkward sniffling and tear wiping she looks at me worried. "I told you my secret, now spill. What happened between you and Alek?"

I sigh heavily and sit down on a rusty crate that's resting against the wall.

"He cheated on me, Jazz." I say quietly, knowing full well that she can hear me. My eyes are glued to the floor, waiting for a response. When I don't get one, I look up to see that she's staring at me with disbelief.

"No," she says, shaking her head.

"What do you mean, 'no'?" I ask, incredulously. "I'm telling you he did."

"Did you see him?" She asks, voice filled with doubt.

"Not exactly." She looks confused. "I saw the texts," I add.

"It wasn't him, Chloe." she says confidently, and begins to stride off in the other direction. I stand up quickly and jog up to meet her. She's got a leg swung over the edge and she's climbing down to the ground.

"You can't know that," I accuse, feeling the blood rush to my face.

"But I can," her voice calls from somewhere mid way down the ladder.

I quickly swing my legs over and climb down to land on the grass next to her. "How?" I ask, I'll admit it, a little angrily. After all, I was ready for a sympathy party back there and all I got was disbelief. It isn't exactly comforting.

She gives me a long, hard look. "He'd kill me if I told you," she finally says.

"Well I'll kill you if you don't," I shoot back, surprising myself. Threatening the Mai leader, Chloe? Not the best move. But then again, she isn't. Not now. Now she's just Jazz. Just my friend.

She rolls her eyes and sighs. "Fine. But you have to promise you'll never tell him I told you."

"Promise," I say quickly.

"A couple of years ago Alek was a total geek. He'd somehow managed to find a girl willing to date him, and trust me when I say that he absolutely worshiped her. He bought her flowers constantly and literally followed her like a lost puppy. I have to say, as sick as I felt watching them, he was really good to her. Really sweet." She swallows and looks down.

"But?" I ask, because these stories always have one.

"But she cheated on him," Jazz says quickly. "He had worked all summer to earn enough money to buy her backstage tickets to her favorite band. You should have seen how excited he was when he bought them, Chloe. It was like the kid had bought the sun. He ran three miles to her house and found her kissing some older guy he'd seen around. He was completely heartbroken. He left the tickets on the ground and later found out that she went with her new boyfriend."

I find myself feeling broken for this younger version of Alek. How devastated he must have been...

"And that's how I know he'd never cheat, Chloe. He can't even stomach watching a movie where someone cheats. It's the one thing that always gets to him, no matter how numb or stand offish he pretends to be. He likes to seem tough, like he could date every girl in the world, but it's all an act. Anyone who really knows him can see through it in a second."

"I'm lost, Jazz." I say softly. "I don't know what to believe. I saw those text messages..." she starts shaking her head again and walking in the direction of my house.

"I don't care what you saw, Chloe. It isn't true."

I start to follow her and make a right turn on my block. Even from a few houses away I can see a dark silhouette standing by my front door and I instantly tense up.

"Calm down," Jasmine says, chuckling. "It's Alek."

I squint and realize that she's right. Jazz stops walking and gives me an encouraging smile. "Go on, hun," she says, pushing me gently with her finger. "He'll explain it all somehow. You'll see."

And at this point I so desperately want to believe him that I think I'll take any excuse he whips out.

Alek POV

She's here. I wring my fingers together nervously and try not to damage the roses I'm holding. This is it. With every step that she takes, my heart pounds harder. I haven't felt this nervous since...a while. Since a girl I'd like to forget. But I'd never wish that with Chloe. She could tear out my heart and crush it under her boot and I'd still want to remember her. Something about her makes me feel like I used to, before the heartbreak. Her innocence makes me feel naïve again. Like this is my chance to fall in love for the first time again.

And this time I'm strong.

This time I'm going to fight.

yay :) now go review!