A/N: Thanks for the reviews everyone! I really appreciate it. To all of you with Flipped fanfics, I promise when I finish this story, I'll read your's. I just don't want to get plot ideas from y'all. haha I know things were a little crazy last chapter, but I figured it'd be acceptable for the characters to have a little "fun" since they are in their senior year of high school. :p Keep on reading and reviewing. I love you all!

Bryce's POV

Bryce eventually began to doze off in the car. He tried to stay awake and wait for Juli to wake up, but he was very tired himself. It had been an emotionally draining week, a lot had happened. It finally got the best of him and he joined Juli to get some rest in the car. He didn't even realize he fell asleep. As the sun came up, he felt the light from the morning sunrise shining brightly on his face. He didn't like this as it completely ruined his ability to sleep. "Mom, just five more minutes," he said sleepily, not realizing he was in his car and not home sleeping in his bed. When he didn't hear Patsy answer "You have to wake up NOW Bryce," he figured out he was not home in his bed.

He reluctantly attempted to open his eyes. It was so bright outside. Then he remembered, Juli. He rubbed his eyes, finally managing to open them. "Juli?" Bryce looked to the passenger seat, it was empty. Where was Juli? He shouldn't have fell asleep. She must have left when he dozed off. He hoped she hadn't left a long time ago. He glanced down the road and saw a figure walking away from the car's direction. It must be her. He quickly turned the key in the ignition to start the car and catch up to her. As he rolled down the window he called out to her, "Juli! Juli please wait." She stopped walking right in her tracks.

Bryce parked the car and ran to her. "Juli, what is it? Why did you leave the car?" he asked with concern.

Juli didn't answer. She looked him in the eye and seemed sad, but then turned her gaze away from him.

Bryce felt he had to explain. "Look, I sort of took you away from the party last night…before you had any more to drink or anything worse might have happened. Juli, I hope you're not mad at me. I just, I wanted to take care of you was all. Please don't be upset." Juli didn't say a word. Her silence concerned him. She wasn't usually this quiet. What's worse, she wouldn't even look at him. "Juli, are you ok?"

A long pause. Maybe she is really upset at me for taking her away from the party. Please don't say you hate me Juli. That would kill me.

"Truth?" Juli turned to meet his gaze again, a tear rolling down her cheek. Bryce's heart sank. He hated to see her upset. "No, I'm not."

Bryce wiped the tear gently away from her cheek. "What is it Juli? Do you feel sick from last night?"

"I don't even remember what happened last night, Bryce. Do you know how terrible that feels? For all I know, I could have made some terrible mistake and not even know I did it. It's scary, losing recollection of an entire night; like I was completely disconnected from my body and someone else took control." More tears began forming in her eyes.

Bryce felt the need to pull her into his arms and hold her tightly, so he did. She began weeping into his chest. "Ssssh. It's ok Juli. Nothing bad happened, I promise. I can see why you would be upset, but please don't worry. I watched you closely all night and made sure you were ok," Bryce tried to assure her.

Juli choked on tears. "I feel so stupid Bryce. I wasn't smart last night and could have done something really stupid. What was I thinking?" She sounded angry at herself.

"Hey, don't be so hard on yourself. People make mistakes all the time Juli. It's only human. It's ok. It happens. It happens to all of us."

"Yeah but I knew better than that. I should have never-"

Bryce cut off her sentence, "Never what? Allowed yourself to stop being perfect and pleasing everyone? Allowed yourself to have a little fun for once?"

Juli stood speechless. Bryce felt somewhat sorry about what he just said, but it was the truth. She needed to let loose more and have fun sometimes. He was being completely honest with her, something he never could do with Sherry. He thought that was a good thing. But he didn't need to make her feel worse, he was there to help her.

He attempted to be more gentle with her. "Juli, I just don't like to see you beat yourself up over something little like this. You didn't do anything bad. You just had a little too much to drink. No big deal. Other people have made mistakes a lot worse than that. I mean, I let you go when I had the chance to have you in my life and be happy. It doesn't get much worse than that." The last part sort of slipped out, but he meant it.

A slight smile crept up on Juli's face. I got her to smile. That in itself lifted Bryce's spirit a little. But he was not done taking care of her yet. "Will you please come back to the car with me, Juli? I have some water and I think that will be good for you. We can sit and talk, or not talk. Whichever you feel like doing. If you still hate me, I understand," he said half jokingly. He really hoped this was not the case.

Juli nodded, this time, a full smile appeared on her face. "I don't hate you Bryce," she said simply but honestly. Bryce sighed with relief. As they began to walk back towards his car, Juli surprised him. Without saying a word, she grabbed his hand and held it, slowly intertwining her fingertips with his. Looking at the sunrise and holding hands with Juli Baker-yes, this was what pure happiness meant to Bryce Loski.

Juli POV

Juli woke up feeling terrible. Her throat felt dry, she was light-headed, and she almost wanted to throw up. She opened her eyes and realized she was sitting in Bryce Loski's car. I thought I went to the party with Garrett. I went with Garrett and Bryce was with Sherry. Why am I in his car? I could swear I spent most of the night hanging out with Garrett. I did. At least I think I did? Or maybe I got so drunk that I told Bryce the truth about how I feel about him. I hope I didn't. Or what if I did something with Garrett and Bryce told him he would take me home after since we live across the street from each other? Best friends do that sort of thing for each other. Best friends. Is Dana ok? She seemed a little out of it last night. I hope she didn't drive home. I guess it's good Bryce is driving me home. But I still don't understand why he is. Or what if I passed out at Sherry's and Bryce was bringing me home because that is probably really lame to do at a party and he was embarrassed about it? I really have no clue… Juli felt ridiculous. She had no idea what happened the previous night. Had she really had that much to drink? She looked at Bryce, sleeping peacefully next to her. He is so handsome. She had always secretly wondered what it might be like to wake up next to Bryce Loski. This was not exactly how she envisioned it. She felt sick to her stomach and had no recollection of the previous night. Bryce was sleeping, though. This would be her opportunity to slip out of his car and walk home. She felt too embarrassed to wait till he woke up to figure out why she was in his car to begin with. She silently unfastened her seatbelt and tried to open the car door with minimal noise. Success. Juli took another moment to watch Bryce resting peacefully. He would always be her first love. She sighed, carefully closing the car door, and began walking away from the car. She felt disgusting. Hopefully mom and dad will still be sleeping and I can sneak in without them noticing anything. Just when she felt she was getting a good distance away from the car, she heard Bryce's voice calling after her. Great, not even two minutes and he already found me. That didn't work out like I planned.

"Juli! Juli please wait." She stopped walking. Bryce was practically begging her to stop and she didn't really have the strength or feel well enough to continue.

Juli watched as Bryce parked his car and ran towards her. I probably look like death right now. Why did you have to wake up Bryce?

"Juli, what is it? Why did you leave the car?" He seemed so worried about her.

Juli couldn't think of a good answer, or a good lie. She was too embarrassed to tell the truth. She couldn't even look him in the eye.

Suddenly words seemed to fly out of Bryce's mouth. "Look, I sort of took you away from the party last night…before you had any more to drink or anything worse might have happened. Juli, I hope you're not mad at me. I just, I wanted to take care of you was all. Please don't be upset."

Juli was silent. Something clicked for her. It was clear Bryce had done nothing but really take care of her and make sure she was ok. Does Bryce like me as more than a friend? He just seems too protective than a person would normally do for just a friend. Or maybe he is just being nice? I wish he would just tell me.

"Juli, are you ok?" He was not faking anything, he was really concerned about her.

I know one thing… Juli looked into his eyes. He really cares about me. There is no denying that. Then she remembered, he was waiting for an answer. "Truth? No, I'm not ok." A tear rolled down her face. She felt vulnerable at first, but then Bryce surprised by gently wiping the tear from her face with his hand. His touch sent a slight shiver down her spine.

"What is it Juli? Do you feel sick from last night?"

Last night? I don't even know what last night was. It's like some blank memory in my head. The thought of it began upsetting Juli so much. "I don't even remember what happened last night, Bryce. Do you know how terrible that feels? For all I know, I could have made some terrible mistake and not even know I did it. It's scary, losing recollection of an entire night; like I was completely disconnected from my body and someone else took control." Now she was crying uncontrollably. She felt weak and embarrassed for reacting this way.

Then Bryce did something he had never done before, he held her tightly in his arms. Bryce ran his fingers lightly down Juli's back, in a comforting way. "Ssssh. It's ok Juli. Nothing bad happened, I promise. I can see why you would be upset, but please don't worry. I watched you closely all night and made sure you were ok." Juli sobbed into his chest, she was so happy he was there to help her through this.

The crying was an obstacle for Juli. She had to choke back tears in an attempt to vent and say everything she was feeling. "I feel so stupid Bryce. I wasn't smart last night and could have done something really stupid. What was I thinking?"

"Hey, don't be so hard on yourself. People make mistakes all the time Juli. It's only human. It's ok. It happens. It happens to all of us."

Bryce didn't understand. Her whole life she had been raised to be perfect… the perfect child, the perfect role model at school. She wasn't allowed to make began defending her stance, "Yeah but I knew better than that. I should have never-"

Bryce cut her off though, "Never what? Allowed yourself to stop being perfect and pleasing everyone? Allowed yourself to have a little fun for once?"

Juli looked at him amazed. It was like he was seeing right through her and she couldn't believe it. No, Bryce had not done the best job of being a part of her life the past few years, but he still knew Juli. He knew exactly what she was thinking. How was that possible? He just understood her. She never felt like anybody really understood her completely, but Bryce Loski did.

"Juli, I just don't like to see you beat yourself up over something little like this. You didn't do anything bad. You just had a little too much to drink. No big deal. Other people have made mistakes a lot worse than that. I mean, I let you go when I had the chance to have you in my life and be happy. It doesn't get much worse than that."

Juli could not help but feel a tiny smile beginning to appear on her face. Bryce had just admitted he regretted losing her. Did that mean he wished things were different? Did he want her back in his life again as more than a friend? He gave a hint about being much happier if she was with him now. It was no guarantee of his feelings, but it definitely gave Juli one thing, hope.

"Will you please come back to the car with me, Juli? I have some water and I think that will be good for you. We can sit and talk, or not talk. Whichever you feel like doing. If you still hate me, I understand."

Juli looked into those dazzling eyes. Hate you? How could I hate you Bryce Loski? You are the boy… I mean, I guess a man now… that I have loved all of my life. Hating you would be impossible. "I don't hate you Bryce." Juli began walking back towards the car with Bryce, but if she was going to show him she felt the complete opposite of hate, she would have to be bold. She walked next to him and gently squeezed his hand. I did it. I can't believe I'm holding hands with Bryce Loski. Bryce squeezed her hand back. A bigger smile crept up on her face. In just a week she had gone from supposedly thinking Bryce was the biggest jerk she'd ever met to being completely gaga for him. How did all of THAT happen in just one week?