N: here is another chapter of the nerd and the cheerleader! enjoy! give us reviews! Also head on over to Amazon and pick up a brand new copy of Redemptio Animae written by yours truly under the name Sydney Gibson! also give Writingsux some love for being awesome as always!

"You have a lot of….science, in this room." Tamsin sat on the edge of the bed next to me. I had immediately retreated to my bunker of Star Wars blankets the second she pulled in the driveway. Leaving the girl chasing after me, trying so hard to get me to stop and talk.

I didn't want to talk, I wanted to hide under pillows and digest the kiss, the stupid jerk faced friends of Dyson and more importantly, the lingering tingles in my body from Bo. "You can go, I'm home. Thank you, Tamsin." I mumbled the words through the pillow, squeezing the hell out of my elephant.

I hated this, this whole teenage physical evolution of my body and mind.

I suddenly felt the blankets being tugged back, "Lewis, I'm not leaving you like this. You'll smother yourself in Princess Leia and I don't want to have to tell everyone in the eulogy how I left you to die at the hands of Star Wars blankets." She tugged until my head was freed, my hair cast over my face wildly, "Come on, Lauren. Talk to me."

I shook my head, "I don't want too. I just….I just…I don't even know." I huffed, reaching blindly for the blankets to cover my face.

"You do know. You know that you are infatuated with Bo and that she's clearly infatuated with you. You think that she's still with Dyson and this is the big prank of the year." Tamsin leaned over on the bed, smashing my hip with her immense amount of weight. A finger poked my shoulder, "Look at me, Lewis."

I shook my head again. "No. Please go, there's money in the alien shaped bank, take whatever for gas money." I had a really hard time believing Tamsin, it just didn't make sense that Bo Dennis would legitimately think I was crush worthy, or whatever. My stomach dropped to my feet when I slipped into the idea of her and I being girlfriends. Nope, nope, nope.

Tamsin huffed, leaning harder on me, yanking my body forcefully up to a sitting position. Her green eyes met mine in an unbending way. "No, you're going to suck it up. I'm going to ask your really nice dad if he is up for Chinese food, on me, and then we're going to sit and talk. Talk about all the things you feel and I'm going to sit here and listen and reassure you that the magical fucking unicorns sprinting around you and Bo, shitting out rainbows of love, is real." She smirked at me, "This isn't an elaborate prank. It's the fucking fates grinning as shit happens for you. All because Ted is a puss ass follower."

I raised an eyebrow at her, "You talked to my dad?"

"I did, right around when you ran up the stairs and almost smashed your face on the last two, running so fast, I barely had time to politely introduce myself." Tamsin moved to sit next to me on the bed, "You remember when I told you that I was sticking by you because you remind me of my mom?"

I nodded, crushing my elephant against my chest, "I do."

Tamsin laid her head on the headboard, staring at all of the Star Wars, Star Trek, X-files posters neatly framed around my room. "So much nerd in here….no offense, it's great, but wow. Suncoast must piss their pants in excitement when they see you coming." She nudged me when I frowned a little, "No frowns, I mean nerd in a loving way." She then took in a slow breath, "My mom was a lot like you. Saw only the best in people and the world. She didn't care about this or that, the material things my dad's job afforded us, she would have been happy in a dirt hut with burlap dresses." Tamsin looked down at her hands, "When she passed away, things changed. My dad changed, I changed. It was like we lost the purpose and the lighthouse in life's storms. I became a shitty rebellious teenager and he became a distant father. I fell into the tool bag union led by Dyson and lost my way, not caring for years." She looked over at me, smiling softly, "Then you and you're giant glasses started at Mapleview last year and I always saw how kind you were to everyone, even to the people who knocked your shit to the ground. Then the tutoring started and I gave you so much shit, but you looked past it like my mom would. Saw that I was better than I was acting. You saw me for me and well, the whole x-files thing."

Tamsin rolled her eyes, "Ted was a piece of dog shit for what he did and watching you cry at the pool, well, don't tell anyone this, it broke my heart. I could hear my mom in my head telling me a million good things like she always did. I manned up, I took charge of my life and broke his shitty ass nose." She let out a slow breath, her normally frightening eyes turning glassy. "Lauren, you're my friend and no matter what, I'm on your side. I've grown really attached to…" She waved her hands over my messy state, "This…and when I tell you shit, I mean it and I mean it when I say you and Bo are some weird ass from of Romeo and Juliet but without the homicide."

I stared at the older blonde, my stomach twisting at all she said, all she shared. Knowing that she probably had never told anyone what she told me. "Tamsin, I…thank you. Thank you for telling me this and being here, there and everywhere. I've never had a friend outside of my parents and teachers, and as much as it is really weird and you swear like a trucker with a cab full of sailors, I'm also on your side."

I smiled softly, Tamsin shaking her head and sniffling, "Ugh, Lewis. You've turned me into a sap." She nudged me again, "Let's get your pops to order Chinese while we head to blockbuster for some movies."

I watched her slide off the bed, confused, "You want to hang out with me?"

"Duh, you're my only friend and slowly becoming one of my best friends." She glared at me, "That and you're the only person in the world who's willing to watch anything with Mulder or Scully in it." She then waved at me, "I also know that while I was introducing myself to your dad, you called in to school sick for tomorrow."

I felt my eyes grow wide, "How? What? When?"

She only winked at me, "I caught the end of your fake cough when I was in the bathroom." She shook her head, "I'm suspended, you're sick, so let's do it up right. Movie marathon tonight and maybe tomorrow we can get you out of the house and out in the daylight. Maybe batting cages or go to the movies in the middle of the day." She pointed at me, "I'm determined to corrupt you, grow those balls out, Lewis."

Tamsin chuckled and skipped down the stairs, calling out for my dad.

I sat in the middle of my bed, staring at the plastic bag with my new jeans and the shirt Bo bought me. I had never been more confused in my life, but also I had never felt more self-assured that my life was changing for the better.

Maybe Tamsin was right, maybe fate wanted Ted's nose to be broken so I could finally live.

XXXX

Chinese food, two really cheesy B space movies with my parents and then a rewatch of X-files season three. That was my night, my first sort of sleepover with Tamsin.

Shockingly enough, in front of my parents, Tamsin was a well-mannered, polite and swear free girl. My parents immediately took a liking to her and I could hear them thanking her for showing me that there is truly a world outside of books and the X-files, while cleaning up the Chinese take-out.

Tamsin has passed out in my bed next to me, and when I woke up in the morning, almost late afternoon, from my mother quietly poking me that I had a visitor. I rolled over to see the blonde snoring, covered up in the giant X-files fleece blanket my parents gave me for my birthday. She was also drooling all over Luke Skywalker, sleeping like she had not slept in a week.

I snuck out of the bed, trying not to wake her and followed my mom out to the hallway. "Who is it?" I yawned, trying to fix my glasses on my face.

My mom chuckled, "You'll see." She turned to head down the stairs, but stopped, looking back at me, "I'm glad you took a sick day. You really need to live a little, Lauren. Have fun and be a stupid teenager, within reason." She motioned to my room, "I also think you're stuck with Tamsin forever, you two are like peas in a pod. She's good for you." My mom sighed, smiling, "I made sandwiches, they're in the fridge. I have to head back to work, I'll see you at dinner."

I shrugged, like I always did, "Thanks mom." I smiled, tugging at the edge of the giant sleep shirt with a panda wearing a FBI badge, and headed downstairs.

That's when I heard her voice, thanking my mom in a polite tone for the offer of sandwiches. I poked my head around the corner to the kitchen to find Bo Dennis standing in the middle of it, sitting on a stool primly in a grey hoody and a pair of jeans. Her hair was up and her cheeks were red from the outside.

I sucked in a shaky breath, feeling my heart pound, my stomach and those damn fluttery things slamming into the walls. Why was she here and why was I wanting to run to her and run back upstairs all at once?

I glanced at the stairs, planning my escape and how I could get Tamsin to scare her away when I heard my mom say. "And there she is. I'll leave you two girls to it." She met my eyes, grinning and winking, "Nice to finally meet you Bo, Lauren has told us quite a bit about you."

I watched Bo turn her head to where I stood, her big beautiful brown eyes find mine like they were magnets, she smiled sheepishly, "Hey Lauren."

"HeylloBo." The sound came out without my permission, making me squint and hate life more.

Fudge.

Bo Dennis was in my kitchen, in my house and all I could do was fart burp out a garbled hey hello at her.

But then she smiled, that big ole smile with the dimple on that one side, and giggled, "I think that was a hello?"

I swallowed hard, keeping my eyes on the galaxy patterned slippers on my feet, "Why are you here?" It came out soft, in a questioning confused manner, "I mean I did run away from you…."

XXXXX

I bit the corner of my lip then grinned, "I know. You have a tendency to do that around me." Lauren got an apologetic look on her face and I backtracked to correct the damage my lame joke had caused, "I'm not saying that to make you feel bad. I've just noticed a trend."

Lauren looked down at the adorable panda that was on her shirt. I smirked as thought about the equally adorable person that was donning the shirt. She mumbled, "Sorry. I-um-Sorry."

I shrugged and shoved my hands into my pocket of my hoody as I told her, "Don't be sorry. I-uh-I sort of put you in an awkward position yesterday so I should be the one that is sorry." I ran my hand through my hair then I pulled it over my shoulder and began to pick at the split ends which reminded me it was time for a hair appointment. I really had pulled an idiot move but those jerks just pissed me off and it was the only thing I could think of that would show them and Lauren how serious I was. I liked her dammit and if I had to hurt every person who said otherwise then I would. I tossed my hair over my shoulder and sighed. "It was the only thing I could think of."

"You couldn't have used your words?" Lauren asked with a small smile on her face.

I grinned and said, "What can I say, I'm an action kind of girl." Lauren looked back down at the floor and I rolled my eyes then I walked over to her. "You gotta quit doing that. You'll give me a complex or something. "

Laure looked back up at me and asked, "What are you talking about?"

"The looking away from me thing. Makes me think you don't find me attractive or something." I told with the grin still on my face hoping it would tell her that I was joking around.

Lauren shook her head and stammered, "N-N-No Bo. That-Of course you're attractive. I mean you're drop dead gorgeous. And I-Fudge."

Lauren was adorable when she was flustered but right now she was just downright cute because that big brain wasn't able to form a coherent sentence at the moment. I chuckled then said, "Breathe Lauren I'm only joking." I winked at her. "I know you think I'm smoking hot."

Lauren blushed hard and I couldn't help but to laugh. I reached out to and placed my hand on her upper arm as I said, "I'm just kidding with you." I realized my hand had lingered a lot longer than I had originally intended so I pulled it away and shoved it in my pocket as I asked, "What are you doing today? Any big plans? Is Tamsin going to try to get you arrested today?" Lauren gawked at me and I laughed. Lauren needed to develop of sense of humor. I shook my head and said, "Lauren you need to learn how to take a joke. Not everything is literal. At least I don't think Tamsin has any plans to have you arrested." I got a slight scowl on my face as I made a mental note to call Tamsin and tell her not to get Lauren in trouble.

"Well I'll ask her when she wakes up if she-"

It was my turn to gawk. Tamsin was here? What the hell was she doing here? "Why is she here?" I blurted not caring about the fact that I sounded like a possessive girlfriend.

Lauren got a surprised look on her face and she started to say something but I think the impatient look I was giving her caused her to falter. She cleared her throat then said in a quiet voice, "She spent the night. We-We watched movies and had dinner."

I was starting to think that Tamsin might have an ulterior motive other than being Lauren's friend. I crossed my arms over my chest. "Is she up?" Lauren got a confused look on her face and she stared at me for the longest moment. I gave her a pointed look and said, "Lauren is she up?"

"Um…I-Um…I don't know. She was um sleeping when I came down." Lauren said as she managed to get the sentence out.

I gave a slight nod then I smiled, "You know what I would love to have one of those sandwiches that your mom was talking about right before she left."

Again Lauren was looking at me like I had grown two heads. That was fine because I wasn't going to leave until Tamsin came down and I was able to talk to her about her true intentions regarding Lauren. "Um…okay." She still had a confused look on her face as she walked towards the refrigerator. I sat on one of the stools and watched her. Okay I could admit that this was overkill but you could never be too certain and it also gave me a reason to be around Lauren.

I tapped my fingers on the countertop and asked, "So why aren't you in school today?"

Lauren opened the door for the fridge and she said, "Apparently I am sick."

I got a concerned look on my face and I asked, "Are you really sick?"

She chuckled as she pulled out the plate of sandwiches then she said, "I am not. It was determined by Tamsin and my parents that I wasn't going to be going to school today."

I forced a smile on my face. "Oh." I couldn't help to think that maybe Lauren would probably be better with Tamsin. Her parents seemed to like her more and even though her mom was nice to me it couldn't compare to the fact that Tamsin had basically become the savior of Lauren's life. Whereas I was causing chaos at every turn. I sighed.

Lauren placed a plate in front of me that had a sandwich on it. I gave her a grateful smile then picked up the sandwich to take a bite out of it. An awkward silence came over us and I focused on my sandwich while Lauren focused on any place that wasn't me. I realized that I hadn't gotten a drink and I asked, "Can I get something to drink please?"

"Oh fudge. I'm sorry Bo. I'm usually better than this. Of course give me a moment." Lauren exclaimed before she busied herself with getting me a drink. She opened a cupboard and said, "We've got Pepsi, water, fruit juice, and surge." She looked at me to explain why the highly-caffeinated and high in sugar drink was in her house, "Dad has developed an addiction for it."

"Ah. I'll have water thank you." I said then focusing back on my sandwich.

Lauren got me some water and as she was sliding the glass over to me we heard, "Lauren you twerp where'd you go?"

I grinned as an annoyed look briefly came across Lauren's face before she shouted, "I'm in the kitchen Tamsin."

Tamsin came into the kitchen and I was surprised to see her wearing what I assumed to be one of Lauren's X-Files t-shirts and a pair of oversized gym shorts. She stopped just as she walked into the kitchen when she saw me. "Oh. Hey Bo."

I watched her as she walked over to the refrigerator and opened it then pulled out a takeout carton. I tried not to scowl as I noticed how comfortable Tamsin appeared to be in Lauren's house. I took a sip of water and said, "So I see you spent the night."

Tamsin hopped up on the counter and as she ate directly out of the container she said, her mouth full of lo mein, "Yeah. We watched some sci-fi flicks and hung out. Lauren's parents are rad and super excited that she's living a little."

"It might be short-lived if you don't get off of the counter." Lauren commented as she walked over to the cupboard. She pulled out a plate then handed it to Tamsin. Those two were definitely too comfortable around each other. I glared at Tamsin as she piled leftover Chinese food onto her plate. Lauren cleared her throat and she pointed over her shoulder as she said, "I'm going to um….go take a shower and dressed. You two um…." She looked at the both of us then finished, "Make yourselves at home I guess."

Tamsin nodded and said, "Thanks Lauren. Oh and hey dress in something comfortable. Bo and I are going to take you on some wild adventures today."

Lauren got that adorable deer caught in headlights look. "You and-and Bo."

"Yeah why not? She's suspended to so we might as well make a gang of it or something." She looked at me, "You got shit to do today Dennis."

I smiled and said, "Nope. Not at all."

Lauren stared at the both of us then said, "Okay that cool. I think."

"It is. Now go. We've got to swing by my place so I can do the same."

Lauren nodded before she left the kitchen. I waited a moment to make sure Lauren was upstairs then I went over and stood next to Tamsin. I crossed my arms over my chest and asked, "What the hell are you doing?"

Tamsin got a confused look then pointed at her food with her fork, "Eating pork lo Mein. Duh."

I glared at her and said, "Not that. I'm talking about this. The spending the night and acting like you own the place? What the hell Tamsin?"

Tamsin got an exasperated look on her face then she muttered under her breath, "Fuckin' Christ." She placed her plate on the counter and said, "Listen up bimbo and listen good. I'm not after your nerd." She paused to take a moment to figure out what she was going to say next then she sighed, "Lauren's a genuine person and you know what she might be the only actual friend that I have so despite what you told me to do, it's whatever. I'm her friend Bo. That's all." She shook her head and smiled, "Damn you have it so bad."

I covered my face and groaned into my hands. "You have no idea Tamsin." I let my hands drop. "It's like once I realized I actually liked her. Like beyond her being a super nice and super sweet person it's like it has all snowballed and I'm ready to defend her honor or something. Or drink poison for her."

"Stop watching Romeo and Juliet. That movie sends a bad message. Also, dramatic much?" Tamsin picked up her plate and after taking a few bites of her cold food she said, "And don't worry Bo, Lauren is completely stupid over you. You just need to give her time to realize that you aren't trying to screw her over."

I bit the inside of my lip. Considering everything I had done and caused I was still a little uncertain about that. I turned around to lean back against the counter and I sighed. "I hope you're right Tamsin. I mean with everything I've done and the whole me kissing her thing….I could have screwed everything up by just being myself."

Tamsin got an uneasy look on her face as she said, "Yeah….that probably wasn't a bright idea. It took me forever to talk down that bell tower." She took a deep breath and after she let it out she said, "Just be respectful of her space Bo. She like the baby kitten that been abandoned. Skittish at first but then realizes that all you want to do is….take care of her." She smiled. "She'll come around."

I wrapped my arms around myself and I thought about all Tamsin said. I could do that. Give Lauren the space she needs and not crowd her. I could totally do that. I think. It was a weird really. I had never been this involved in regards to someone I liked, in fact I was rather blasé about it, but with Lauren I just wanted to know everything there was about her. I let out a frustrated breath. There was no way I wasn't going to screw this up.

XXX

I stood in the bathroom, wrapped up in a towel and alternating between staring at myself in the mirror and looking at the neat stack of clothes on the chair. The new pair of jeans and the Counting Crows shirt Bo bought me.

Blowing out a heavy sigh, I grabbed the clothes and started getting dressed. I was beyond confused and I wanted to hide in my closet forever. Tamsin was right about Bo, she really did like me, she showed it when she kind of freaked out when Tamsin strolled downstairs in the clothes she wore yesterday. Then her eyes turned soft when she grabbed my arm trying to calm me down about that weird joke about finding her attractive.

I was a math genius, and sadly the life equations Bo was handing my way all added up to one thing. Bo genuinely liked me and I had no clue in the universe why. I also had no idea in the universe why she chose me of all people. It made sense for me to have a crush on her, but the other way around? Nope, no sense at all. This is why I felt like Bo as pranking me or doing some sort of weird bet between her cool friends. Try to get the nerd to fall for the cheerleader, blah, blah.

After I was dressed, I scooted out of my bedroom to find Bo and Tamsin sitting next to each other. Tamsin seemed to be comforting Bo, patting her back like the football coach did for his players in his way of pepping them up after a lost. Looking at Bo, hunched over with that really cute frustrated face she got whenever I explained algebra, my heart wobbled. Making me hope that this was real, that Bo was real and that she liked me.

I shoved my glasses up and finished pulling my hair up in a ponytail before I walked into the kitchen. Catching Tamsin, once again drinking straight from the Pepsi bottle. Frowning I walked over to her, prying it out of her hands, "I told you about this, you backwash whether you think you do or not. Your germs are all over the bottle top and that just gets poured into my glass." I set the two liter down, snatching the cap up.

I was reluctantly accepting Tamsin was never going anywhere and I would have to probably suffer with her poor hygiene habits for a while. I shook my head, trying to wipe off the bottle before sealing it up when I saw Bo was giggling, looking at me. I swallowed hard, hating when she looked at me like that, "What's funny?"

She shook her head, "Nothing." I then watched her eyes roll over the Counting Crows logo on my chest, her grin growing bigger, "Nice shirt."

I blushed, tucking my head down as I placed the Pepsi back into the fridge, "Thank you." I closed my eyes, embracing the cold air.

"Nice jeans, Lewis. They actually fit and it looks like, oh, yup, you do indeed have an ass. You're not just two legs that meet a torso." Tamsin hollered at me around a mouth full of sandwich.

I spun around and glared at her, "Seriously, were you raised by farm animals?"

Tamsin winked at me, sliding off the chair she sat at, "Certainly was, but lucky for you the goats taught me how to eat at a table and use utensils." She walked past Bo, smacking her on the back, "I'll be back in a second. I'll drive Lewis back to my house so I can shower and change. Meet us there, Bo."

Bo sighed, scowling at Tamsin, "Fine, but don't take forever." She stood up from the chair, smiling at me, "Think about what you want to do today, Lauren."

I shrugged, "I don't really care. I mean, I don't really know what to do, I never skip school and I often avoid the places everyone hangs out at." I picked at the counter, hating the fact I was still a nerd and was a bit out casted. Hence making skipping school pointless.

Bo walked over to me, placing her hand on my arm. Her simple touch made me tingle and want to smile, "Lauren, I want to spend time with you. I want to get to know you and prove to you that I'm here for you, not any stupid joke or prank." She took a breath, biting her bottom lip, "I want you to trust me, because I trust you and…I don't know…I just. Ugh." She rolled her eyes, dropping her hand from me, "I'll meet you at Tamsin's house."

Bo turned around and walked out the front door quickly. I could see she was upset in the same way she was when she showed me all of her failing grades in chemistry.

That's when I realized seeing Bo upset, made my stomach hurt.

Groaning I leaned against the counter, I had it bad for Bo.

"Lewis, I can't believe you don't want to go to an arcade, the batting cages, the bowling alley or just hit up that all you can eat Chinese buffet downtown." Tamsin squinted at me as she pulled onto her street. "There has got to be something you've always wanted to do that can count as being a stupid teenager. You're like fifteen and you got nothing."

I shrugged, "I'll be sixteen next month." I looked at her, shoving my glasses back up, "Plus all the things you listed are what you clearly want to do. I have a game system at home, the batting cages frighten me with how fast the balls come at me and the bowling alley smells like feet." I looked out the window, catching Bo's red Camaro parked on the street in front of Tamsin's house and my stomach lurched. "Why do I have to do this?"

"What?" Tamsin glanced at me then caught Bo getting out of her car. She rolled her eyes, "Oh for peter fucking Christ's sake." She then slugged me in the arm, "Because if I didn't force your hand, you'd be back up in your room of science fiction, getting lost in theories and probably another X-files marathon instead of living." She pointed out the window at Bo, "That girl likes you. You like that girl. Nature dictates that you must do something about it in the name of the reproductive cycle of life."

I frowned at my friend, "Tamsin, two girls can't reproduce…..so that…"

"I know, makes my theory invalid. I'm just trying to prove a point…." Tamsin suddenly paused, her eyes darting to the silver corvette in the driveway. "Oh hell's angels in my ass, my dad is home."

I raised my eyebrows, "Okay?"

She shook her head, "This isn't good. He's going to crawl all over my ass about getting suspended for three weeks." Tamsin looked at me, "Did you leave all our homework in my room?"

I nodded, "Yes, on your desk. We got through most of biology and I got you caught up in Chemistry. You are actually ahead of everyone and should now be passing with a low B."

The older blonde blew out a breath as she parked the car next to the corvette, "Okay. So here's the deal." She got out of the car and waved Bo over as I stepped out, "Lewis, you and Bo are going to disappear for a couple of hours. Come back to my house around dinner time and talk to my dad." She frowned, her green eyes turning to ones of a little girl very much afraid to disappoint her father.

I stumbled, not wanting to be alone with Bo, "But…Tams…I…"

She looked up at me, "You can do this." She smiled softly at me, turning to Bo, "Trust me. I will be at your wedding, I want to be at your wedding so for the love of aliens and abductions, go with Bo. Let her in." She pushed away from the car, moving to tell Bo what the new day's plan would be.

I stepped away from the car, clutching my sweatshirt I snagged as a last thought like it was a life rope and I was in the middle of the ocean. "Fudge."

I watched Bo and Tamsin talk for a few minutes until the front door opened and a older, very well dressed man stepped out, "TAMSIN! GET OVER HERE NOW!"

Tamsin straightened up like she was struck with lightning, turned around and walked towards the house, only to stop and shove me towards Bo, "Go Lauren and live. Follow the weird feelings you feel and I promise you, she won't hurt you. If she does, well….you've seen what I did to Carl on the football team last year for sitting on Bev's lip gloss." She winked at me and took in a deep breath before heading towards her very angry father.

I blinked at her back, clearly seeing her with Carl in a full nelson and ramming his head into the field goal padded post over and over until he cried uncle. I turned to Bo, immediately picturing her in that same position as Carl.

"Fudging fudge." What the hell was going on in my life.

"Um, so Tamsin said it's just you and i?" She shoved her hands into the front of her hoody, looking extremely bashful and completely adorable. I smiled, I really liked this version of Bo, the dressed down, crazy hair out of the usual tight ponytail and very little makeup.

I nodded, "Yea, I guess she's expecting a reaming from her dad." I smiled, "If you want, you can take me back home."

Bo scowled at me playfully, "No way, I have you to myself, there's no way I'm giving that up."

My face began to turn that stop sign red color, "Bo…"

Bo huffed, her hands snaking out from her front pocket and wrapped around my upper arm, "Lauren, get in the car and tell me where you want to go."

I stuttered as Bo pulled me to the Camaro, "I…uh…I don't know where to go." I looked at her blankly.

Bo opened the passenger door and pointed at the seat, "Sit down." I nodded and obeyed her, crumpling up my hoody out of nerves.

When Bo sat down, she turned and faced me, her cheeks flustered from the chilly air and probably from me. I instantly felt bad and looked at my lap, I wasn't good at this, how would I be good at being anything for Bo or with her? She said nothing as she started the car and pulled out of Tamsin's neighborhood and for a split second I had the hope that she was taking me home.

It took five minutes to realize Bo wasn't taking me home, we were heading towards the edge of town. I found my voice and reached to turn down the radio blaring the Cranberries, "Bo? Where are you taking me?"

She kept her eyes on the road, "Somewhere special to me, I have to prove that you can trust me." She glanced at me, a soft smile on her face, "I think you'll like it."

I turned away from her, tucking my head against my chest and started pulling at how tight my jeans were against my thigh, letting the car fall back into weird silence.

I really wasn't good at this.

I finally looked away from my jeans when I felt the car slow down.

"When I first got my license, I sped off in the Camaro. I felt free and crazy, nothing but this nice new car and the open road. The problem was, I have no sense of direction and ended up super lost." Bo smiled as she drove the car down a dirt road with trees creating a canopy overhead. "I turned down this road, hoping I could find a driveway to turn around or ask for directions." She bent forward, grinning when she pulled off to the side and shut the car off.

Before I knew it she had hopped out of the car and was opening my door, her hand outstretched to me. I hesitated, not knowing exactly what to do or say that wouldn't be a request to take me home.

Bo rolled her eyes and grabbed my hand, yanking me out of the car, "Come on, Lauren, trust me."

I barely heard her, only focusing on the fact she was holding my hand and it felt awesome. I stumbled a few steps before I caught up to her and went to gently remove my hand when Bo smiled at me, shaking her head and slid her fingers to fit in mine, "I have to hold your hand, you might get lost."

"Bo…" I couldn't look away from our hands together. Together in the same way I had seen a ton of couples in school hold hands, my parents, my grandparents, the weird couples on those soap operas, and now Bo and I. It was something I secretly hoped for, one day to hold someone's hand and be led into the unknown.

I was lost in my weird and awkward thoughts that I barely noticed Bo stop until I halfway slammed into her side. She giggled and grabbed me, steadying me, "Whoa there."

"Sorry." I took a step back, trying to let go of her hand when Bo just started talking and drawing my attention to what was in front of us.

"I had to stop the car since the road got too small, and decided to walk further." She looked at me, "Then I found this." She waved her hand out in front of her.

We were standing on the edge of a cliff that rolled down into a view I had never knew existed in the town I lived in. The cliff gave us a overhead view of the downtown area before rolling up into the mountains that surrounded us, the fall colors creating a strange but beautiful painting that was emphasized by the bright early afternoon sun sinking into the reds, oranges and browns. "Wow." Pushing my glasses up I took a step closer, squinting as I picked out the office building my dad worked in, the bookstore I went to on Saturdays, and then in the far distance our school. "This is…incredible."

Bo squeezed my hand, nodding, "It is. When I found it, I stood up here until the sunset before I drove home. After that, I would come up here anytime I wanted to be alone with my thoughts and trying to sort out the bullshit of being a teenager with no idea what to do with my life." She sighed, looking back over the view, "It's my alone spot, the one place I can stop being Bo the cheerleader, Bo the popular girlfriend, Bo the heir to my parent's company, Bo the dumb girl who has no clue why letters and numbers are put together in math, and Bo the girl who wishes she understood life."

I frowned at her, "Bo, I told you, you're not dumb."

She turned to face me, nodding as her face fell serious, "I am dumb, Lauren. Dumb for all the things I've done trying to fit in. Dumb for screwing things up for you when I tried to help you." She dropped her head, slowly lifting our hands up, "I've never told anyone or shown anyone about this spot, until you." Bo lifted her eyes to meet mine, those big brown eyes looking right into my churning heart and stomach, "Lauren, I really really like you and I have no fricking clue how I can prove to you that I want to be around you. I want to sit and listen to you rant, rave and pick at your shirts with that redhead on them when you're nervous. I secretly do everything I can to make you nervous and blush, because it's the cutest thing when you blush and look at your shoes instead of at me." Bo let out a slow breath, "I suck at this and I mess things up because you make me nervous, jealous and a bunch of other stuff I so totally don't get."

I gave her a half smile, "Why do I make you nervous?" I didn't dare ask why I would ever make her jealous, she was beautiful and I was, well I was me.

Bo laughed, shaking her head, "You make me nervous because I have never liked someone as much as I like you, I feel weird around you and I do stupid things." She stepped closer to me, "Lauren, will you at least try to be my friend and let me prove to you that I'm not doing this for anything other than I feel a bunch of things for you that are beyond what my seventeen year old brain clearly can handle." She let out a puff of air.

I stared at her as she looked in my eyes and then back at the maple tree behind me. My mind was racing a million miles a minute, trying to analyze all of the options and things I could say, when Tamsin's voice popped up in the back of my head, shouting, "Balls, find yours and use them. Shut down that fucking computer in your head and do something."

I rolled my eyes, hating that my only friend was right, I had to stop thinking and just go with the flow. Whatever the hell that really meant.

I swallowed a few times before finally speaking, "Bo, when you kissed me in front of all those people, it felt like you did it to prove a point to them or egg on whatever prank Dyson had planned in retaliation." I paused, knowing that I was about to admit a super embarrassing fact to Bo, but Tamsin had shown me that confidence only came with taking chances. "I also hated that my first kiss was in the mall in front of a bunch of boys with dried nacho cheese on my shirt. That's why I ran….away. And that I really like you and I'm clearly confused about those feelings and how my life is becoming a cheesy eighties movie." I scrunched up my face, feeling like now was probably another good time to fake an illness and run to the bushes.

Bo's big brown eyes grew wide, "Wait, you've never…that, your first kiss?"

I nodded slowly, finally gently freeing my hand from Bo's and hating at how cold it felt without hers wrapped around mine. "Yes, I know. It's strange, but, I've never really been social or had friends or a crush or a kiss." I closed my eyes, shaking my head, "I'm making this awkward."

Bo chuckled, "A little bit." She then stepped closer, her hands falling to my upper arms, forcing my eyes to open and look right at her. She smiled softly, "I think, well I think seeing that we're alone and there's nothing but the trees here." Bo paused, her smile turning into a playful smirk, "Lauren, can I kiss you again?"

I felt my mouth fall open as my glasses did their usual slow descent down my nose, "Um, what?"

Bo shook her head, moving closer as she spoke softer, "I'm going to kiss you now. I'm going to re-do your first kiss, because I really want to kiss you again and haven't been able to stop thinking about when I could the second you ran away from me in the mall." She moved even closer, "Lauren, breathe."

I let out a puff of air on her command, my throat tightening as Bo looked at me for approval and before I knew it, my teenage hormones and the fact I had not been able to stop thinking about Bo since we kissed and she touched my boob, I was nodding my approval.

Bo grinned and leaned forward, her lips grazing mine and sucking all the air out of my body. I tensed up until I felt Bo's hands slide around to my sides and hold me steady. She whispered, "Breathe, just breathe."

I nodded and closed my eyes at the same time her lips made full contact with mine, sending the same intense feelings through my body as the first time those Bo Dennis lips met mine. But this time, I paid attention to every little thing that was happening. The way Bo's hands moved to my lower back and pressed against my shirt, sending shivers and tingles everywhere. The way my hands found their own path to her back, pressing harder against the thick material of her hoody and how I could almost hear her heart beat over the rustling leaves and the wind.

Bo kissed me slowly, moving with me and gently guiding me on kissing her back. I had no idea what to do, since I had never been really kissed, but soon my photographic memory kicked in and every single stupid kissing scene from every stupid thing I had ever watched flooded in, my giant brain working and computing and downloading instructions to my mouth. It was a simple logic behind kissing and I just needed to try, and kiss Bo back before she gave up and told me I kissed like a dead fish.

So I did, I kissed Bo back. Pushing against her mouth, and holding her tighter as I just went with it. Just stopped thinking and kissed this girl I had liked from the moment I first saw her this year and probably ever single year before that, back to the first time I bumped into her in sixth grade science.

I must have been doing something right, I felt Bo smile against my mouth and the tip of her tongue glide against my bottom lip, startling me back and away from her mouth. Tongue was definitely something I was not ready for. Bo looked up at me, her cheeks very red as she bit her bottom lip, "Wow."

I shrugged, "I'm not, good at." I stopped, looking down at the ground.

Bo shook her head, and leaned her forehead against mine, "You're better than you think, Lauren." She sighed contently and pulled me into a hug, her head resting on my shoulder, "We can work on it later, but I hope you know that was probably the best second first kiss I've ever had."

I raised my eyebrows, looking at the back of Bo's head, "Really?"

Bo nodded, "Really, because I really like the person I just kissed." I felt her squeeze me tighter and for a moment, I felt like the only place I ever truly belonged was in her arms. I was seriously crushing on her and falling into something I knew would probably change my life more than it already had.

I wrapped my skinny arms around her, squeezing her back, I had no idea what to say to her that wouldn't be my usual stupid farts or burps of words. "I really like you too." I did, and deep down I knew that I was probably two days away from falling head over heels in love with Bo Dennis, even if I wanted too or not. "And I trust you, Bo."

I felt Bo smile against my shoulder as we stood on the cliff in a tight embrace, the city below us as if we were the only two people in the world.

For the first time in a long time, I laughed and my face broke out in a huge grin.

My life might be confusing and weird as crap, but I was happy. Like stupidly happy and I understood all the giddy happy sappiness my parents talked about when they told me all the cute little moments they shared when they first fell into their romance.

I had found my balls and my heart in Bo Dennis.