N: i feel like i shouldn't have to explain this path we're taking. But if you read the one shot you'll know that these two have a happy ending. As for what happened, remember it was the 90's and instant communication wasn't always there, something i miss. So it was easier not to want to communicate and avoid it, like a 16 year old insecure girl probably would. also for those who keep up with the nasty reviews and intense negativity, it's not welcomed here. WritingSux and i are now writing this for ourselves for our enjoyment and it should be enjoyed for the quality of a story we're producing and that it is my final ff on here. I haven't ruined christmas, because i had a pretty great one writing this story with my co-author! and with that, the rest of you please keep on reading and enjoying! you all know there is a happy ending at the end, it's just going to take a rough road or two to get there!

"Mother fucking fudge." Lauren said as she let out a breath.

I opened my mouth to say something but I couldn't formulate a single thought or word or utter a single noise. Lauren Lewis was sitting behind me on our first day of law school. I continued to stare at her then I heard Professor Keating say, "Excuse me miss but if your eyes aren't on me then I'm going to assume that you have no interest in my class. If that is the case, then you need to leave."

I turned back around in my seat and mumbled an apology. I didn't even bother with pretending to find a pen. There was no way that I was going to be able to focus on class now. I had half the mind to move to another seat but there weren't any open ones and I was already in Professor Keating's crosshairs. So I sat there slumped down in my seat as my brain racked over a million reasons why Lauren would be at Harvard law school. When I wasn't able to pick out a single reason why she would be there, my brain decided ventured into a more dangerous and volatile line of thinking.

It's not that I didn't think about Lauren over the last eight years. It's just that when I did think about her I was either drunk or depressed and even when that was the case it would result in anger and regret.

I was unable to focus on Professor Keating's lecture. Lauren had consumed my thoughts and the only thing I could focus on was the fact that Lauren was sitting behind me. I had my book bag packed and was ready to leave as class drew to a close. When Professor Keating let us go I bolted out of the room and didn't look back at Lauren. Mostly because I had no idea what I would say to her. I had imagined this type of scenario many times over the years. Most of the time when I thought about it I was the empowered jilted ex-girlfriend who would demand for an explanation of what happened on what should have been one of the happiest days of my life but now faced with the reality of doing that wasn't at all an appealing idea.

I still wanted to know but at the same time I wasn't ready to know. It still hurt to know that Lauren and Tamsin were still together after all these years but I knew I shouldn't have been surprised considering how close they had been our last year of high school. As I walked away from the building that my class was in I thought about how different my life was. Lauren leaving without saying a single word had had a dramatic effect on my life but in a weird way it forced me to learn more about myself. However, that didn't happen right away because of my depression which was triggered by the whole Lauren thing. I had almost flunked out of my first year at NYU because instead of focusing on my schoolwork I was partying and screwing anyone that would help me forget about Lauren. It worked for a little while but not long enough because I found myself longing for Lauren and her cute nerdy ways. My mom finally forced me to go to therapy and the doctor had prescribed me anti-depressants which worked for a few months then I was back to square one. It wasn't until my dad presented me with the ultimatum of a treatment facility or being cut off did I turn everything back around for myself.

I got to my car and when I was within its safe confines I rested my head on the steering wheel and closed my eyes. I didn't need this my first day of law school. I had worked too damn hard to get here. I took a deep breath and decided that Keating's lecture hall was big enough for both Lauren and I so I would find a different seat. Grabbing onto that very short thread of hope I lifted my head then started my car.

I drove to the apartment that I shared with my friend Laurel. When I was inside I yelled, "Laurel are you home?"

There was no answer which caused me to let out a breath of relief. I dropped my book bag on the couch in the living room then I headed for the kitchen. When I was in there I went right for the refrigerator and I took out the pint of Ben and Jerry's Half-Baked ice cream. It was that kind of a day. I probably had better things to do but when the girl who stole and broke your heart in high school shows up for your first day of law school it kind of puts you in a terrible mood. I took my ice cream and headed into my room. I set it down on my desk then changed into sweat pants and a tank top as I thought more about Lauren.

No one could compare to her. I had dated several people during college and a few of my relationships had gotten serious but I always broke them off when that void in the middle of my heart never filled. I always thought I just needed time but when I couldn't feel anything more than lust for the person I knew I was wasting both of our time.

It was in the spring semester of sophomore year and after my third relationship did I declare my major for law. I had taken a few civics classes and I found that I had an interest in law. More specifically criminal law because I wanted to help people to get their second chances. Helping people get that second chance that I would never get myself. Once I found out what I wanted to major in I focused on school. My mom had been so impressed with my grades during my junior and senior years of college that she had asked me if I was paying someone to do my homework. But I hadn't, I just found something that held my interest and allowed me pour all of my energy into it.

After I declared my major I stopped having relationships. I had sex and a social life but I didn't date. Love was something that had become this ambiguous anomaly to me because no one would ever reach that same level of love that Lauren and I had. Sure we had been young at the time but it was different. For the most part when I wasn't being dragged to parties I was focused on my school work. I had finally developed a work ethic. I chuckled to myself and thought about how Lauren would be proud of me.

I shook my head then sat down at my desk and booted up my computer as I ate my ice cream. Lauren had lost the right to have any influence on my life a long time ago but dammit was it hard to keep her from my mind. Once I started thinking about her she occupied my head space for several days. I had noticed that when I started to meet Lauren's dad for lunch when he was in New York. I knew I could have told him no or come up with some excuse but it was Lauren's dad, and a part of me did it to find out what Lauren was up to but I never asked. Although he did let slip about Lauren and Tamsin staying in California once and that resulted in me getting shitfaced. So to avoid alcohol poisoning I made sure we stayed on safe topic like school and my future. But eventually I had to stop meeting him for lunch all together because afterwards I would spend the rest of the day drinking and crying while thinking about how life would have been had we still been together.

I went to Myspace once the computer was up and running and I was online. It was the popular site to be on so I was on it, and everyone was on it. I had to block Dyson when he discovered my profile. That asshole was one person I never wanted to talk to.

I went through my notifications. Nothing interesting as usual, just an invitation to some site called Facebook. I only had a few pictures on there and they were from some party that I had been dragged to. I ate some ice cream as I thought about what I was going to do to avoid this Lauren thing. I could change my schedule but I didn't want to do that. I heard Keating was the best and that at the end of the semester she picked a few students to do some work for her law firm for a semester. I leaned back in my computer chair and looked up at the ceiling. I could just ignore Lauren. I laughed to myself, there was no way that would happen. Once Lauren was on my brain it took a large bottle of Jack to get rid of her.

I heard the front door of the apartment open then Laurel shouted, "Bo are you here?"

"Yeah, I'm in my room."

I spun around in my chair and waited for her to come to my room. Laurel appeared in the doorway of my room and she smiled at me. "How was your first day of law school?"

I chuckled then said, "My ex is in my litigation 101 class."

"Carson?" I shook my head no. Laurel then said, "Lily?"

I knew I should have probably stopped her because none of those could count as relationships. Just hook-ups that lasted longer than they should have. I ate some ice cream and after I pulled the spoon out of my mouth I said, "She-who-must-not-be-named."

Laurel looked confused for a brief moment then her face changed as she realized who I was talking about. Laurel knew about Lauren because she had been my roommate for the last four years. She had found me in one of my Lauren induced drunk stupors after a hook-up went wrong emotionally. I spilled everything to her and she was pissed at Lauren for me but also told me that I shouldn't hold onto something that I couldn't change. Laurel walked into the room and she leaned against the edge of my desk. "Did you slap her? Yell at her? Tell me you at least caused a scene Bo?"

I shook my head then said, "Nope. I did nothing. I kept my eyes forward and when class let out I was out of there quicker than anything."

"Well that's for the best. I thought she was some science nerd? Is this the reason for your Ben and Jerry's therapy?"

"Well clearly science wasn't enough for her." I smiled at her and added, "And yeah it is but I don't know if it's going to solve everything."

Laurel grinned and remarked, "Of course it's not. I hear there is a party going on tonight to celebrate the start of classes." She smirked. "I hear that cute TA who gave us the tour over the summer will be making an appearance."

I bit my bottom lip. I knew I probably should have stayed in and try to decipher Professor Keating's lecture but I also knew that there was no way I was going to focus on work. Not with Lauren on the brain. I put down the pint of ice cream then asked, "What was his name again? Lawrence?"

Laurel laughed then corrected me. "His name is Leo. So you're in?"

"Oh I am definitely in." I said with a smile on my face. This was what I needed for the night. Some booze and a random hook-up. Then tomorrow I would find a seat that would keep me far from Lauren.

XXXX

A month later –

All my plans to work around Bo in one of my law classes went belly up. The second day in Professor Keating's class, I walked in to see small name placards on every desk. Keating had assigned us seats and they were the same ones we all took that first day. Meaning I was stuck with Bo sitting in front of me and there was not a damn thing I could do to change it.

So I sucked it up and focused on my notes in the minutes before class started. It worked for a couple of days, almost a week until out of bad habit, I started observing every little detail going on in the class. Including Bo.

I observed ow she would skate in with Keating right behind her most days. Sometimes very hungover, sometimes very sober and sometimes she was hanging in the bare balance of making it through the two hour long class coherent. It made me angry that Bo was living up to the party girl image her Myspace profile presented. Wild, carefree and living more in the party life than the hitting the books she so desperately needed to.

I ignored it, even ignoring when Keating seemed to focus in on Bo's faltering when she was called on in class. It was growing worse by the week and now a month in, I could see the familiar signs of frustration on Bo's face as Keating tore into her and tore her apart. But it wasn't my focus, nor my problem. I had to pass law school, not help everyone else around me like I had in high school.

I had even gone so far in staying out of the brunette's business, that I had yet to tell Tamsin who sat in front of me. She didn't need the extra stress, working doubles at the police department and worrying about me while I worried about her. If she knew Bo was back in my life, she would hover around me and hide all of the alcohol in the house.

I took a slow breath, I could do this, I could ignore my former high school girlfriend who broke my heart like a glass light bulb and power through this semester. I had done it year after year and stood tall and strong, not letting my heartbreak smother my life and my goals. If only I had the balls to tell that to Bo's face, not stare at the back of her head, internally reciting all the things I had to say eight years later.

Ugh, her face. Another thing I found myself starting at random moments in the lecture. Bo was still beautiful as she had been in high school, but more. She had grown into many of her curves and some of the high school baby fat had fallen away to reveal more of her cheekbones and it drove me insane to sit behind her. I hated that I still felt the smallest amount of attraction towards her, and that would amplify my lingering anger for her. The anger mainly coming from how much I suddenly missed her and it made no damn sense why.

It was the end of the first month and I was eager to have found a groove in all of my classes. Law school was challenging but not impossible for me, it was all about memorizing things and I could do that in one look at lecture material or textbooks.

It was Friday, the weekend was to start and I had been invited to a house party in the city, a few blocks from where I lived. After that, Tamsin had the weekend off and we were thinking about heading to New York city for a quick road trip to decompress.

I glanced at the clock as people filed into the classroom, class was about to start in five minutes and I could already hear the click of Professor Keating's heels coming down the hall. I tucked away the notes from my other classes and looked at Bo's empty chair. If she didn't rush in now, she would be locked out of the class and give Keating even more ammo to launch Bo's way.

I looked down at my notebook, staring at the two sets of notes I had written a few nights ago at the library. Bo had also been in the library, sitting in the far corner and struggling severely with Keating's lecture from the last few weeks as well as the lectures from her criminal procedure class that I had, but on a different day. For whatever reason, watching her struggle tugged on my heartstrings and on a whim, I made two sets of notes. One for me and one to slip in her backpack the next day to help ease her struggle. But the next day she rolled into class, hungover and I shook my head in disappointment and tuck the extra notes away. I looked at the door, idly willing Bo to just fucking show up on time before Keating tore into her again.

I rolled my eyes at the strange boost of anxiety, Bo's a big girl, stop worrying about her, Lauren. I pulled out my law book and opened it to the current chapter as Keating neared the doorway, I looked up and caught Bo running in the door and towards her seat. She fell into the desk with a huge sigh and dropped her backpack on the floor with a heavy curse.

I shook my head, her hair was messy and her hands shook as she took out her notes and book. Bo had been out late last night, overslept and barely made it to class. This was the third time this month she had come in like this. I knew it was because of a party or whatever social thing she engaged in. I had overheard Bo telling the super annoying girl next to her about going to this frat house or that one more than once over the last couple of weeks.

"Good morning class." Keating's voice commanded the room, she slapped her briefcase on the desk, garnering more attention. "Today is going to be a different day. I am going to present to you an old case of mine and I want you to pick it apart and show me how you could have done it better. First, I need to know if any of you fully understand the legalese that is in every single page of this document." She held up a massive stack of papers. Keating glared around the room, "Can anyone tell me what mens rea means and how it might apply to a litigation case?"

A throng of hands shot up, including mine, eager to answer the woman. Keating scanned the room and stopped on Bo with her head down, desperately trying to flip through her notes.

"Ms. Dennis. Would you care to tell me the definition of mens rea?" She smirked at Bo when the girls head shot up like she had been stuck with a cattle prod. "And I suggest you don't use your notes."

Bo stood up, "Um, mens rea is the…uh…when the, or one party, claims responsibility of their action. Through their fault and it can be…"

"Wrong, Ms. Dennis. Sit down and I suggest you start focusing more on studying then rubbing elbows with TA's and other useless entities. They will get you nowhere but failing my class even before the midterm." Keating turned her glared from Bo and latched it on me, "Ms. Lewis, care to correct Ms. Dennis?"

I heard Bo huff angrily as she sat back down. I bit my bottom lip, feeling mildly bad. Bo had been the lone target of Keating for the last two weeks and I could see she was close to breaking her. I cleared my throat and began, "Yes Professor. Mens rea concerns what mental state a person is in while they commit a crime for it to be an intentional act. Basically if their criminal act was premeditated. In a litigation it could be use in a civil suit or a suit resulting from injury, property damage, etc. during the commitment of a crime. The attorneys on either side can use mens rea to add or subtract to the case, disprove or prove a foundation for the litigation to continue." I smiled as Keating grinned at me.

"Oh, Ms. Lewis, if only the rest of this class had your dedication to your studies." She removed another large stack of papers from her briefcase and walked them up to my desk, handing them to me, "This is a current case I'm working on. I want you to look over it and give me notes by next week on how you suggest I should proceed." She smiled, then glared at Bo, "And Ms. Dennis, I feel it might be in your best interest in your career in law to meet with Ms. Lewis and get your head into the game. Your attention to detail is dull and uninspiring."

I swallowed hard, sitting and setting the thick stack of case notes on my desk. I could see the side of Bo's jaw twitch just like it did when she was in high school and beyond frustrated that she was basically called dumb in front of the class. Keating headed to the front of the class and continued her lecture.

I sat and stared at Bo, my stomach twisting at what I knew shouldn't being caring about versus the damn weakness I had seeing Bo Dennis in distress. I blew out a breath and returned to listening to the lecture. I couldn't do it. I wouldn't do it. Bo didn't need me.

At the end of class, Keating dismissed us but held Bo back, asking to speak to her for a moment. I watched as Bo's shoulders sagged as she went down the steps.

Picking up my messenger bag, I glanced at her notebook. Bo had scribbled notes and in the corner she had written 'don't give up, you can do this. You're not dumb.'

I winced at the words. Bo's biggest insecurity had always been that she never felt like she was smart enough to do anything more than follow in her parent's footsteps. For her to be sitting in a Harvard law class, I knew she had at least worked somewhat hard to get here. And deep down, I couldn't allow her to go without some sort of help and negate all of the couldn't, wouldn't I promised myself a half hour ago.

I frowned and without a second thought, I yanked the second set of notes and quickly tucked them in the front cover of her law book before I left the classroom.

As much as I hated Bo, she would always be my weakness and I didn't have it in me to watch her completely suffer. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't.

I wasn't that terrible of a human being.

I wasn't a Dyson or a Bo searching out pleasure in other's misery. I was better than the both of them and proving that to her, was the first step to moving past her.

Later that night-

I sat on a battered leather couch, a bottle of beer in my hand as I chatted with a girl named Amy who was in my constitutional law class. She was very cute with wavy dark hair and big blue eyes. She had been flirting with me over the last week and when I ran into her at the party, she was moving full steam ahead on trying to build up the courage to ask me out.

I smiled listening to her ramble about wanting to be a defense attorney. Amy and I would probably go on a date or two, sleep together, and then I would end it right before winter break. Using the excuse that I was too overwhelmed with exams and course loads that a relationship was not in the cards. It was the same old excuses I had used for years when I really wasn't interested in someone for more than a few dates and a few nights in bed.

"Yeah, so, would you like to get coffee with me next week, Lauren?" Amy grinned sheepishly at me.

I looked down at my beer bottle, spinning it in my hands, "Maybe. I will have to look at my calendar. I have a few study groups starting up." I looked up to smile at the girl and caught Bo walking around the corner with a drink in her hand, she wore a low cut black top that gave the entire house and probably the city a choice view of her goods. She was smiling, laughing and had a typical frat boy's hands on her hips. He was whispering in her ear, making her laugh more as he pawed at her like a drunk gorilla.

My jaw clenched on its own as a bunch of sensations ran through my body. One mainly being anger as I saw Bo was clearly tipsy and close to drunk, allowing that gorilla frat boy's hands go wherever. "Fuck." I tore my eyes away when they huddled in a corner and started making out. A huge spike of jealousy out of nowhere, ran through my body and heart, making me clutch at the bottle in my hands. I had to settle down, she wasn't my concern.

Amy touched my arm, "Lauren? Did you hear me?"

I threw on a tight smile and turned to the girl, "Sorry, I zoned out. The beer is giving me a buzz, what did you say?"

Amy giggled, moving closer, "Oh I was just talking about how Will over there is being his usual creep ass self." She pointed to the frat boy shoving his tongue down Bo's throat.

I clenched my jaw tighter and stared at the glass bottle, "Who's Will?"

"Will is the asshole that sits in the back of our constitutional class. Always nodding off and being a dick head. His dad bought his way in here, so he thinks he doesn't have to do anything but sit back and collect his degree." Amy leaned over me, "He's been talking about that girl he's with. Bo? Or some weird name like that. It's the same girl that Professor Keating has been tearing apart on the daily." Amy giggled again, "Will made a bet with his bros that he would get into her pants by the weekend. Kept telling everyone that she's easy as shit to take advantage of after a drink or three. She gave one of the TA's a handy last week after he bought her two drinks."

I felt my stomach twist and slam into my heart, I met Amy's eyes with a hard glare, "Bo isn't that type of girl."

Amy rolled her eyes, "Whatever, she totally is. You've told me how she rolls into class after rolling out of someone's bed. Will is just looking to land another notch on his bedpost." Amy leaned closer, "Word has it the girl is about to flunk out by midterms. Too busy blowing, sucking and screwing everyone."

I squeezed my eyes shut to try and calm myself. This wasn't my problem, Bo wasn't my problem anymore, I kept repeating it over and over to talk myself down. She had made her choice in high school and left me for Dyson and a future full of him and frat boys named Will. I turned to look where she was still pressed against the wall, the Will kid groping her as he kissed her hard and sloppily. His hand was up under her shirt and she was trying to move back away from his grabby hands. Bo would shove him back a bit, but he pressed on.

"Lauren, do you want another drink and we can talk about that coffee date?" Amy was brushing some of my hair back, but I was too focused on watching the shit show in front of me.

Bo was getting more forceful in trying to shove Will back. I closed my eyes again, begging my conscious to let it go and leave Bo to the life she chose, when Amy huffed, "Will is so gross, I hope the fifty bucks is worth it."

I glared at Amy, "Fifty bucks?"

Amy smiled, "Yeah, Will's bros all bet him fifty bucks that he couldn't get Bo into bed by midnight tonight. Looks like he's about to win." She giggled and waved her beer bottle at the two.

Something deep inside of me cracked and I lost control of any thoughts and actions. I slammed my beer bottle on the table and stood up. Making a hard beeline towards Will trying to suck Bo's face off. I reached into my back pocket and pulled all of the cash I had and walked right up to Will.

"Hey fuck face." I had to half yell it over the loud music pouring out of the other room.

Will broke off the kiss and gave me a shitty look, "Can't you see I'm busy?"

I looked at Bo who was half drunk and wiping the slobber off her face. I shrugged, still having no idea what the fuck I was doing, "I think it's time you moved on."

Will laughed at me, looking at Bo, "Check this bitch out!" He reached for her waist.

Bo slowly looked up at me, her eyes glassing over as she swallowed, "Lauren…" The sound of my name sucked the air out of my lungs. It felt so familiar yet so foreign.

I turned away from her, focusing back on Will. I held up the wad of cash and shoved it down the front of his lame bro shirt, "Here's sixty bucks. Get the fuck out of here. Go back to your bros and tell them you came across a better deal. Leave her alone." I motioned to Bo, feeling her stare at the side of my face like I was a horrible car accident she happened across.

Will chuckled again, his face turning red with embarrassment, reaching for Bo and grabbing her arm in a way that made her yelp. I felt my anger spike and shoved him in the chest. "Let go of her." I was silently thankful that Tamsin made me take all of the same self-defense and fight classes she had to take in California. I wasn't going to back down from this piece of crap frat boy now.

"Who the fuck do you think you are?" Will stepped closer to me, bobbing his neck to instigate a move from me.

I glanced at Bo, tears running down her face. I had to look away, "Get the fuck out of here and leave her alone before I get mad." Seeing her cry sent sharp pains to my heart and pushed more adrenaline into my veins. I hated that I was getting involved in Bo's business, but damn, this piece of shit needed a knee to the balls and the face.

Will laughed out loud, taking a step to move further into the room, taking Bo with him, "You're a dumb bitch, get the fuck out of my way." He nodded at Bo, "Why do you care if I fuck this girl or not?" He yanked Bo harder, not taking notice she wasn't interested in coming with him by the way she softly gasped out a weak sob.

I grabbed his arm, "I shouldn't care, but I can't not care." I looked over at Bo, feeling the need to throw up but the look in her eyes begged me to save her, do something.

I caught Will drawing his fist back out of the corner of my eye as he hissed through his clenched teeth to let him go. I ducked right as he swung, his fist connecting hard against the wall and breaking through the plaster. I rolled my eyes and when Will came back up to swing again, I ducked and threw a hard sucker punch into his stomach, dropping him to his knees. He screeched out to his friends and since everyone was fairly hammered, they all began fighting each other out of mob mentality.

Glasses and bottles took to the air, hitting hard surfaces like grenades, sending shards of glass everywhere. I looked back to find Bo leaning against the wall, crying harder now. I grabbed her hand and pulled her towards the door. I had to bite the inside of my cheek at the way her hand felt in mine, sending a million long forgotten memories to the front of my mind.

I navigated us through the brawling wad of people to make it out the front porch, almost unscathed. I had caught a chunk off glass across the bottom of my chin when a giant bottle of Jameson struck the wall in front of me.

I ran out the front door, holding my bleeding chin and Bo's hand. Only letting go when the police cars skidded to a stop in front of the house, Boston's finest rushing out to sort out the mess before them. I groaned and waved at Freddie, Tamsin's best friend at the department, as he rushed over to me.

He squinted at me, "Lewis?" He then looked over my shoulder, "Don't tell me this shit show is your fault?" He smirked, shaking his head as law students ran around us in a panic.

I shrugged, "Nope. But there is a fucking nasty frat boy in the house named Will who might need a night of questioning about how he treats girls." I looked over my shoulder at Bo stumbling to sit down on the brick wall next to the front stairs to the house. "He tried to screw her on a bet, liquored her up and didn't quite understand no means get the fuck away." I smirked, looking at the blood on my hands, "I also think he stole sixty dollars from me." I took another swipe at my chin, wincing when it stung. I quickly described what Will looked like and the clothes he wore.

Freddy shook his head, laughing, "I'll make sure to look into that, Lewis. A concerned citizen complaint." He motioned for me to sit, "I got a bus coming to take a look at that chin."

I smiled, "Thanks Freddy." And went to walk over to check on Bo.

Before I could say another word, take another step, I heard. "What the fuck is fucking going on Lauren!" Freddy and I turned to see Tamsin stomping up the grass, a pissed off look on her face. "What the fuck! It's like a fucking frat boy clown car. Shitheads pouring out and running away with their tails between their legs." She waved at another group of drunks run past her and get snatched up by another police officer.

I chuckled with Freddy as he whispered a good luck and headed in with a couple other officers to shut down the party. The brawl had stopped as quickly as it started at the sight of the flashing blue and red lights.

Tamsin stopped in front of me, tilting my chin up to look at the cut, "Who hit you?"

I grabbed her hand, pulling it down, "No one. It's from a bottle breaking next to my face." I sighed.

"Why the fuck are you here? I thought you were going to a quiet party." Tamsin looked around at the mess, then scanned across the front yard, her eyes growing the size of the moon when she saw Bo sitting and shivering on the brick wall. "Wait a minute, is that…." She squinted harder, "The cheerleader." The words came out with thick venom behind every syllable.

I grabbed Tamsin's arm, "Don't."

Tamsin glared at me, "I don't like that you said that, the way you said that." She glared harder, she was slowly putting things together. "The cheerleader is the brunette in your litigation class you keep bitching about, isn't she? The one that you wished would stop calling herself dumb and pay attention before Keating eats her for breakfast, lunch, dinner and then save the remains for dessert?" Tamsin grimaced, "Why didn't you tell me, Lauren?"

I sighed, "Because you'd hide the booze." I looked over at Bo, catching her watching Tamsin and I intently. "It's nothing, her and I aren't speaking. I…" I looked down at the ground, "There was a frat fuck trying to fuck her on a bet and wouldn't get it that she didn't want him. I…stood up for her." I cringed, feeling the shitty look I knew my best friend was giving me.

"Goddamit Lauren." Tamsin grabbed my shoulder, "For the record, you tend to binge eat my secret stash of junk food when you think about her. Not drink all of the booze, you hate throwing up, remember? Remember when I had to throw your bed out after spring break our senior year? Bottomless margaritas and your mom telling you Bo's parents sent out her NYU graduation announcement, inviting the both of us?"

I nodded slowly, covering her hand, smiling back the painful tears wanting to come forth.

"Aw, so fucking cute you two are. So fucking adorable that you are still going strong after eight fucking years." Bo's shaky but loud voice had Tamsin and I turning towards her. Bo was wiping her eyes, "Why the fuck did you do it, Lauren?" She stood up, stumbling a step when she tried to walk over. "Couldn't you just…stay out of my life?" She sniffled, "You have her, you've had her." She waved at Tamsin, "Can't you just go away? Be with the one you really love and leave me the fuck alone."

I stared at Bo, confused, "What?"

Tamsin squinted at me and then at Bo, "Is she talking about us?" I could see the blonde's gears turning. I was equally confused as to why Bo would say anything about Tamsin and I being cute, then again she was pretty drunk.

Bo took another step and tripped, Tamsin reacted and caught the brunette before she smashed her face on the concrete. "Whoa there chief."

Bo shook her head, trying to push Tamsin away, "Let me go." She was sobbing hard.

I went to go for her, my heart pulling me to do something like it had all damn day. Tamsin shook her head, motioning over her shoulder, "Let the paramedics look at your chin. I'll take this one home. Freddy can give you a ride back to our place and then when I get home, we need to talk. Explain to me what the fuck is going on and how this mess reappeared in your life and why you're rescuing her."

I sighed, "My number one weakness, Tams. You know that, I can't...I couldn't this time either." I swallowed, "Especially her." I grimaced at the words, I couldn't believe it myself. That I had gone and rescued Bo, effectively opening the vault door back open.

Tamsin rolled her eyes and shifted Bo up to walk her towards her patrol car, "I know, you could never walk away when she needed help. I just hope this doesn't bite your fucking ass like a bear trap carefully laid by this one." She glanced at Bo half passed out, "Harvard law, impressive Bo."

Tamsin walked Bo to her patrol car and sat her in the passenger seat while I was escorted to the back of an ambulance to have my chin looked out.

While I was getting it bandaged up, the adrenaline fell away and I began to realized that I was setting myself up for a complete mess. Bringing Bo Dennis back into my life was going to be a huge mistake, I knew it, Tamsin knew it and the world around me knew it.

But I couldn't stand to see her cry or become another notch in a frat boy's belt. She had been my first love and even if I didn't love her anymore, and hated what she did to me when I was sixteen, she didn't deserve having the Will's of the world treat her like a disposable bet.