"Ty?" I heard my mother's voice, with the sound of her footsteps coming upstairs and closer to my room.

My eyes darted towards Brandon standing in front of me, in my bedroom, in the middle of the night, with my mom coming upstairs.

Uh-oh. This was not supposed to happen.

I tried to ignore the growing knot forming in my stomach, but my body was already on high alert. Blood pumped in my veins at twice the normal pace, and I took a deep breath before I exploded with panic. However cool my mother was, there was no way she would be approving of this.

Brandon still stood there, looking confused, but was thankfully quiet. I grabbed his arm, more tightly than intended.

"Do you want to get chopped to death tonight?" I hissed, and he gave me a shake of his head, his eyes wide as he understood what was happening. "Good. Now go and hide somewhere!"

I moved my hands wildly around my room, gesturing him to hide. My hands were shaking with nervousness as he tried to look for a place to hide. Why couldn't he hurry up?

"Where?" he said in urgency, looking equally flustered.

My heart skipped a beat when I heard her call out again, and quickly grabbed his hand and dragged him behind me. "Quick! Go in!" I motioned towards the bathroom, and Brandon fumbled with the knob.

Just why did she have to come upstairs this late, when she had never done so in the past? And just my luck that this was happening when he was in my room. I pushed Brandon away, as he kept up the struggle with the door handle. If I didn't know better, I could have mistaken this as Brandon's attempt at a new prank.

The door opened with one flick of my hand, and I pulled him inside. My bedroom door opened simultaneously as I closed the bathroom door.

"Ty?" I heard my mother enter the bedroom, and I swallowed to keep the nervousness down. Skipping back to the bathtub, I quickly turned on the shower.

"Mom?" I called out as if I was surprised to hear her. I looked to my side and saw that Brandon was leaning on the sidewall, smirking down at me. No more worried about getting chopped to death, was he? His eyes were filled with amusement at my situation. Noticing my gaze, he raised an eyebrow at me, pointing towards something.

I frowned, following his instruction. Traveling down his arm, to his wrist, and then to his hand clutched in mine. I yelped, covering my mouth with my other hand, and snatching the other hand out of his. I kicked myself mentally, scrunching up my face to avoid looking at him. Could this get more embarrassing?

Brandon chuckled, maybe noticing my distress, but I was fast to shush him. This was already too much drama for my heart and he was not helping at all. 

A knock on the door. "Are you in the bathroom?" she asked me from the other side. Taking a deep breath, and placing a finger on Brandon's lips to keep him quiet, I readied myself.

"Yeah?" I asked in a tone to ask for her purpose.

"Oh. Did your periods start?" she asked, and I blushed, completely avoiding looking Brandon in his eyes. If I could just trade my soul to be anywhere but here.

Embarrassing? I spoke too soon.

Torture to my lips, and brain, I groaned out, "No, mom! It's not due yet. Can you keep it down?"

My mother was the most-embarrassing-situations-magnet seriously! Just why did she have to ask that right now? 

"Oh, okay. I came to tell you that I am going to the fruit market," she paused, and I panicked, thinking she somehow knew Brandon was in here with me. "It's four right now, so I want to finish work early. We can talk then."

"Okay?" I pressed my ear to the door to hear any movements.

The sounds of feet shuffling reached my ears. "I'll be home in an hour."

My body sagged in relief. Still keeping my head and eyes forward, and nowhere near Brandon, I mumbled out an over-enthusiastic reply, "Okay. Bye!"

Removing the bolt, I peeked out to see that the room was empty. I exhaled, shutting the door again. Without looking at Brandon, I mumbled.

"Hmm?" he droned, and I could hear a hint of laughter in his tone.

I looked up at him, my eyes filled with more irritation than embarrassment. "I said, the coast is clear." I dragged out the words, just to annoy him out. But he didn't say anything.

"What?" I asked. He raised both his eyebrows this time and motioned his eyes downward.

Thinking it a joke, I huffed, but then I noticed it.

Oh shit.

My finger was still crushing his lips, and without a second's delay, I removed my hand.  "I-I... That..." I stammered, blinking, and looking away from him. Brandon took a step forward, and I hesitantly took one back.

"Did you really want to touch my lips that bad?" he asked in an amused tone, and I flushed. I tried to say something, but the words failed me as I looked at him, my mouth partially open.

He captured me with his eyes, and I couldn't look away. He took another step forward and I took another back. Still not breaking eye contact with him. His green eyes almost appeared grey in the dim bathroom light. I gulped nervously and then felt my back touching the wall.

There was no more space for me to go now and Brandon still kept coming forward. He looked like a panther or a cat, narrowing down on his prey. And I didn't miss the fact that that prey was supposed to be me. Taking a ragged breath in, I tried to calm my nerves, but I knew I was a goner. He put both his hands adjacent to my face, and leaned in, his breath fanning my face.

He dropped a little low, coming to my eye level. And I looked at him as he exhaled and spoke. "If you really want to touch my lips, I can show you much interesting ways." He leaned in on my right ear as he said these words, and a shiver ran down my body. A flutter of butterflies blooming in my stomach.

I gulped as he moved back, to look into my eyes again. His blonde hair fell on his eyes in jagged strands and his lips were pressed together, then opened as his tongue darted out to lick his bottom lip.

Sweet Niblets.

I quickly realized my mistake of watching his lips and looked up again to see Brandon watching me with hooded eyes. No hint of smirk left on his face. That information, instead of scaring the shit out of me, gave me the confidence to flip this situation around. Inhaling a deep breath, I placed a fiery red strand of my hair behind my ear.

I leaned forward a little, as if I was going to kiss him, and Brandon hissed in a breath, his face tilting sideways to do the same. A short smile tugged on my lips. He took it as a sign and bent forward, but before he could do so, I swung down and out of his arms. With quick steps, I was out of the bathroom in seconds, leaving a frustrated Brandon behind.

He stalked forward. "What the hell?" 

I squared my shoulders, all the embarrassment gone. "What?"

"'What?' I thought you were going to kiss me!"

His whining was so funny that I laughed outright. Sobering up, I muttered, "Stop being delusional. Who would kiss you?" Something flashed in his eyes at my words. Did I hit his ego? No. His smirk was back full force.

"Oh, really? I bet you would kiss me. By the end of the holidays."

"Stop dreaming dude." 

I was confident. But for Liam... I wouldn't be so sure.

As if reading my thoughts he spoke again, "I should warn you beforehand, Liam is not interested in you." And with that, he stormed outside, leaving me standing there, with my mouth hanging open.

***

"Mom, where did you find this hideous piece of shit?"

"Language, Ty." She flashed me her eyes. I made a face. "And it's not bad at all! You look great." 

Her tone was soothing and consoling, but I was having none of it. "I thought you asked the guys to teach me how to swim. So why do I have to wear a bikini?" I stood in front of her bathroom mirror, wearing a hot red bikini instead of a swimsuit.

"Because...It's the spring season!" She chirped up like that was reason enough. Looking at my unamused eyes, she added, "Everyone wears a bikini. And it fits you perfectly."

Yeah, right.

Looking back into the mirror, I sighed. It looked alright. If just that teeny bit of muffin top could disappear. But then again it was not going to magically vanish and neither I planned to exercise on spring break.

She handed me a flimsy white dress to wear on the bikini. "It's almost time they finish practicing for the upcoming swimming championship."

"And?"

"And? You can go now." She shooed me away, not giving me another look.

This was just day two, and I had been manipulated by my mother to wear a bikini, go learn swimming when I already knew how to (just wasn't that good), and had to put up with four boys from school. None of that sounded like my perfect spring break.  But saying no to her meant ended up serving in the cafe, which was high on my don't-do-list (if that existed). I put the dress on and for once did what she asked.

Grabbing my bag, I set on towards the swimming pool. It was a few blocks away from our house. One of the best in the state. Also the reason the four of them had chosen to live with us. Nobody from my boarding school lived in Jacksonville. But the town had the best sports facilities available. 

As I entered the watching area, I tried to suppress the little fluttery feeling bubbling inside me. I had always loved to watch people swim, but had never gotten the chance to learn it properly for myself, even though I lived right next to a beach. But I had spent most of my time in boarding school or baking.

Expecting the four of them and probably their coach using the pool. I was in for a surprise when I saw only one person swimming laps in the pool. He stopped when he noticed me, waving as if he had been waiting for me. I skipped over to him, walking over to the edge, but keeping my distance from the water. The mass of brown hair bobbing out of the water made me smile as I saw that it was Liam.

He took out his goggles and swimming out of the water. "Hey!"

"Hi," I said a little meekly. We had hardly talked after I had rushed out of his room yesterday, and I still felt a little awkward from the squeamish episode before

"So you came," he said with a grin, flipping his hair to get water out of them.

I smiled at him, feeling out of place in the empty area."Yeah... When is your swimming competition?" I asked, attempting to make small talk while remembering the huge carnival that followed the Annual Sports Championship.

Only if baking could be a sport...

"Next week. After that, we have a hell of a time to party!" He laughed, grabbing my hand, and I tried not to feel too self-conscious about it.

It's alright, it's alright. It's just a hand, I can handle it!

"Where are we going?" My voice came out high pitched and I seriously wanted to murder myself.

Handle it, my foot!

"Where the others are." He gripped my hand harder and expertly led me through a series of halls. And voila! We came out to another swimming pool. Oh well.

"Brandon, GO!" A loud whistled followed and I quickly followed Liam's other hand, pointing towards the fifty-meter high diving plank.

Brandon bounced once, and then with a leap into the air, jumped.

My voice caught in my throat, and I stopped breathing altogether, as I looked at the beautiful body diving through the air. He rolled thrice in the air and then opened up to shoot straight, arms extended into the water.

In ten seconds he came up, and my eyes followed his every move.

"Brandon, get your shit together! I want it perfect next time!" A loud voice barked but I still couldn't take my eyes off Brandon.

When he had jumped, he had looked like a bird falling from the sky. Free of everything and everyone. Just him and the air. But the reality came crashing down when he had hit the water. I had never realized that the simple act of diving could have so many hidden meanings behind it.

"Ty, breathe." A low voice grumbled in my ear and I blinked, coming out of my trance.

Brandon stood next to me, his hair dripping wet. I had the urge to flick them away from his face, but his beautiful eye--

Stop it! I scolded myself.

"I-- " My voice faltered but Brandon was already gone, called out by the coach.

"Oh my god. You had the best reaction ever." Liam laughed, clapping a hand on my back, but not too roughly. It didn't escape my notice that it stayed there longer than it should. He continued, "Brandon is so full of himself. We have some specialty areas in our swimming techniques, but that guy is so freaking good at everything."

Warmth spread inside my chest at that. I couldn't decipher if it was because of Liam or what he told me about Brandon. I hoped for the former, but the unintentional grin I was supporting told me otherwise.

"Look he's jumping--" My voice died in my throat as I watched, horrified at the scene.

Brandon reached the top, but something happened. He tried to grip the railing, but he slipped, his ankle twisting into an awkward angle, and then he tumbled down from above.

And into the water.

******

Who do you think Tyler should end up with? Brandon or Liam? Let me know your thoughts. Don't forget to VOTE.