(fan cover by bouquinerie)

Don't I always get myself into simply the best of the best kinds of situations?

Thought so.

If you think your life is shitty right now, please come and walk in my footsteps. Just not these shoes, you can have an old pair, because if you think you're taking my favorite vans then I would clearly think again.

The cold air of the night swirls around me and shivers electrocute up my spine and forearms. All the while I'm still dangling my feet in the water. Back and forth, a random simple pattern.

See, I like patterns. Patterns are organized. Patterns are efficient. Patterns are also predictable and easy.

Unfortunately for me, my life doesn't incorporate itself into a nice little pattern, and unfortunately for you, this isn't going to be predicable.

Who even are you anyways? Because currently, getting stalked on the Internet by seventy year old men is not at the top of my to do list. My apologies to all of you seventy year old men. I hope you live a good life and eat good food. Mic drop.

Anyways, as you can probably tell, I'm currently debating how good of an idea it would be to simply run away or something like that.

It would be a hell of a lot easier but unfortunately life isn't easy.

What the frack, I sound like a fracking mom.

What was Parker trying to say? He couldn't mean..

I blush, the red tint a faint glow on my illuminated cheeks from the dully lit moon.

In fact the only thing making this situation bearable at the moment is the fact that Mason isn't here.

I know that's a bad thing to think, but honestly. If you can look me in the eye and tell me you actually like him, you can have him. For free. Actually, I will pay you to take him.

Slowly I rise to my feet, letting the drops of water silently cascade down my calves and onto the dock. I glance at the pontoon, and run my fingers over the white material. The material he was leaning on what feels like only moments ago.

I sigh and keep walking. Everything's confusing. Life really is a big fucked up mess.

With every step the cabin grows closer and the nervousness multiplying itself in the pit of my stomach grows bigger.

I'd previously thought we were friends, but everything's weird now. Why is that? Why can't the idea of weirdness just disappear off the face of the earth or something? Damn, I'm weird.

I reach out and grip the faded gold colored handle and turn, opening the door. As quiet as I can, and while holding my breath I might add, I close the door. Releasing the breath I relax, shaking out the tenseness. I pad over to the stairs and climb up the best I can, using the wall and railings to grip since it's practically black in here.

Maybe, along with a cranious rectosis, Mason could invest in some night lights.

At the top of the stairs I peer into the connected bedroom I share with Elle. Thankfully she's sound asleep.

I feel bad not telling her, but what am I supposed to say? Your brother may have told me that I hoed around with him for a few hours while I was completely intoxicated? And that I kissed him?

Big no no.

I yawn and walk past the door to the small bathroom. I push open the door and finger brush the tangles out of my hair. With one hand I'm pulling off my  top, and with the other I flip the switch to bring light into the room. I toss the top to the ground and kick the door closed with my foot.

"You look like you have complete and total sexhead." A voice says.

What the frack?!

Jared pokes his head out from behind the shower curtain, "Five bucks it was Mason."

I glare at him, all the while standing there in my thin grey tank and messy hair. I don't blame him actually, I would think the same thing, "First of all, it wasn't Mason nor was it ANYONE. Good god, a girls hair isn't even allowed to be messy these days?"

He opens his mouth to respond but I'm on a role.

"Second of all, what on earth possessed you to hide in the fracking shower like a perverted creep?"

"I wasn't hiding."

I raise an eyebrow at him.

"Okay so after you went to bed we may have played a few drinking games." He scratches his head, "And I'm not actually sure how I got here."

I chuckle and twist my bracelet around my wrist.

"Now." He grins, "If you didn't just totally get it on why are you having to sneak back into the cabin at-" He glances at his phone, "-Three twenty one in the morning?"

"Would you believe me if I said I was just, um-"

He grins and wags a finger at me, "Don't lie to me Lexi."

I soft smile innocently, "I may be a shit liar but at least that's the only part about me that's shitty."

"Ohhhhhh." He howls, "That was low even for you."

I laugh, "Who said it was a joke?"

Jared cracks up even more. I realize now that his laugh is one of those laughs everyone wants to hear. The way his cheekbones fold over and his eyes glisten and the way the sound fills the entire room, it's infectious.

Beautiful even.

"You know, I'm just going to take that as a compliment." He chuckles.

Frack.

I really need to work on keeping my thoughts inside of my head.

"Are you sure it wasn't an insult? I couldn't been referencing your inner estrogen." I cover up the mistake smoothly.

"Ah, that would be sly except for the fact that I don't have any."

"And what makes me believe that?" I lean on one hip.

"Sassy Lexi, watch yourself." He shakes his head and reaches with one hand to pull the bottom of his shirt up and wipe his face on it.

In those 2.9 seconds I realize three things.

1. Jared has a fracking eight pack.
2. Jared is fracking hot.
3.

Actually there wasn't much of a three, one and two basically sum up everything I'm trying to wrap my mind around.

"Goodnight Lexi." He smirks letting his shirt fall as he exits the door, casually reclining it behind him.

Oh wait.

3. He's not that annoying person that comes in, opens the door, leaves, and leaves the door open.

And there's overall goals for you.

I think I need to raise my standards a little.

Five minutes later I'm emerging from the bathroom face washed and teeth brushed. I pad down the hallway into my room and pull back the covers tiredly. I yawn and collapse into bed as sleep overcomes me.

This is probably the point where I dream up some bullshit about how me and one of the guys end up dating in some weird way and it seems fake but then it actually happens. Yeah, that doesn't happen.

But I did dream about Mason. More specifically the feeling I'd get after kicking him where it hurts, but nevertheless he should be happy that my mind wants to think about him. I say my mind, because I wouldn't want to obviously, or at least not while conscious.

The morning comes way too soon, one moment my head drops to the pillow, the next my covers are getting pulled back and the sun has made it its mission to shine it's stupid fracking rays right into my eyes. Stupid targeting sun. What did I ever do to you?

"Rise and shine." Elle grins down at me, "Today you and me are going shopping and tonight everyone is going somewhere."

"Where?" My eyes glance around as I respond groggily.

"Actually, I don't even know yet. Parker fled the room when I asked, Mason said it was a secret, and Jared said 'your mom.'"

I chuckle lightly. Clearly Jared's wonderful personality isn't only a night kinda thing.

Which is a relief of course, I wouldn't want to be living with a personality werewolf for the weekend.

"Anyways, up up up! There's shopping to be done, money to be spent, etcetera."

I groan, "What happened the last time we shopped?"

"You sparked a relationship and found out Mase's dick size." She responds like it's a good thing.

"Yeah, not good E. I still haven't had the guts to confront him about it."

"No balls!" Jared walks in, casually not so casual.

"Jared, thank you so much for pointing that out." Elle smiles sweetly, "I mean I assumed you weren't a virgin but here you are confirming that you are since you've apparently thought Lex here, clearly feminine, had a dick. You've taught me not to make assumptions and for that I'm forever grateful."

I shove my covers back and laugh before looking to Jared, "She just verbally castrated you."

Elle grind smugly.

Jared chuckles, "I would say put a cork in it but clearly you already have one this week. Maybe it needs changing."

Elle scoffs, "Make fun of me all you want but we know which of the two of us really needs them.."

Jared throws his hands up, "Alright, alright I give up. I can never win with you people."

Elle and I share matching grins.

Ten minutes later, I'm somewhat looking decent, or as decent as I can be in ten minutes while at a lakehouse and walking down the stairs. Ah, this food will be good. I'm starving.

Turns out the "grand feast" Jared had proclaimed about was nothing more than Frosted Flakes served in matching blue bowl sets.

Delicious.

Might as well pull out a ring and marry the kid on the spot. Not only for his fabulous cooking skills of course, but also for his habit of leaving the toilet lid open and letting poor innocent girls almost start their days with a scented, not very refreshing swim.

My affection for him is always clearly growing. In fact, I'm pretty sure it's accelerating faster than the acceleration in which the moon revolves around the earth, but then again I did get that question wrong on the last physics test, so in all honesty, I have no clue.

"Good morning." Parker soft smiles at me and I swear my heart bursts out of my fracking chest and into his hands.

Oops.

Mason glances up and then back to his food. Thanks for the acknowledgment.

"So," Elle says, sitting down on one of the stools in the kitchen and pulling her knees up to her chest, "Today Lex and I are going to do a bit of shopping, while you three losers do whatever the hell you normally do." She pauses, "Well, whatever you normally do, that does not involve a female."

Jared chuckles, eyes twinkling, "I would never."

"I was referencing more towards him," She gestures towards Mason, "Love you to death Mase, but you can keep in the fuckboy for a weekend." Elle responds while swirling her spoon around the cereal.

I sit down on the other side of her and begin eating, quietly.

"Hey Lexi." Parker smiles, "Sucks Elle has to come in and drag you off to buy some pointless shit."

I chuckle at his definition of shopping, "How do you know we're not going just to hit on hot guys?"

"Because if you wanted to hit on hot guys you wouldn't even have to leave the house."

"Hmm." I look around, "Do you keep a hidden supply of them in a spare cupboard or something?"

He pulls his shirt out a bit and smirks, "Right in front of you."

"Oh!" I pretend to be shocked, "Someones confident today."

"Always am." He chuckles.

I slap him.

"Lexi, did you just hit me?" He says cockily.

"Yes, I did. Did it hurt?"

"Nope, abs of steel."

"I heard steel is one of the weakest metals, seems fitting."

"Says the one 'hitting' on me."

I laugh, "Next time I'll hit harder."

"We'll see about that." He grins.

In the time we've been talking, each moment comes so easy, the time slow, when in reality I hadn't even noticed everyone else left the table.

I chuckle and twist my bracelet around my wrist, smiling.

"I'll bet you can't even hit." He laughs.

"Fight me." I challenge, "If I wanted to hit hard, I could hit a hell of a lot better than you."

"Says the girl."

Oh my, here comes the inner Beyoncé.

"Thanks Parker, for pointing out that I am a girl. A girl who will no doubt be kicking your ass in two point five seconds if you don't get your shit together and stop being a sexist ass." I breathe deeply and smile at him.

"You're adorable." He shakes his head and looks up towards Elle who's lingering by the door, "Can we keep her?"

Elle laughs, "Let's go Lexa, we're leaving soon. Well, soonish, I have to recurl my hair. Damn humidity."

"I may not be able to keep you, but I've been told I'm a pretty good keeper of hearts." Parker whispers.

"Keeper or thief?"

"Does it matter?"

"Yes, I am a law abiding citizen."

"Fine. Keeper. I'm not a fuckboy like the rest of them."

"What if I said I was only interested in fuckboys?"

"I'd laugh because I know you're lying." He smiles.

Damn.

A/N wow, skipped from 2k reads to 7k in a matter of a week. 7k reads on 6 parts is absolutely amazing guys, I love all the support and I read every single comment.

Questions:

How old do you think I am? (Wondering about this)

Who do you ship Elle with? Who do you ship Lexa with?

Also, I created an Instagram! It's @prollywriting on Instagram so if you want to follow me that would be great, il post teasers and such on there. And (and this won't happen bc this book isn't popular yet) if at some point it gets popular you can make banners and dm them to me on that account and il use them on here. That would be amazing wow.
Anyways sorry for the extremely long authors note, but I made this chapter a little longer for you all! Hope you liked it! Keep voting/commenting. Much love ~tinylighthearted