I enter the school building the next morning with the intention of heading straight to my locker, as I usually do before first period. Of course, due to my amazing luck, that's not what ends up happening. Instead, I'm bombarded by a clearly frenzied Lana, rushing toward me the instant I step foot into the main hallway.

"Come on!" Lana cries, offering no explanation to her worried expression and rushed actions. My friend merely grabs my arm and begins pulling me down the hallway, crying, "You have to see this!"

"Lana!" I say once I'm over my initial shock, being dragged by my tiny blonde friend across the school. "What's going on?"

Lana only shakes her head in response to my question, blurting, "No time to explain! You'll see!"

Lana doesn't stop running and pulling me along behind her until we're practically on the other side of the school, near the gym and locker rooms. I immediately notice the crowd that's gathered around the boy's locker room door, which piques my interest. Not long after, I hear voices yelling at each other, clear despite the noise of the gathering audience. The instant I hear the voices, the blood in my veins runs cold, my heart dropping to my stomach. I don't even need to see who the voices belong to in order to know exactly what's going on.

In order to confirm my suspicions, I push through the crowd, trying for a better view. I lose Lana somewhere as I make my way to the front lines, knowing that I'm not going to like the sight awaiting me. Sure enough, my former concerns are proven correct, and I stare at the two boys in front of me with panic rising in my chest.

"You need to calm down," I hear Jack's distinct voice murmuring evenly, sounding as diplomatic as always. "You're making a scene."

"Do I look like I care?" Lucas snaps back, expression one of clear rage. If the look on his face doesn't give away his anger, then his words and the tone in which he yells them certainly do.

"I understand that you're upset, but—"

"You understand?" Lucas cuts Jack off mid-sentence, visibly seething. I've somehow managed to make it to the front line of the crowd, watching in shock as Jack and Lucas stand across from each other by the lockers, facing off. Lucas's fists are clenched as if he's prepared to hit Jack, either oblivious or ignorant to the crowd that's watching him. Jack merely appears annoyed, like there are millions of other things he'd rather being doing at the moment.

"You stole my girlfriend!" Lucas continues, getting more and more worked up by the second. "And for what? Just to get back at me? Knowing you, you probably don't even like Morgan! You're most likely just trying to sleep with her! You're such a—"

"That's enough!" Jack suddenly booms, stopping Lucas short. I can tell by the fire flaming in Jack's green eyes that he's more than outraged by what Lucas has just said, and I nervously anticipate what's going to come next.

"I'm not using Morgan, okay?" Jack snaps, taking a step closer to Lucas, evidently furious. "I'm not using her to get back at you, or to prove a point, or for her body. I genuinely like her. And I don't have to explain myself or our relationship to you, regardless. I'm sorry your ego got bruised when Morgan dumped you, but you have no right to go there."

My heart with Jack's words, momentarily causing me to forget that he's completely unaware of my presence. By the way Jack's gotten all in Lucas's face, I can see that he's far past angry and finding it hard to restrain himself. Furthermore, I can tell by the ferocity with which Jack speaks that he means the words he's just said, and something about this warms my heart.

"I know you, Jack," Lucas mutters in a cold tone, his words just as frosty as his icy gaze. "I know how you work. You wonder why we don't get along? Because you're a piece of shit, and it's like I'm the only person who can see that!"

"Cut it out," Jack snaps bitterly, his fist twitching at his side as if he's struggling to refrain from making Lucas his personal punching bag. "Or I swear to God—"

"You swear to God what?" Lucas taunts, the smirk he wears just as cruel as his gaze. "You'll steal my girlfriend? Get her to cheat on me? Have her break up with me? Oh, wait. You already did all of that."

"You know what?" Jack shakes his head as if he can't believe he has to do this, taking a step back from Lucas. "I'm sorry, Lucas. I'm sorry that things didn't work out between you and Morgan. I'm sorry that you feel the need to pick fights with me in order to feel better about yourself. And I'm sorry that, for whatever reason, you've always had some grudge against me. Whatever I did to make you hate me, I'm sorry for. But do you really have to drag Morgan into this? Can't you just let the two of us be happy together?"

"Like you were happy for she and I being together?" Lucas snarls, suddenly lunging for Jack. "It's about time you get what you deserve!"

The next thing I know, Lucas's fist is flying toward Jack's face. I watch in horror, stuck in place, just waiting for the punch to land. Only, it never does. Jack catches Lucas's fist in his hand just in time, slamming Lucas back against the lockers. Somehow, Lucas manages to release himself from Jack's grasp, and the two begin scuffling all over again.

I soon realize that I'm just watching as the two boys in front of me lose their shit on each other, and I snap out of whatever trance I've been trapped in quickly. I step forward with purpose, determined to put their argument to a stop.

"Hey!" I cry to gain the boy's attention, stepping toward the two idiots. "Guys! Cut it out!" I grab Jack's arm just before he can ram his fist into Lucas's side, pulling him away from Lucas quickly afterward.

"I can handle this," Jack assures me, glare set on Lucas as he tries to wring himself free from my grasp. I clutch his arm in my grip tighter, turning my fierce gaze on him.

"Yeah, I can tell," I retort sarcastically. Jack huffs in response to my dig, though he stills with my touch, taking a few steps away from Lucas on his own. Lucas still looks enraged, fists clenched like he's ready to punch any and everything that stands in his way of getting to Jack.

"Lucas," I murmur softly, standing between the two boys. "I'm sorry that we didn't work out; I really am. I never wanted things to end on bad terms between us. Maybe Jack and I rushed into things and that was insensitive, and I'm truly sorry if that hurt you. I'm sorry, Lucas. It was never my intention to hurt you."

Lucas stares down at me for a long moment, chest heaving as he catches his breath. His bright blue eyes flash with undeniable anger, his fists still wound up tightly at his sides. I watch as he swallows hard, jaw clenched as he remains silent, staring at me wordlessly.

"Well," Lucas says hoarsely after an eternity of silence, taking a small step toward me. "You did."

I can feel my resolve shattering at Lucas's words, something deep within me breaking loose. The hurt and shock I'm feeling must register in my expression, because Jack suddenly takes a protective step toward me, resting a comforting hand on the small of my back to assure me of his presence.

"Hey, man," Jack says in a measured tone, placing himself between me and Lucas. "Don't talk to her like that."

Lucas shoots me and Jack one last withering glare as he snaps bitterly, "I hope you two are happy together. You deserve each other." With those lovely words of departure, Lucas quickly turns on his heel and storms off. Slowly, the crowd that had gathered during the fight begins to dissolve, sensing the end of the ordeal. As everyone else heads to their classes, I realize how lucky Jack and Lucas had been that no teachers had gotten involved while they were fighting like morons. If they had gotten caught, they could have gotten detention, or worse: suspended.

"Hey," I mutter gently as I turn to Jack, resting a hand on his shoulder. "You okay?"

Jack laughs faintly at my concern, all traces of anger vanishing from his face as he gazes down at me. His green eyes gleam brightly as they meet mine, the hint of a smile tugging at his lips as he admits, "I think I should be asking you that."

I shrug in response, biting my lip. "I'm fine," I reveal after a moment, carefully choosing my words. "I honestly didn't think Lucas would be that angry about everything, though. I feel bad."

"Really?" Jack smirks, a gleam of edginess appearing in his gaze as he turns his face away from mine. "I don't."

"Well, you didn't date him," I tease, shoving Jack's arm playfully. "But you guys are family. It's weird to see cousins fight like you two."

Jack's eyes cloud for a moment as his expression hardens, and I can instantly tell that I've hit a nerve. Jack clears his throat before saying gruffly, "Well, that's Lucas for you."

"You're a smart guy, Jack Crawford," I taunt in order to lighten the mood and change the subject, biting back a coy smirk. "So, next time, if you have to fight over me, don't do it in a public hallway. Or at school. You don't want to get kicked off of the football team now, do you?"

"Oh?" Jack quirks an eyebrow as he shoots a grin in my direction, eyes dancing with amused mirth. "You think we were fighting about you?"

"I recall being mentioned a few times."

I don't know how Jack manages to make me smile and instantly take away the tension of the last few moments with just a few words. I don't know how he manages to make my heart race with merely a glance in my direction, or how he makes my knees go weak when he gives me that signature smile of his. All I know is that I'm caught somewhere between hating and loving the effect he has on me, and I wouldn't have it any other way. 

"I can't lie, Scott." Jack loops his arms around my waist, pulling me toward him as a lazy smile creeps onto his lips. "I'd get into a million fights over you. Only if I win, though."

I can't help myself, I laugh, shaking my head at Jack, my golden hair tumbling down my shoulders. My laughter fading, I find myself murmuring, "You're a real charmer, Crawford."

"So I've been told." Jack smirks down at me knowingly, his grip shifting from my waist to my hand that he now holds tightly in his own. "Come on, Scott. I'll walk you to class."

Having Jack Crawford hold my hand as he walks me to class almost seems too good to be true, and I pray that if this is all a dream I'll never wake up.

"So," I say casually, bumping my shoulder against Jack's as we make our way down the relatively empty hallway just minutes before the first bell is due to ring. "My dad has been thinking about holding this get-together for the team at my house this weekend."

I can feel Jack's green eyes studying me as he questions, "Oh?"

"And I guess I was wondering if you'll be there," I finish my sentence, trying not to appear too hopeful as I smile up at him, my gaze meeting his.

"I think that can be arranged," Jack admits vaguely, and I know he's messing with me just to get me to beg him to show up.

Before he can prompt me any further, I add, "My dad doesn't know that we're, you know, dating yet. I mean, he knows I broke up with Lucas, but I still haven't told him about us . . ." I trail off, looking for the right words to say. "I just, I don't know what he'd think. He loves the guys on the team, and you especially, but . . ." I let my sentence linger again, biting my lip as I struggle to put my thoughts into words.

"I get it," Jack assures me, sensing my trouble. "You don't want to risk the chance of him finding out about us and your dad not being okay with it yet. That's fine. I can keep us on the DL."

I laugh at Jack's words, shaking my head as I look up at him. "That's not entirely what I meant, but I guess that will work. We're just going to have to not be obvious about us being together, I guess."

"That's going to be hard," Jack groans, surprising me as he suddenly pulls me to the corner of the hallway, pressing me up against the wall only a few feet away from my classroom. Tracing his thumb over my cheekbone lightly, Jack murmurs, "Because I'm already so crazy about you, Scott."

I have to bite my lip once again to contain my grin, trying to keep my cool as I tease, "I tend to have that effect on people."

"Trust me." Jack smirks as he gazes down at me, eyes drifting from my own to my lips. "I noticed." He leans forward then, closing the space between us as his lips collide with mine, kissing me gently. Pulling back after a moment, Jack asks, "I guess I'll see you this weekend?"

Smiling to myself, still slightly caught off guard by that kiss, I find myself nodding absentmindedly.

"I guess I'll see you this weekend."

• • •

I can honestly say that I've never seen my house so crowded before; especially not by boys. In fact, besides Lucas, I don't think I've ever had a boy visit unless I was related to him. Dad is beside himself, though, so I somehow find it in myself not to complain as the football team takes over my house. I paint a smile across my face, not letting it get to me that I am drowning in a sea of testosterone all by myself.

Knowing how much Lana adores the football team, I invited her to join me in the torture of having the boys overrun my home. Unfortunately, Lana couldn't come because of a pre-orchestrated doctor's appointment, and needless to say she was more than bummed about missing out.

So now it's just me, watching as the front lawn fills with cars that a bunch of high school testosterone roll out of, heading to my backyard where my dad has the grill running.

"Hey, Morgan!" Chris exclaims cheerfully when he sees me, offering a warm grin. "Didn't think I'd see you here."

I roll my eyes at Chris as I deadpan, "This is my house."

Chris's grin merely widens at my response, and he seems rather smug as he says, "Exactly."

"Funny." I roll my eyes again, biting back a grin of my own. I notice Kyler entering the backyard seconds later, joining me and Chris by the backdoor.

"I heard Crawford and his cousin got into a brawl about you in the hallway the other day, Scott," Kyler retorts with a raised eyebrow and an amused smirk. "That true?"

I set my hands on my hips as I glance up at Kyler, cocking an eyebrow of my own as I counter, "I heard that you sleep with anything that breathes, Kyler. Is that true?"

Kyler's smirk doubles in size as he eyes me, chuckling at my teasing. "I guess that depends. You offering yourself?"

"Absolutely not," a voice suddenly chimes before I can respond, drifting from behind our small circle. "I will cut you, Hayes. Cut you."

I turn around to find no other than Jack Crawford, instantly brightening my mood.  He strolls over to me casually, wrapping his arm around my shoulders as he takes my side, glaring at Kyler. Kyler looks a little worried, probably wondering how seriously Jack is going to take his former comment toward me. Luckily for Kyler, I've since learned that boys almost never take anything seriously.

"Yeah. You don't want to end up like Lucas," Chris warns Kyler, wincing as he shakes his head as if thinking back on a bad memory. His comment piques my interest, and I turn to Jack with furrowed eyebrows.

"What happened to Lucas?"

"Oh, nothing," Jack says all too quickly, averting his gaze from mine. His arm suddenly drops from my shoulders, and he gestures to the football on the ground a few feet away. "So, who wants to play some ball?"

"Jack," I persist, noticing the way he's eager to change the subject. "What did you do?"

"I said nothing, babe," Jack tells me softly, eyeing my dad standing a few steps away by the grill. "Our argument might have continued after school. No big deal."

"Jack—"

"Do you trust me?" Jack suddenly questions, stopping me short. As I gaze up into those green eyes of his, I can feel my resolve weakening. I don't know how he manages to have such a strong effect on me, and I almost wish that he didn't have the power to turn me to Jell-O with noting but a glance.

"Only when you're not lying to me," I say stubbornly as I force myself not to fall prey to his beautiful face or get lost in his eyes, narrowing my own at him.

"I sense a fight brewing," Chris mutters, expression awkward. "So, I think I'm just gonna—"

"Crawford!" my dad abruptly cries as he notices Jack's appearance, cutting Chris off. "When'd you get here?"

"Hey, Coach!" Jack returns politely, offering my father a dazzling smile. "Just pulled up, actually."

"You boys get over here," Dad says to Kyler, Chris, and Jack, grinning as he does. "Come on, get something to eat. I've got burgers, hot-dogs, steak. You name it, I've got it."

"Chocolate cake?"Kyler teases with a playful smile as he walks over to my dad, grabbing a paper plate from the stack next to the grill.

"Okay, maybe not everything," Dad retorts, rolling his eyes good-naturedly. "But I've got enough."

Jack catches my gaze as we both make our way toward the tables that have been set up in the yard, causing heat to rush to my cheeks. He must sense that I'm still upset about our former unfinished conversation, because he shoots me a wink to break the tension when my dad's back is turned to us. I find myself wishing that I could get him alone for a moment, though I know that's impossible. But, as my gaze suddenly lands on my bedroom window, I find myself wondering if that's entirely true . . .