I ran as fast as I could towards the direction of my house. The cold air hitting my face, and my converse beating the side-walk with every tiring step. My legs were burning, but I could see my little white house just a little closer. I could probably just start walking, but I had been running for too long to just stop. When my legs finally carried me to my porch, I was shocked to see the blonde head of hair slumped against a post. I stopped abruptly, looking at Amber on my steps. She was just there, her back facing me. So close, all I really had to do was walk a few more steps. Just a few more...

Before I could will my legs to go on, I let out a sniffle and an awkward hiccup. 'Crap!' I internally cursed my sobbing, and felt my stomach flip when Amber turned around suddenly. Her eyes grew wide for a moment before she hopped off the porch and walked the few steps to me. 

"I've been looking for you! Are you okay?" She asked incredibly fast, her eyes studying my face closely. I gasped at our closeness, but was immediately intoxicated with the scent that was Amber. Suddenly, everything just hit me. I looked into the dark brown eyes before me and felt reality strike, a churning feeling in my stomach that made we want to back up and run to a bush to throw up. 

"A-Amber," I tried, stuttering and adverting my eyes. I felt my face heat up when I felt her hand enclose over mine.

"Blair, what happened?" Amber asked, barely above a whisper. 

"My mom... she's," 'In the hospital. She was .' I found myself unable to finish the sentence, my mother and I's conversation flooding into my head. I felt the tears build up in my eyes again, and tried desperately to blink them away. When I felt two arms wrap around me, my walls crashed down. Everything was now incredibly real, and I hated it. 

Everything with Amber, with school, with my mom. Nothing was how I planned it, and that scared me. I felt so sick with myself, everything I do seeming to be wrong.

I didn't even realise Amber had brought me into the house and up to my room until she guided me to my bed. I looked over at her, and even though my vision was blurry, I could still see her poorly-hidden confusion. 

"Do you want to w-watch a movie?" I asked in-between hiccups. I had been crying the whole way up, and finally stopped, but those stupid things just wouldn't go away.

"Yeah, sure." She agreed. I felt her eyes on me as I walked over to my small DVD collection and picked out Kung Fu Panda. No matter how old you are, this movie is hilarious. Period. When I went back to my bed and layed down by Amber, I heard her snort when the movie started.

"What?" I asked her. She looked down at me and smiled, brushing a few pieces of hair out of my face.

"Nothing, Xiǎo xióngmāo." I rolled my eyes and turned back to the movie.

"I still don't know what that means." 

After the movie, and a few hours of snacking, Amber and I ended up back on my bed listening to K-Pop. I was actually enjoying it. Sometimes, Amber would get up and do crazy dances which would leave me in fits of laughter. Suddenly, the song changed from Super Junior's 'Sorry Sorry' to a slower one; one I would know anywhere. 

"Shhhh!" I giggled at Amber as the piano intro kept playing. "I love this song!" She flopped down onto my bed and started listening. 

"Isn't this-" 

"EXO 'Baby Don't Cry'. Yes it is." I smiled at her, and began humming along. As the song progressed, I began to feel sad again. Blame it on the piano, but my mood just changed. I looked over at Amber beside me, she had her eyes closed, and a smile coating her features. She looked so peaceful, like she was happy to be here. Like she wanted to be here.

"I really like you, Amber." I whispered. I watched as her eyes flew open, already widened by my random confession. My face heated up and I looked away, extremely aware of what I had just said.

"Hey..." I heard, and then there was a rough yet gentle hand on my chin, guiding me back to the brown orbs I've loved since the beginning. "I really like you too." She smiled gently, all traces of shock gone.

"No, you don't." I shook my head, tears threatening to fall. How could she like me? Not with how screwed up I am. Not if she really knew.

I heard her let out a small chuckle. "I'm pretty sure I know how I feel."

"I was ." I blurted out. Amber's eyes shot open and I quickly covered my mouth. My face felt like it was a hundred degrees, yet I was pretty I was breaking out into a cold sweat.

"What?" She asked, sitting up and looking me dead in the eye. 

"W-What?" I asked timidly behind my hand, hoping I could play this off.

"Blair, I put up with a lot today, not asking questions and all, but you and I both know what you just said." I was a little taken aback by how serious and angry she sounded. "Now, what the hell happened?" 

"I- Do I really have to tell you?" 

"That would be preferred, so yes. You have to tell me." 

I took a deep breath, and sat all the way up. I dug myself a hole, and now I had to crawl out... great. This whole situation was something I had wanted to avoid. The one thing I wanted to keep locked away so no one would know or want to know. But here I was, blurting these things out to the one person who matters most.

"When I was younger my father died, as you know." Amber nodded, and I averted my gaze to the sleeve of my sweater, playing with a loose string. "Well, my mom was really upset. She used to go out to a bar and drink a lot. One night, she brought home some guy and... you know. But the next morning, I woke up and went downstairs and there he was. Actually cooking and making breakfast for me and mom. It was really weird seeing him there, but it really made my mom happy. So, they started dating for about two years and everything was good. They got married when I was thirteen, and he moved in after that. My mom got a new job working at the clinic as a nurse, and this guy was a small lawyer here, but big enough to get a decent paycheck. My mom was actually happy, and I was happy for her, I just thought something was off about this guy.

"So, after a year of living together, my stepdad lost his job as a lawyer, and money became a bit of a squeeze. I couldn't work because I was underage, so of course I'd come straight home after school. After a little while, though, my stepdad started drinking. A lot. When I'd come home, he'd be completely wasted and I'd have to help him to his bedroom. He was a bit aggressive at first, but I didn't think anything of it. One day, when I got him to his room, he just grabbed me and threw me on the floor and just..." I struggled, choking on my next word. " me. I had tried to stop him, but I was only fourteen. I tried telling my mom, but she thought I had made it all up. She thought I didn't like this guy because he wasn't me real dad. She  angry with me. Nothing happened after a couple of days, but one day I came home he was sober. Sober. And he did it again. After that, he would me every other day, and beat the out of me on others. 

One day, my mom came home early. Sure enough, she found him on me, my lip cut and a slight black eye forming. She divorced him, but never pressed charges against him or anything. That's why she's in the hospital. Because she went to that creeps house and she got ." I let out a sick laugh because, honestly, our lives were so ed up. Everything was ed up. I waited patiently, waiting for Amber to say how disgusting I am and leave. She wouldn't want to stay. Not knowing what all has been done to me. 

"Blair..." Amber's tone was soft now, and I looked over at her. Her eyes looked at me with an emotion I couldn't quite understand, and she reached out and pulled me to her. Hesitantly, I buried my face in her neck as she held my waist, whispering sweet-nothing's in my ear. "If you thought I wouldn't want you because you think you're not pure or something, then that's insane. I lo- like you for you, not your past... Okay?"

After a few minutes, she pulled away. "Lets go make something to eat for lunch, hmm? And by we, I mean you." I laughed at the wink she sent me, and followed her up and down stairs.

"-And that's how I know some Chinese." Amber finished as she dried a plate. I nodded, focusing on the glass I was washing. We had settled for something small, just a turkey and cheese sandwich with some lemonade, and some really random topics. Not that I didn't enjoy it. Having Amber around was one of my (I guess) guilty pleasures. Knowing I really shouldn't be around her but doing it anyway, and dying just to see her smile or hear her laugh. Cheesey, but worth it all the same.

I went to pass the glass to Amber, who was suppose to be beside me, but was a little stunned to see her not there. I was even more shocked when two arms circled around my waist and pulled me back slightly. I tensed, but relaxed almost immediately.

"I missed you this morning." Amber whispered into my ear. I smiled and set the glass aside.

"Did you? We were only away from each other for a few hours." I turned around in her arms, and tried to ignore the blush rising in my cheeks at our proximity. "Geez, Llama, stop being so clingy." I stuck my tongue out at her to tease Amber even more. She smiled sweetly before leaning forward, so I was leaning against the counter top. 

"I'm not clingy, I just find you irresistible. Especially after last night." She winked, and suddenly I felt really awkward. It's not like I hadn't forgotten about the kiss. Heck, I honestly couldn't stop thinking about it. But now that Amber is referencing to it, I felt all... self-conscious. 

"Shut-up." I said, hitting her collar bones lightly.

"Yeah, well... how about I re-enacted it?" Amber was moving slowly, so painfully slowly, that I couldn't help but gaze at her lips, waiting for them to touch my own. 

Except, it never came. Instead, I felt a warm liquid slide down my face, it's source still being squeezed on my forehead. I gasped, the soapy water dripping in my mouth slightly.

"Amber!" I laughed, moving her hand and threw the sponge back in the sink. She was laughing too, trying to cover up with her hand. 

"Y-You weren't expecting that, were y- Oh!" She squealed. Well, as much as Amber could squeal that is. While she was laughing, I managed to get the small hose at the back of the sink, and spray her with it. "Yah! That's cold, Blair!" Nevertheless, she was laughing her off, as was I. While I was trying to recover, I watch her grab a dish rag and come towards me.

"Nonononono." I said, backing up. I knew exactly what she planned on doing with that. I watch helplessly as she wrung the towel, poised to strike.

"Revenge is a ." 

Before she could hit me, even though I knew she wouldn't cause any pain, I bolted past her to the other side of the breakfast bar. We continued like that, playing cat and mouse around the kitchen for a little while. Well, that was before I allowed myself to get caught.

"Now what should the punishment be?" She smirked, leaning down to me. Amber had 'caught' me, and I was once again pinned against a counter.

"I don't want a punishment though." I tried my best to pout and act cute. Amber, after a few minutes of trying to act all bad-, finally smiled, and tilted my head up. She leaned down and placed a soft, chaste kiss to the corner of my mouth. "Tease." I frowned. She let out a chuckled, and finally, finally, kissed me. It wasn't all like last night, so rushed and heated. It was more... slow and meaningful, something I really appreciated. 

When she pulled back, Amber scrunched up her nose and made a face. "You taste like soap." 

"I wonder why?" I said sarcastically, while wrapping my arms around her neck. Amber leaned in to kiss me again, but a cough made us fly apart. There, standing in the doorway of the kitchen, was my Aunt Lily. 

"Um, Blair, I'm home. Amber, nice to see you again." She said a little awkwardly, but not too much so. I glanced over at Amber to see her looking a little rigid, but not too guilty. In fact, if I didn't know any better, I think that would be pride in her posture.

I, on the other hand, felt my face flame up to a thousand degrees, and my stomach wouldn't stop churning. "Hi, Aunt Lily." 

"Nice to see you again too, Ms. Lily." Amber replied formally. Aw, that was kind of cute.

"Well, I'm going to get a nap before heading back to the hospital. Amber... I think you should go." My aunt instructed. She didn't sound upset, or even shocked, just extremely tired and exasperated.

"Um, sure thing. I'll see you at school?" Amber asked me. I nodded and smiled at her retreating figure. 

When the door closed after Amber, my Aunt went go upstairs, but I really needed to explain this to her. "Aunt Lily, I-" 

"Blair, I'm not angry. Let's talk about this later, okay? And no, I won't tell Minnie." Lily quickly stated. I nodded, before watching her retreat. I couldn't help but notice how calmly she took this all in. From the way she looked at Amber and I together, I knew she saw the kiss. 'But,' I reminded myself, 'Aunt Lily understands. She's been in this situation before.' 

At the thought, I smiled, and began cleaning up the mess I made. Maybe, this wasn't a bad idea. Maybe, this could actually work. And maybe, just maybe, Amber and I can make it.

Update! Yay! I hope you're happy with it. Also, I'm pretty sure it's a good deal longer too... So yeah. By the way, guys, the end is coming up soon. And on the last chapter, I'm REALLY going to need feedback, okay?? I'm thinking, four more chapters, maybe? Five? It's going to end on an even number, so just be expecting it soon. I'll let you know before hand though.  d(⌒ー⌒)!

Please comment and upvote! I love hearing feedback!! :) Makes me feel all warm inside.