"Blair, honey, you need to hurry downstairs please!" I sat up straight from bed at my mother's voice. It was sweet and nice, but I knew I was in trouble somehow. Even though she told me to hurry, I still moved sluggishly to the bathroom. I hadn't been sleeping quite well the past few nights. 

 

Ever since that night I had talked to Amber, we had been talking more and more during the day. She would even come and sit with me at lunch sometimes. Our continuous meetings and talking would only bring up rumors, which, of course, would give Jessica more fuel for the fire. The last few days, after I got done grocery shopping, Jessica and the others would gang up on me before I got to my street. It was the same dirty words everyday, and being beaten everyday in the sane spot. My stomach was a horrible thing to look at, but what could I do? Ask them to stop? No, that wasn't even a possibility. 

 

In ten minutes, I was showered, clothed, and ready for whatever was waiting for me downstairs. When I reached the top of my stairs, my mother wasn't in her usual spot at the bottom of it. Instead, I could vaguely hear her voice floating from the kitchen. 

 

"Mom?" I called out once I got downstairs. Ruffling came from down the hall before I got a reply.

 

"In the kitchen sweetheart." 

 

I followed my mother's voice until I entered the room. I was frozen to the spot, from what I found. Amber was sitting in one of the barstools, while my mother talked to her from across the bar. Both heads turned towards my direction when I entered, but I was floored. What was Amber doing here?!?

 

"Morning honey! Your friend, Amber, stopped by this morning. She said she wanted to walk with you to school." I glanced at said person, who had a smirk planted on her lips. "Did you know she lived right beside us?" 

 

"I-Um, no. I didn't." I watched Amber's smirk turn into a small frown, but I was ready to get out of here. "I guess we'll, uh, go to school now. Bye mom." I rushed. I grabbed Amber and pulled her to the door, vaguely catching my mom saying that she'd be working late again. 

 

After we were out of the house, I let go of Amber and slowed my pace, letting a sigh slip from my lips. 

 

"So, you didn't know I lived beside you, huh?" Amber asked, after a noticeable awkward silence. 

 

"I'm in enough trouble as it is." I looked over at Amber to see her confused expression. "My mom probably thinks I invited you over and didn't tell her. If she knew that I knew you lived there, I would've probably died..." 

 

After a moment, Amber started to laugh. And I don't mean chuckle, I mean full out stop-walking kind of laugh. I felt my own lips twitch up at the sight of her. Hunched over, clutching her stomach, eyes closed and crinkled at the corners. 

 

"What?" I asked, full on smiling. She stood back up, gasping for breath.

 

"Y-You said that so l-literally, like you really thought-t..." and she was laughing again. I rolled my eyes and clutched her shirt sleeve, slightly dragging her along. 

 

We walking like that for a few more minutes. Amber had stopped laughing and was walking again, but she made no move to pry my hand away from her shirt, so I kept it there. Both of us content in the silence. Well, for a few minutes.

 

"Look! It's Blair and her girlfriend!" I heard someone call from behind us. I recognized the voice immediately as Jessica's, but made no move to turn around. 

 

"Whose-"

 

"No one." I said. "Just please come on.." I pleaded, trying to drag her away. 

 

"Blair, is that Jess-" Amber never got to finish her sentence, or at least, I never heard it. Turned out, Jessica was in a car with her boyfriend from the regular high school, and they had a coke. Needless to say, within that thirty seconds, I was covered in coke and my head hurt, while they drove away laughing. I listened to Amber shout some not so nice words to them, before checking up on me. 

"Are you alright?" She asked, pulling me off the side walk. Since when did I fall? 

 

"Yeah, I'm okay. I don't think I can say the same for my shirt though..." I said, glancing down. I looked up to see Amber rustling in her bag. 

 

"Here." she said, pulling out a black sweater. "It might be a big... I like my clothes baggy." 

 

"Thank you." I said smiling. We continued to walk and I slipped on the sweater, taking the wet shirt off under it. Neither Amber or I spoke about the incident the whole way to school, or really the rest on the day.

 

---

 

When school was finally over, and I had called my mom, I was so ready to get in my bed and just lay there, it wasn't even funny. But I was stuck waiting outside the doors for Amber to appear. She insisted that I walk home with her since I didn't have to go shopping.

 

"Hey girlfriend!" I heard someone call out in the sea of girls. My eyes went to look out for Jessica, but instead met short blonde hair and brown eyes.

 

"Amber." I warned. She gave me her most innocent look and cocked her head. 

 

"Too soon?" I laughed along with her as we began our relatively short trip back home. "Do you mind if I come over for a little while?"

 

I looked over at Amber to see her gaze set on the ground. "I don't know... Do you need something?" 

 

"No, I just know your mom is working late, my parents don't care, and I kind of need help studying." 

 

"Amber..." She looked over at me, and I gave her a smile. "It's Friday."

 

Her serious face broke while she began to laugh. "I'm aware of that! But I just need some help. I won't be too troublesome, I promise. Besides... your mom is working..." After seriously contemplating whether or not she should stay, I let Amber in once we got to my house. 

 

It wasn't even two hours later that Amber was hanging from my bed upside down, groaning about how bored she was. I would pretend to glare at her from my desk, but looking at her flopped upside down, her hair removed from her forehead, was a sight. I always ended up laughing, and ruining my poker face. 

 

"Lets do something." She finally said, sitting up from her position.

 

I slowly put down my pencil, and looked at her quizically. "Like what?" 

 

"I don't know..." She began to scratch the back of her head while she was thinking, and I couldn't help but notice how Asian she looked. "Maybe we could... go somewhere?"

 

I glanced at my clock; it was already 6:13. "Maybe not. How about we call it a night, and just... hang out? Like watch a movie or something?" 

 

"Sounds okay to me." 

 

We put our school crap away, and moved downstairs to the living room. We decided to watch Sleeping Beauty (only because I practically begged for it), and half way through the previews, Amber complained about how hungry she was. So I popped a pizza in the oven, and we watched some of the movie. Once we had eaten, Sleeping Beauty was almost over, seeing as we were at the part where the Prince goes up to Aurora's and has to kiss her to make her wake up. 

 

"This is so stupid." Amber whispered, barely audible but I still picked it up. 

 

"What?" I asked, my eyes never leaving the screen. I felt her shift beside me, and it was then that I noticed how close we were and how dark it was. 

 

"This whole 'true loves kiss' thing. I mean, it's just a farfetched idea." 

 

Suddenly, a question popped into my mind. I knew it was personal, and that I shouldn't ask, but it was really bugging me now. 

"Do you believe in love?" The silence that followed my question was predictable, but it seemed like it lasted forever. I was about to apologize, when Amber finally spoke again. 

 

"I don't know. I mean, who could ever love a girl like me?" She asked. I felt her looking at me, but I trained my eyes on the ending movie.

 

"What do you mean, a girl like you? I think your pretty normal. Plus, you've got a great personality and sense of humor. And your cute." By the time I had finished, it felt like someone had lit a torch on my face, and I was extremely thankful for the darkness. Not only did my statement make me uncomfortable, but I could feel Amber looking at me. 

 

"What about you? Do you believe in love?" 

 

"Um, I guess. I mean, I've never been in love so I can confirm it... but it's a nice thing to believe in." The movie was now fully over, and the only light was coming from the credits on screen. Neither of us made a move to get up, so we sat there. Finally, I flipped it back over to television, and put it on some sitcom. 

 

"I'm a little tired." I stated bluntly. I finally looked over to Amber, only to see her smiling at me. 

 

"Do you want to go back upstairs and go to sleep?" 

 

I bit my lower lip while I thought. In a strange way, I didn't want her to go. So, I decided to screw my nervousness, because I was too freaking tired.

 

"No, no I don't." I said, and shifted so my legs were tucked onto the sofa, and I rested my head on her shoulder. After a few moments, I felt her arm move from her side and snake around my shoulder. I smiled, and tried to go to sleep, ignoring the butterflies. 

 

---

 

A/N Well, that was a good chapter, in my opinion :) I hoped you liked it! Please comment your thoughts on it, or any criticism. I got the ending moment from a little video I saw on YouTube. It was called A Lovestory of a Lovely Tomboy .... I think. Something like that. And I recommend watching it!!! Much love!! <3