I heard a loud squeal and saw Michaela zooming my way. I turned to Aiden with a smile. "I'm guessing you know her?"

"Uh, yeah," He looked uncomfortable and laughed shakily. "You heading out?"

"Well, I was looking for the bathroom, actually…" Before I could say more, a breathless Michaela appeared in front of both of us.

"Hi!" she heaved. "Hiiiiiiiii, baby. I was wondering when you'd get here!" She grabbed Aiden into a tight embrace while I raised an eyebrow. Baby?

Michaela released him and turned back towards me, glowing. "Connor, this is my boyfriend Aiden. Isn't he gorgeous?" There was a slight pause then Aiden extended his hand to me, eyes pleading.

"Hey, man. Nice to meet you."

I stared back at him mutely. Was this asshole seriously trying to pretend like he didn't know me? After everything we'd been to each other? Was he serious? Well, he picked the wrong guy tonight. I was so done with all these fake people and the fake party and the fake fun. I was done playing nice.

"We actually know each other already," I said coolly. Fear danced across Aiden's face.

"Oh?" asked Michaela, still cooing over Aiden. She wasn't even looking at me. "Where could you two possibly have met?" That was the final straw. I was so done with everyone.

"Aiden?" I faked a bright, giddy smile. "You wanna tell her? Or should I do it, pumpkin?"

"Look…" Aiden began quickly.

"Tell me what?" Michaela was still smiling, picking lint off Aiden's jacket.

"We were each other's first."

Michaela stopped, her hand in mid-air. "What?" Her voice was low, her eyes flashing. "What did you just say?"

"We. Were. Each. Other's. First." I deadpanned, looking directly at Aiden, daring him to deny it.

"Aiden?" Michaela ignored me. "What's this loser talking about?"

"I…" Aiden looked between the two of us, visibly unsure of what to say, which only made me angrier. Was he ashamed of me?

"I...we...it was a long time ago, Michaela..." Aiden sighed.

"Excuse me?" Michaela stepped away from him.

"Not all that long ago," I mumbled.

"Two years ago!" Aiden protested. "I was just a kid, just- you know, experimenting…"

"If it was an experiment, you were sure working hard to get that data," I smirked.

Aiden threw me a withering look that clearly said: "You're not helping."

Michaela gasped then wrung her hands together. "I don't believe you. Either of you. Aiden would never...do that with you. He's straight!"

"Bisexual, maybe. But definitely not straight." I looked Aiden up and down hungrily. "Definitely," I smirked.

"Connor, cut it out," Aiden reached for Michaela. "Babe, please. Let me explain…"

"Explain what?" Michaela fumed. "All this time you've been saying you wanted to wait, that you wanted our first time to be special, but really you've just been having gay sex on the down low?"

"No, not at all! I- "

"Oh, dear." I cut in. "This all sounds rather personal. I'll just let you two lovebirds resolve this lovers' spat. Now if you'll excuse me, I need the little boys room…"

Aiden glared at me. "Thanks a lot, man." I shrugged. He should have known I was petty like that. But as I walked past them both I swore I saw tears glimmering in Michaela's eyes. I hadn't exactly meant to hurt her, but she was no angel either. They probably deserved each other.

Good luck.

...

"Explain," I demanded, crossing my arms across my chest. I stood on my front porch glaring up at him.

"Look, Michaela…" Aiden sighed.

"Explain." I steeled my voice.

"I didn't plan any of it. I'm not into- I wasn't- I wasn't thinking about being with men. But now I realize...I… I might be."

"You might be?" I shrieked.

"I...am." Aiden sighed again. God, that was annoying. "I am, Michaela. Connor...made me realize that men are what I want." He faced me directly now. "And that's all I want." Damn, so he wasn't even bisexual, I lamented inwardly. I sank down to the floor. "So you've been gay all this time? Fucking guys? What. About. Me?"

"I'm really, really sorry," Aiden sat next to me. "You're perfect, Michaela. Just not perfect for me." He hesitated, then kissed my temple gingerly. That's why I wanted us to wait to have sex. I...I didn't know if I..." I looked at him in shock, and he hurriedly kept talking. "And it wouldn't have been fair to you. You should have someone who will worship your body. And I…" he paused. We both were quiet then.

"You should have someone you're attracted to," I swallowed the lump in my throat. "You told me you wanted to wait until I turned eighteen. But this is the real reason, isn't it?"

Aiden looked away from me then. "Yeah," he said quietly. "I love you, Michaela, but I can't be with you. You will never be what I want."

You will never be what I want.

I shot up quickly. "Then why date me? Why even pretend?" I was fuming, my chest heaving. "Why waste my time? What, did you think you would magically become straight the longer you strung me along?"

Aiden jumped up, too. "No, that's not it. I- "

"Shut up!" I screamed. "Just shut up! You're a liar and I hate you and just...shut. up." I pushed him square in the chest with each word. Not hard, but hard enough for him to know I was serious.

"Michaela…"

"Shut up!" I shouted again. "I don't want to hear anything you have to say. Not now and not ever again. You lied to me!"

"Yeah, but can't you see why? I didn't mean to..." He tried to come near me again, reaching for my hands.

"No!" I was crying now, blubbering my way through words that didn't even make sense. I recoiled from him and slapped his hands away. "Just get out! Just get the hell away from me!"

"Michaela…" Aiden pleaded.

"Just go away!"

Aiden opened his mouth like he was going to say more, then thought better of it. "Okay…" His shoulders slumped and he turned to leave. "It's not that I don't like you, you know. This is really the only thing. I hope maybe one day we can be friends?"

I laughed bitterly through my tears. "Aiden, if you don't get off this property in the next 30 seconds I'm calling the cops."

He squeezed me awkwardly on the shoulder then turned. I stood very still as I watched his tall frame retreat into the darkness of the night. When I finally heard his car pull off, I plopped myself on the front steps and sobbed at the realization that my whole relationship had been a lie.

As my sobs turned into sniffles, I heard a floorboard creak behind me.

"Oh...uh, excuse me."

It was that Allen, Adam- whatever his name was- kid. I wiped at my tears but didn't move. "Stalk much?" I asked irritably.

"Uh, no," he said, looking sheepish. "I was heading out to my car when I...I heard crying…" he eyed me with caution but went on. "Everything okay? You look..." he laughed nervously. "I'm sorry. Um, I shouldn't- I can, uh, go get Laurel maybe? Or do you want to be alone? I can lea- "

"Stay," I said simply. I really didn't want Laurel's über-optimistic "fuck him" attitude just yet, and I really didn't want to go back into the party and have to pretend like everything was fine. Being around someone who didn't know me at all felt oddly calming; I didn't have to fake anything, I didn't have to be happy or cool or confident.

I could just...be.

"Asher to the rescue," he smiled and sat next to me. Asher. That's his name, I thought blithely. It felt good to concentrate on that for a second instead of everything that had happened. We sat in silence staring out into the empty street, the muted bass pounding behind us in the house- for I don't know how long. He had an easy, laid-back vibe, and I expected him to ask me what was wrong but he didn't. It surprised us both when I turned to him first.

"You're into me, right?"

"Definitely," he sat up straight.

"Why?" I shook my head. "You don't know a thing about me."

"Well..." he conceded. "I don't know everything about you. But I do know some things."

I challenged him wordlessly.

"Okay, uh, for example, I know…" he thought for a minute, then grinned. "I know you don't take shit from anyone or you wouldn't be out here alone and crying." The corner of my mouth twitched despite myself.

"Two..." Asher continued. "I know you're loyal. 'Cause your BFF Laurel is freakin nuts." I giggled outright at that and Asher smiled broadly. "I mean, seriously, did you see her trying to get people in on that blindfolded dart-throwing? Who does that? So I know you must be a really good friend...Okay, and three: I know you're like, mad smart, and not just in school."

"How do you know that?" I was intrigued now.

"I, uh, sorta used the same computer you did in Typing Skills and I saw your last website; you were shopping for Paulo Freire's The Pedagogy of the Oppressed on Amazon, and I know that's not for any class at Penn."

My eyes narrowed. "So I'm not allowed to read in my spare time?"

"Of course you are," Asher agreed. "But the fact that you do- and I mean, that's not exactly light reading. I had to Google what it was about."

"Maybe that only means I'm smarter than you," I retorted, but Asher just grinned again.

"And you're funny."

I rolled my eyes and clutched my heart dramatically. "Let me guess: I'm breathtakingly beautiful, too."

"Definitely," Asher repeated. "But I was gonna say you care about people- a whole lot more than you like to let on."

At that we both got quiet again. Our faces were close together, but I was thoroughly confused. It didn't exactly feel like a kiss moment, but I felt like something intimate had passed between us.

I looked away first.

"You're very smooth."

"Smooth?" Now Asher looked confused. "No, I'm not trying to sweet-talk you; I was being real. I can tell you bad parts about yourself if you want."

"What?" I bristled.

"Oooh, okay, now that sounds bad. Don't fuck this up," Asher said under his breath. "No- I mean- just...I'm only trying to be honest with you. When I came out here and saw you, you looked- you just looked like you could use a break from bullshit. Does that...make sense? Maybe?"

There was a pause.

"Thanks." I shrugged.

Asher visibly exhaled. He seemed to mean what he said and I actually did believe him, but right now that seemed far too much to comprehend.

"My boyfriend dumped me," I blurted out.

"Why?"

"I'm not what he wants," I said simply. I hated Aiden, but I wasn't going to out him to some random guy I didn't even know. Besides, petty revenge was never my style.

"Then he must have a lot of issues to work out," Asher was saying. "I can't imagine anyone who would walk away from you unless he had some major skeletons in the closet. Good thing you got out now."

That was a good point that I hadn't considered. A really good point, actually. What if Aiden and I had had sex and he couldn't...you know. I would've been so humiliated.

"Thanks...Asher." I flashed him a smile and I could tell he knew it was genuine. "I hadn't thought about it like that."

"You're welcome," Asher looked surprised. "But seriously, don't worry, you'll find someone else who cares about you in no time. Don't waste your time pining away on some douche-bro who can't appreciate what he has." He gazed at me about a second longer than necessary.

"Yeah...you are so right." I admitted. "Asher?" I asked sweetly.

"Please keep saying my name like that..."

"Huh?"

"I mean, uhhhh...yeah?" He cleared his throat. "Yeah, what is it?"

"Can I ask you something?"

"Anything," he said hopefully, leaning forward. His eyes lit up.

"Are you a virgin?"

A/N: Sorry it took me so long to post this but I hope the extra long length helped make up for it. Super excited for season 3 to return soon! What did you think of this chapter? Was it hard to understand the two perspectives all in one? Leave me reviews please!