Sorry for the long wait…

Thanks:

Volcanic Lily, Ballet Reader, Serenity Kabra, and AuthorArtist. And, of course, Top Madrigal Agent.

R&R?

Format: Dialogue, mostly. :)h Nothing like a good old chat.

"So what's it like, being in love?"

As the words slipped out of her mouth, Gracie looked up from her math worksheet, a bit confused. "It's a bit hard to explain. It's like…warmth. Happiness. You're not alone. Someone's watching your back. They're there to catch you when you fall. They always will be. " She stared down at a neat row of volume problems before smiling slightly. "It's nice. Calm. Natural." She plunked her pencil down, pushed her textbook into the corner of the desk, and turned to face Amy. "Do you get what I mean?"

Amy nodded sternly twice. She got what she meant. It meant she was in worse trouble than she had thought.

Hamilton turned tentatively to face Mark.

"What does it feel like?"

Mark rolled his eyes. "What does what feel like?"

"You know…" Hamilton fiddled around for the right word. "…love?"

"Well…it's a bit like…another half. It just feels natural. No stress, to expectations, just…existing side by side, I guess. Knowing that…you'll never really be alone." Mark turned nervously. He was a Tomas, he didn't usually discuss this stuff. "Anything else? An explanation or something?"

Hamilton leaned back in his chair, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath. His eyelids fluttered one after another as he caught him with a stare.

"Oh, no need to explain."

"So, how's life?"

"Same old." Amy flopped onto her bed and starred at the glow-in-the-dark stars pasted on the purple backdrop. "Caught in the middle of everything here at high school. In between the hormones, the homework, and the heart, I really can't turn anywhere."

"In other words, you're lost."

"You said it. It's a jungle out there. Or a labyrinth. An unnavigable maze with dead ends, u-turns, and supposed short-cuts that are there to undermine you. And there's the whole 'everybody's getting a boyfriend except for me' thing where all the gossip girls are trying to pair me up with every single boy in the whole school."

"Well, when has love ever been anything else?"

"A complete riddle that I've never been able to stop. Made ten times harder when you happen to be in love with your best friend."

"I thought you'd never get out of denial."

"Well," said Amy, sitting up with her face cupped in her hands, "there's a point in denial when you start to wonder exactly what you're denying, why you're doing it, and what's the point of it all if you're going to end up admitting sooner or later anyway."

"Well, it depends, really."

"On what?"

"On whether or not I'll ever really get the guts I'm supposed to have."

"Well, blood doesn't reach everything."

"Sometimes, I seriously wonder why God made this whole thing." Hamilton propped up his head. "Love, I mean. Think about it logically. If what all those cheesy fairy tales say are true, and we really have some sort of 'soul mate' out for us, what are the odds they're actually going to meet? And that's not including all the potholes, enemies, revenge, etcetera that's all detailed in the mix. If you think about it, there's really no such thing as a happy ending. Because the chances are so slim to none, and besides, nothing like that truly lasts forever."

"That's depressing."

"That's life." Hamilton sighed. "A proverb, a textbook, and a good dose of truth right when you need it least."

"Why?"

Hamilton stopped through midthrow. "Why what?"

"Why are you dating Georgia?" Amy threw a water bottle at him.

"Well…she's really quite pretty. She's nice once you get to know her. And she gives me a sense of…accomplishment, I guess. And that makes the relationship feel good." He caught the bottle, flipped of the top, and gulped down as much as he could, dropping the basketball.

"She's also a flirt, an idiot to anyone who's not dating her, and you're doing it for all the wrong reasons! Relationships are meant to make you feel good, yes, but not in that way!"

"Well, let's see—is this your relationship? No. So, therefore, you are not a part of this."

"Well, since you're only my best friend, I intend to make myself a part of this! You know the problem with Georgia?" Amy stood on her feet, striding over to Hamilton in ten easy steps. "Georgia turns herself and all her boyfriends into complete snobs. Idiotic jerks. And I thought you were above that." She sneered, feeling very unlike herself, yet unable to stop it. "If you're going to become that,"she poked him. Hard. "Then there's a lot more of your branch's blood in you than I thought. Enough to turn you into an egotistical prat who thinks he's above everyone else." She poked him again. "Are you?"

Turning on her heel, she walked calmly back toward the door, too quickly to hear his answer.

"I can't exactly be without one now, can I? I mean, I'd look like a complete loser if I didn't have one, now that he does."

"Suit yourself."

So Amy chose Evan Tolliver. Smart, not to mention not popular and quite good-looking. As far as anyone was concerned, it was the everyday schoolgirl crush. However miraculous it was that bookish Amy Cahill had been caught by hormones, it was brushed off.

Except for the fact that Evan started liking her back, which made it ten times harder. And when she (somehow unknowingly) became his girlfriend, she began to realize that maybe she was starting to be a bit too over her head.

But it was too late now, anyway, and besides, if she left, where would she turn? So, she continued her charade. Because she knew that even though she was being a liar, it was a lot better than being alone.

"Dude, Amy, what's up with the waterworks?"

"Evan broke up with me."

"Oh." Pause, and then, "I'll punch his lights out if you want."

"I'm fine, thanks." Sad smile. "I'm just more surprised than sad, that's all. To be honest, he was a bit of a jerk during…about forever."

"Always knew that. You didn't need to tell me."

Amy chuckled. "You know, I might let you do just that."

Hamilton stared at the frail body leaning on his shoulder.

"No, seriously?"

"…No."

That was the difference between her and the other Cahills, Hamilton realized. While the others were perfectly content to let so many non-Cahills die for their branches, sacrifice their lives for the good of their family. While Amy could not bear to see innocent blood spilt.

In that way, He was more like Amy and Reagan than he thought.

"You know what I hate most about Georgia?" Amy pored carefully over a manuscript about some Ekaterina or the other as she talked to Hamilton out of the corner of the mouth.

"Well, I don't know…but I assume that you're going to tell me."

"The fact that her, her groupies, and her boyfriends all happen to become blind to facts staring them straight in the face."

Was this yet another one of the messages with hidden meanings? Because she should have known by now that Tomas just don't do that stuff.

"Okay. Well, I hope you don't think I'm that blind yet."

Amy stared straight up this time, piercing him with shards of jade.

"I think so."

"I love you."

"Say what now?"

Amy sighed. "You know, the reason no one ever confesses they love someone is because they're afraid of rejection. But don't they realize that the other person is thinking the exact same thing. It's not like they're from a different planet—in fact, they must be very similar. Therefore, they'd also be very afraid to answer. In addition, if you never ask, you'll never get an answer, now will you? " She tipped her head, still frowning down at the food she was stuffing into the plastic bag for the homeless shelter. "Besides, the suspense is worse than anything."

"…I guess that's okay. After all, if you don't ask, you'll never know, now will you?"

"Nope. Now you answer."

"Um…maybe…okay, yes. But I'm not a sap, now am I?"

"No, you're not. Don't worry. Nothing's changed." She smiled.

"Isn't it like, mandatory to go on a date now or something?"

"Nope. Don't worry. Besides, we should get to know each other better before we start…you know…" She waved her hand at Gracie and Mark. "Just be best friends before we get together."

"Know each other better? We're best friends, we're practically related now! What?"

"Well…start with the basics. What do we usually do?"

"Chat. Duh." He boggled his eyes at her, wondering what on Earth was going on.

"Exactly. I have so many questions about your life, why you do…what you do, I guess? And also your history, and…secrets and stuff. You know?"

"Maybe."

"You are so hopeless, Hamilton Holt." She threw her plastic bag in the air, a can of jalapenos falling onto Hamilton's head halfway through.

"Exactly." He grinned. She grinned back, and everything was going to be okay. Nothing was going to be different from last time—until they were ready.

So really, clichés were just fine with him. He hadn't even known what they were until very soon…but…

Well, if the result was a jade-eyed, auburn girl laughing beside him, then he was fine with it.

If you like this story, I am positively BEGGING you to go on Top Madrigal Agent's profile and voting for me on her poll. I want to win this contest, you know. :D