Chapter One

Aimee, Miller, and I sat on the back porch playing 'Go Fish' sipping at the lemonades Regina had brought us while Evan and Doug tossed a football back and forth. Evan caught my eye and smirked at me, and I rolled my eyes. Even with just a sarcastic smirk, Evan could make my heart beat a little quicker. With everything that had happened in the past months you'd have thought I would've gotten over him and his blue eyed stare, but every time our arms touched or his gaze happened to fall upon me my heart would drum against my ribs. And then there was Finn...

Even though there was obvious chemistry and feelings between us, nothing had ever been made of them. Of course I still flushed whenever he happened to glance my way, but our shed encounters had ceased to exsist and our talks had stopped completely. Except for a few mumbled words at the breakfast table or on the way to school we didn't speak.

"Think fast Meade!" Evan's familiar laugh interrupted the silence the back yard had fallen into, and I barely managed to duck as a worn football came spiralling towards me before rebounding off the house falling harmlessly to the ground. "And I thought you were supposed to be a State Champion athlete." He smirked and I couldn't help but smile.

"Well we all can't be Evan McGowan's who get hockey scholarships, now can we?" I said as I picked up the ball and chucked it as hard as I could towards his smug face. He laughed and caught the ball before chucking it to Doug.

"Are you going to miss me?" He asked mockingly as he lifted an eyebrow in my direction. Truth be told I was going to miss him a little, but I'd never admit that to him!

"Oh, definetly." I replied sarcastically.

"Do you have a two?"

"You can come stay up at my dorm if you like," He said with a wink and I felt myself blush. How did he always know just what to say to make me blush?

"Megan? Do you have a two?" Miller said impatiently. I sank back down in my seat and shook my head before saying 'Go Fish'.

The rest of the afternoon passed without any more interaction between Evan and I, he having retreated inside to the basement to play video games while Aimee and I had stayed outside to tan. Aimee left a little while later saying she'd call me tomorrow so we could go to the pool.

I sank into my bed that night and couldn't fall asleep, a hot sticky sweat covering my entire body. I turned on my light to read, but I couldn't seem to get into my book so I hopped out of my bed and descended the stairs noiselessly. I opened the back door only slightly, just as Evan had shown me so many months ago and stepped out into the cool night air. I didn't have any destination in mind, just anywhere besides my sweaty pink room.

As I walked down the driveway passed the parked cars I was surprised to see Evan just pulling in, with his headlights off. He smirked at me as I paused standing in front of the grill of his beat up car, watching me intently almost daring me to get in. I despite my better judgement slipped in the passenger door, and just as noiselessly as he'd pulled into the driveway he backed out onto the darkened street and began driving down their quiet street.

"Tisk tisk Kicks, I wouldn't have expected this kind of reckless behavior from you."

"I couldn't sleep, it was too hot. I wouldn't exactly call that reckless."

"Fair enough."

"What's your excuse?"

"At Logan watching the planes."

"You haven't changed." I replied and he smiled.

"No, I guess I haven't but you-you have." I had about a million questions running through my head at that point, but chose to ignore them. I wasn't going to get sucked into another one of his mind games, single or not he was not the right guy for me! Besides the point, Regina and John's hands off rule hadn't exactly been magically lifted. He pulled into the public pool's empty parking lot and shifted the gears into park. "So you and Finn, what happened there?"

"Nothing."

"Oh really? Nothing, nothing at all?" I rolled my eyes, I didn't have an answer for him. It still kept me up at night wondering why we had never became anything, rules or not. I forced those thoughts out of my mind and turned to meet Evan's blue eyed gaze which was steady on mine. Was he going to kiss me? Would I kiss him back? What would this mean? "You want to go swimming?" He asked as he smirked at me with a knowing look on his face. He'd been toying with me that entire time! I hated him, but at the same time couldn't keep the smile off my face.

"It's three in the morning." I remarked.

"And your point is?"

"Well, what're you waiting for?" I said boldly as I swung my door open and began making my way towards the chainlink fence. Before Evan could offer me any assistance, I shoved my converse clad feet into the tiny spaces and swung my leg over to the other side.

Evan jumped down beside me with a loud thud as his flip-flop clad feet met the grooved pavement and he smiled triumphantly. He kicked off his shoes, flung his jacket to the ground, and dove into the pool in a pair of plaid boxers. I stood by the pool playing nervously with the hem of my frayed army t-shirt, while he splashed around.

"Aren't you coming in Kicks?" Before I could answer he grabbed my ankle and yanked, hard sending me into the chlorinated water with a loud splash! I resurfaced and glared at him before sending a wave of water into his open mouth, and the smug expression vanished from his face quickly replaced with a look of mock anger. "Oh it's on!" He swam over to me in two strokes and forced me under water as I tried unsucessfully to avoid the attack.

We went back to the car, dripping wet just as the sun was beginning to rise in the horizon. I wondered how long we'd been there, but I relished every moment. It reminded me why I'd fallen so hard for Evan in the first place. When he was being his flirty self, he was irresistable! We drove in mutual silence as we pulled up to the driveway, both grinning to ourselves as giddy as Ian and Caleb had been on Christmas morning.

"Good night Kicks." Evan whispered as we parted ways on the top of the stairs.

"Good night." I whispered back as I closed the door to my room slowly behind me, careful not to make a noise. I changed out of my sagging wet shorts and tee into my pyjama shorts and an oversized Manchester United jersey. I thought I wouldn't be able to sleep with thoughts of Evan racing around in my mind, but the swim had made me tired and I felt my eyes drifting shut within minutes of hitting the pillow.

Chapter Two

"So it was just you two, swimming at three in the morning?" Aimee said as she peered at me in utter disbelief through the frames of her aviator glasses. I nodded and used the back of my hand to wipe the sweat from off my brow. "Wasn't that a little, y'know weird?"

"No, not really-"

"Oh no!" She exclaimed a sour expression clouding her features.

"What?" I demanded looking around to see what could possibly be so upsetting, rival soccer team, what?

"You don't like him again do you?" I shook my head, but she just rolled her eyes. "Megan! You just got over one of the McGowan boys! Is it really wise to go falling for another one?"

"Well-"

"Well nothing! Look around there are plenty of boys, really hot boardshort clad boys you could date. Why does he have to have McGowan as a last name?" Her eyebrows flew up in frustration.

"You're right." I agreed as I began scanning the pool for someone else who could make my heart flutter. I spied a few guys doing impressive flips in the deep end and cocked my eyebrow as I said "How about them?" Aimee nodded with an approving smile.

I adjusted the straps to my blue bikini that I'd bought with Regina at the mall earlier in the week, and made my way over to the group. With a mixture of adrenaline and determination I approached the boys, smiling as I flicked my hair behind my shoulder as I'd seen Tracy do so many times before. The boys stopped shoving each other and all looked up at me.

"Hey, I'm Megan." I said as I bent down and sat at the pool's edge, sticking my feet into the cold water.

"I'm Josh," He stretched out his hand I met his firm grip with my own. He was pretty cute, he had dirty blonde hair that hung dripping in his dark brown eyes and from what I could see his physique was worth mentioning as well.

"I'm Eli." One of his friends who was a shorter pudgier version of Josh said as he waded towards me and shook my hand. The third boy introduced himself as Adam and Aimee and I spent the remainder of the afternoon talking to them.

Josh and I exchanged numbers before parting ways with Aimee beaming at me. As soon as we'd reached the car, Regina's borrowed Volvo, she squealed. "See? What did I tell you? Who needs Finn or Evan? Josh is cute and totally into you!" She clapped her hands and did a little dance and I couldn't help but laugh.

I dropped Aimee off at her house and drove home parking in the only available spot in the crowded driveway. Judging by the motorcycles, I assumed Sean was hanging out with some of his friends and I spied Christian's familiar Hummer at the very front so I knew Evan must be around somewhere.

I nearly collided into Finn who was on his way out the door. He smiled apologetically before marching off towards his car and driving off. I knew it was to be expected, but a little part of me always hoped that maybe he'd talk to me and things would go back to the way that they were. We could become best friends again, maybe, hopefully even more...

"We're grabbing Chinese for dinner," Evan announced as I entered the kitchen. "any requests Kicks?"

"Nope." I spied Christian who'd just immerged from behind the door of the stainless steal subzero fridge and I smiled at him. "Hey Chris." He nodded at me in return as he chugged a coke.

"Megan!" Ian and Caleb came bolting into the kitchen each of them colliding into me with smiles plastered across their tanned faces.

"Ian! Caleb!" I replied matching their enthusiasm.

"Can you take us to the arcade? They have a new game and-and it's going to be awesome!" Ian spoke so quickly it came out as one really long word that would be found among the ones asked at the Nationwide Spelling Bee.

"Well-"

"Please, please, please?" Caleb said as he clung to my knee.

"Ok." I replied and they both high-fived each other triumphantly. "I'll be ready in ten minutes, kay?"

"Yes!" They exclaimed as they left the room.

"I'll come with you," Evan offered and Chris frowned at him.

"I thought we were gonna go to Chelsea's party?"

"Nah man, I don't want to anymore."

"Fine, I'm going man." Evan and Chris pounded fists and Evan looked expectantly at me.

"Well?"

"Well, what?" I asked. What was his sudden interest in hanging out with me? I knew as immature as he could seem it wasn't the new video game that interested him.

"Am I driving or are you?"

We got home a few hours later to a quiet house. Ian and Caleb ran downstairs eager to try out the new video game they'd bought with their prize tickets, while Evan and I lingered in the kitchen. His gaze never left mine and I could feel myself beginning to blush. What was up with him?

"Megan c'mere," He beckoned in between mouthfuls of the leftover Chinese he was eating straight out of the carton. I took a cautious step towards him and he leaned in close, my breath coming in short gasps now. "You have sweet n' sour sauce on your face." He wiped the corner of my mouth and I frowned. "And some on your lips."

Before I could say so much as another word his lips were on mine, kissing me softly and teasingly. I had barely been able to register what was happening before he pulled away from me with a cheeky grin plastered across his tanned face. "I'm going to go check out that new video game." And with that he left me there, speechless.