Note 6/27/11:

Dear Readers,

It's good to see all of you after this long, trying absence. I look forward to your reviews, even though I probably don't deserve any of them.

For the past year I have been struggling to come up the next chapter, thinking that it was because I was losing/had lost my inspiration for this story. But, as I had found just a week ago, it was not that I had lost my inspiration—It was the last chapter I had written.

It was too poorly written, too brief and too…open: I kept rewriting Chapter 21 to the myriad of images in my head to the point that I had lost focus of the story.

So I've decided to re-write this chapter. And I pray that this is the fix to this major writer's block; for I don't know what I would do if it is not the answer.

Also, I'm looking for some feedback! What did you guys love about this chapter? What did you guys hate? Do you like this better than the previous chapters?

I hope you, my fine Readers, will continue to read and will revive the river of support.

Enjoy!

Sincerely,

Twi.

Chapter 20 Part 1:

(Jessica's POV)

We only had ten more minutes before we arrived at the mansion, but I wanted to reach over and strangle him.

About half way home he had decided to start poking me. First it was on my leg, and then when I had protested, he moved his persistent pokes to my arms. After slapping his hand away, he moved his finger to my stomach, causing me to squeal and jump to the other side of the car. As he laughed I crossed my arms over my stomach protectively and gave him a stony glare, hoping that it would deter him. It didn't. If anything, this retreat encouraged him to take his foot and nudge my leg.

Nudge…Nudge…Nudge…Nudge…Nudge…Nu—

"Just stop!" I growled pulling my legs up onto the seat with me, not caring whether or not I got dirt on the nice, shiny leather, "Don't touch me!"

A pompous smile graced his lips as he lifted his hands in the air in an "I surrender!" kind of way and sat back. Not trusting him in the very lightest, I kept my legs up on the seat. Though I did pull my shoes off: I didn't want to leave even more dirt on the seat then I already had.

When Jordan turned to talk to Stephen, who –with a giant smirk on his face– was sitting to Jordan's left, minutes later I turned to talk to Cassandra. Though I watched Jordan out of the corner of my eye, just in case he decided to pull something.

Ten minutes later, I slowly put down one of my legs, gauging his reaction. He didn't even blink. So far, so good. Another ten minutes pasted, and I put down my other leg.

Ahh, I thought happily, feeling the muscles in my legs unclench as I flexed my feet.

Nudge.

"Jordan!"

"Sorry, Jessica," He replied smoothly, his lips quirked into a small grin, "I couldn't help myself."

I snorted and glared at him, daring him to do it again. He chucked and slowly reached across, his pointer finger stretched out in a poking position. I quickly pushed myself into the back of the seat, trying to get as far away from the finger as possible.

Ugh! I thought, shooting at the finger with little, mental, fiery arrows, Why won't he leave me alone?

"Because it's fun to annoy you," he answered, speeding up the rate at which the finger was getting closer.

"It won't be as much fun when I punch you in the face," I grumbled.

He snickered. "Of course it will. If anything, it'll just make it more entertaining."

Now his finger was only inches away from poking me. I forced my eyes to close and I took a deep breath, waiting for light pressure caused by his pokes on my leg.

But it never came.

Hesitantly, I opened my eyes, and just stared at him. The usually dignified, smooth vampire had transformed into a child. From his mouth that had was set in mix of a smirk and a pucker, to his eyes that held a childish, mischievous gleam. And to top it all off, his finger was only millimeters from my leg, just like a curious child would with something new.

"I'm not touching you."

"Why I ought'a –"

"We're here!" Cassandra shouted quickly, taking my arm and pulling me out of the car and into the frigid weather. Almost immediately I dived back into the warm car, curling up to help preserve some heat before it was lost.

"Come on you big baby!" Cassandra taunted, laughing as she tugged at my arms.

"No! It's too cold!"

"No, it's not."

"Yes, it is."

Jordan sighed, picked me up, and jumped out of the car before I could make any move to get out of his arms. I yelped and clawed at his arms, hoping that he would let me down and I could scamper back into the car. Apparently that wasn't going to happen either.

"Put me down!" I demanded, continuing my assault on his arm.

"No."

"But it's cold," I whined, deciding to switch my tactics and start punching him in the shoulder.

"No, now stop punching me," He answered stonily, giving me a questioning, cool glance.

I smiled, recognizing an opportunity for revenge, and started punching his arm.

"Seriously, stop."

"Sorry, Jordan," I replied acerbically, "I couldn't help myself."

"Just stop," he scoffed, quickening his pace to the mansion.

After a minute or two, I took a finger and slowly moved it towards his arm.

"Don't you dare," He warned.

"Why?" I goaded, grinning devilishly as it gradually got closer to his arm.

"Because I'll drop you."

"You wouldn't."

"Yes, I would."

"No, you wouldn't."

" 'Wanna bet?"

"Go for it."

The stony grip around me disappeared and I fell onto the ground with a cry of victory and eyes locked onto the car that was only a few feet away.

Before I took even two steps I was snatched up again and pressed against Jordan's chest, which rumbled as he continued to chuckle.

"No!" I cried, glaring at him through narrowed eyes.

"Nice try," he told me, returning to his path to the mansion.

I grumbled, turning my glare to Cassandra, who stood at the edge of the steps up to the mansion with a big, Cheshire cat grin on her face.

"Stop that," I snapped at her, ignoring her not-so-silent chuckles as Jordan climbed up the steps.

"Whatever you say," Cassandra retorted, smirking as Jordan let me down and I punched him in the arm.

"Ow! What was that for?" He cried while rubbing his arm lightly.

"Stop that, I know it didn't hurt you at all," I answered sharply, "And that was for every poke and every 'almost' poke you afflicted on my body."

"Jeez, asking for an apology would've probably hurt less."

"Yeah, but it wouldn't have been as much fun," I replied, smirking at him before following Cassandra, Lia, and Danielle into the house.

"Hey!" Jordan shouted, reaching forwards to grab my arm, "Don't I even get a goodbye?"

"What in the world makes you think you deserve a goodbye?" I asked, incredulous.

"Because I saved you from being publicly tortured," he responded sarcastically.

"Well… Goodbye then," I answered awkwardly, starting to close the door.

"Oh no you don't," he cut in, placing a hand against the door and pushing it back open.

"What? I said goodbye!"

"I didn't mean that kind of goodbye."

"Then what—," I stopped myself halfway through because my mind had finally figured it out. He wanted a kiss.

He wanted a kiss. A kiss!

Sneaky bastard, I thought to myself, staring at him as I tried to come up with some sort of answer.

"Fine," I answered, slinking up to him, placing one hand on the door.

"What?" he replied, confusion blooming on his face.

"You heard me," I told him, smiling like a cat who had caught a canary.

And then I took that extra step, took that extra push up, and planted a swift, chaste kiss on his cheek.

"Now go," I ordered him, taking a mental picture of his shocked face, "It's a girls' night, and boys aren't allowed."

I quickly shut the door before he could come to the realization of what happened. Then I turned and used the door as something to lean against as I burst out into giant peals of laughter.