A/N: Hey peeps. I'm sorry for being MIA for so long. I'm a lazy ass fucker, and that haven't changed a bit over the past few months. What have changed is my relationship status, from single to afraid of commitment. Yes, I'm fucking scared shitless at the thought of being tied down. Let's not even talk about marriage.

Anywho, if anybody wants to know my twitter (I follow back as long as you are moderately sane, have decent music taste and tweet in English) so you can, I don't know, stalk me or finally know how I look like (I promise I'm not hideous!), just PM me.

If Eddie was asked what he loved the most about working at the Roadhouse, it was the friendly, impersonal interactions with the customers. As a rotating waiter cum bartender, he was never short on opportunities to chat and discover snippets of information about other people's life. It always perked him right up, getting him through his monotonous way of life after the accident that almost broke him, but only succeeded in making him become more independent and strong, both physically and mentally.

However, as at odds as it may seem, he also enjoyed the peace and quiet during closing time. It gave him time to reflect – or brood, depending on your perspective – on certain matters and mill over his uncertain future. As a budding professional fighter with a wide diversity of martial arts under his belt, Eddie had been approached by numerous scouts from different colleges all over the state. He had stalled all of their enquiries, partially to keep his options open, partially due to his hardly stellar results.

If he didn't pull up his socks academic-wise soon, no college would be willing to take him in.

And it was with that dark, depressing thought in his mind that Eddie looked up at his friends. Adrian was to his side, while Lissa and Rose sat opposite the table. The Roadhouse, the diner they were in, was modestly sized with chocolate brown as the main color theme. Eight immense pillars made to look like oak trunks held up the two-story building that had been around for a few decades. The interior was well furnished, with paintings of mainly the countryside decorating the walls. A modern bar area occupied an entire corner, while there was a stage on the other corner for bands to perform at. The warm lighting provided a surreal ambience, making the interior feel more austere than ever.

Eddie loved it.

That was one of the two reasons why he worked at said diner.

The other was that the day he reached maturity – 21 years of age, as stated in his father's will – he will officially become the owner of the restaurant. Right then, Stan, a close friend of his father oversaw the day-to-day running of the Roadhouse. He was the closest to a paternal figure Eddie ever had.

"Is eating with us really such a chore that you have to resort to retreating into your own fantasy world in that head of yours?" Adrian's voice cut through his musings. "And here I thought you enjoyed my company."

"That's about as likely as me migrating to Siberia."

"I heard the weather's pretty good there this time of the year."

Eddie just stared at him.

Rose snickered at the two of them, having had polished off her plate of pizza. "I thought you knew better than to banter with him, Adrian. Conversations between the two of you never seem to exceed three sentences."

"It'll only be a matter of time before he starts to realize how much he appreciates my humor."

"I won't hold my breath," Eddie said sardonically, then directed his next question at the two girls. "Any of you saw Christian today? He wasn't there during gym class."

Rose shook her head while sipping from her coke through a straw at the same time Lissa said quickly, "no."

"He didn't come to school," Adrian answered instead, spearing a fry with his fork then flavoring it with a generous amount of chili sauce. "Said he was down with some bug."

Eddie didn't bother hiding his skepticism. "Christian? Down with a flu?" Rose looked equally doubtful.

Adrian popped the fry into his mouth and chewed slowly, all the while looking at Lissa who colored and ducked her head a little. "I didn't specify what sort of bug was it," he drawled.

"Am I missing something here?" Rose asked Lissa, and when she didn't respond, Adrian.

"It's just a guess." Adrian shrugged, but there was that unmistakable glee in his eyes. "But I'm almost never wrong, so…" His gaze never left Lissa, and she was starting to look positively ill.

Rose evidently didn't like how uncomfortable her best friend was getting. "Stop scaring her, you asshole or I'll personally make your nightmares a – " She stopped when Lissa touched her shoulder, shaking her head. "I can handle this," Lissa assured her before pointing at Adrian. "We need to talk. Now."

Adrian blinked at the command in her voice. Once. Twice. Then, "Can I at least finish my meal first?"

"No."

A smile tugged at his lips, and Lissa's mood only soured further. "What's so funny?"

"You barking out orders. Anger doesn't suit you at all." Adrian rose and stepped out of the booth, followed quickly by Lissa, her movements stiff with anger. "Lead the way, sweetheart. I am ready to be verbally abused in any way you deem necessary."

Not even bothering to reply, Lissa stalked away, a very amused Adrian keeping pace with her effortlessly. An elbow propped on the table with his chin on his knuckles, Eddie watched as the two of them headed to a deserted corner.

"I take it you have no idea what's going on?"

Damn it. They were too far away for him to make out anything they were saying. "Not a clue," he told Rose, taking in Lissa's very expressive and very aggravated gestures. She was worked up over something – but what? It definitely had something to do with Christian, and his first thought was that they were secretly dating. Wouldn't come as much of a surprise to him, since he had always thought that the two of them were pretty damn compatible.

"Join the club."

"Lissa didn't tell you anything?"

Rose stirred her drink with her straw with a slight pout. "Not even when I pushed her to. Whatever it is, she's being really secretive about it."

"Did anything happen between Christian and her?"

Rose took a moment to think it over. "Not that I know of," she said slowly, pensively, and after a short pause, "but now that you mention it. . ."

Eddie turned to face her.

"Lissa called me yesterday night. She sounded a little shaken up and was very hesitant, ending the call almost immediately with the excuse that she was tired." Rose put down her drink. "If I remember correctly, she told me before that she was going out with Christian yesterday for dinner."

A few scenarios popped into his mind, some of which he thought very possible. "Sounds suspicious."

"You think there's something going on between the two of them?"

"I don't think so, Rose. I know so," Eddie said. "The real question is what's going on."

"Impossible. Those two have been friends for so long!"

"Ten bucks that I'm right."

"You're on."

There was one thing in the world that Lissa hated more than homework.

And that one thing was talking to Adrian Ivashkov.

Not only was he one of the most egoistical guy she ever had the misfortune to meet, he had the looks and charisma to warrant it. Every red blooded woman would find him appealing, and she was no exception. The boy bordering on maturity was gorgeous; all six feet two of him. The only thing that had held her back from dating him a year ago when he had asked her out was her tingling sixth sense warning her that he was nothing but trouble.

She was right, of course. If she had accepted his offer, Lissa had no doubts in her mind that Adrian would have found a way to charm her pants off her, making her one of the many notches on his bedpost.

Thank goodness for female intuition.

With a fresh bite of anger, she glared up at him. "How much do you know?"

"Depends on what you're talking about."

"You know very damn well what I'm talking about!"

"Refresh my memory."

Bristling, Lissa folded her arms to stop herself from giving in to the urge to brutally maim Adrian. "Me and Christian, you oaf!"

A single eyebrow lifted. "So you two are officially a pair?"

"No!" That single word flew out of her mouth before Adrian even finished speaking and her hands went to her cheeks as she felt them heat up. "What I meant, uh, was that there's nothing going on between me and Christian." Her spine straightened in affront again. "And even if there was, it's none of your damn business!"

Droll, Adrian stuck his hands into the pockets of his jeans. "No need to get so agitated, sweetheart. I was just asking. And if that's really the case, why are you two avoiding each other?"

"One, don't call me sweetheart. Save that for the next poor girl that comes along and catches your eye. Two, I am not avoiding him. He's the one avoiding me, not the other way around."

"Jealous?"

Lissa scoffed. "You wish."

"A man can hope." His eyes twinkled before he said, "I think we can both agree that this conversation is going nowhere. You're clearly not going to tell me anything."

"I don't see the need to."

"Fair enough." Adrian pushed off the wall and started walking back to their table. "I'm running late for training anyway."

Lissa trailed behind him. "So you're not going to pursue this matter any further?"

Smirking at her incredulity, Adrian said, "I didn't say that."

"You're annoying."

"Thank you."

"That wasn't a compliment!"

"And that's supposed to bother me?"

Lissa was seriously considering stabbing Adrian in the back with a fork when he said, "I saw Christian just now at school. Probably couldn't bear the thought of missing football practice."

That easily, her thoughts scrambled. "And what has that got to do with me?" she asked carefully, not wanting to give away anything.

"Tasha was all over him in the locker room."

Lissa's blood went cold.

Tasha was the head cheerleader, and she had this misplaced notion in her head that because of her position, it automatically meant that the quarterback of the football team belonged to her. Ever since sophomore year, she had been coming on to Christian with a tenacity that would otherwise have been admirable – if it had not grated on her nerves so much. So far, Christian had never shown any interest in her, but even Lissa had to admit that Tasha was quite the voluptuous beauty.

Maybe her reaction last night. . .

She barely kept herself from cursing out loud.

"Just thought that you should know."

"I don't care," Lissa told him as they reached the booth once again.

"Sure." Adrian sent a knowing look her way, digging a few crisp notes out and placing them on the table to pay for his meal. "I'm off guys. See ya all tomorrow."

"I'm serious, Adrian. I don't care!" Lissa raised her voice at his retreating figure but got no response.

"You okay, Lissa?" Rose asked, frowning.

"Yes, yes, I'm fine," she muttered, hastily grabbing her bag and hefting it over her shoulder. "I need to go now too. Bye!"

Rose stared at Lissa as she left the Roadhouse, leaving a metaphorical cloud of dust in her wake.

Wordlessly, she pulled a ten dollar bill from her wallet and pushed it towards Eddie.