A/n: AIEJIOJITIEIUEIWOH! WRITER'S BLOCK, WHY U NO GO AWAY!? Sorry about that, guys. Right now, I have so many writer's blocks I could build myself an opera house. I managed to squeeze this chapter out so bear with me. Hope you guys are still with me. Color guard has been consuming my life for the last two months and it's been driving me crazy. School has also added to that, but I promise that I will continue this story. Our last competition is coming up this weekend, though, and I hope to write more often. Enjoy!

Chapter 23

"You're not going to class today, Selena, and that's that!" Cheyanne exclaimed. After telling her about what happened, she told me that I needed to stay home. That this 'traumatic experience' was a definite reason to stay home and recuperate. This probably also had something to do with the whole Roland problem. Cheyanne is most likely going to chew him up one side and down the other without me there to stop her. She may be my best friend and I know she wants the best for me, but she could be a little much at times. If that wasn't enough, Erik too voiced his concern about my ability to learn after coming close to killing myself. I opened my mouth to argue, but Cheyanne covered my mouth with her hand. "I don't want to hear it. If you so much as put one foot outside this apartment, I am going to call your stepparents." My mouth instantly closed, not wanting my stepparents to be dragged into this. They were worried for me enough already. Cheyanne smiled at her work and patted the top of my head, earning her a glare. "Good girl. I'll see you when I get home tonight."

As soon as she swept out the front door, I let out a scream of frustration and stormed into the kitchen. Erik stood to the side of the stove where he was cooking pancakes. He watched as I stopped in the middle of the kitchen. It hit me then that I didn't want to be in here at all. Wasn't I upset with Erik for agreeing with Cheyanne? The smell of the pancakes cooking caught my attention, causing my stomach to growl. "Hungry, Selena?" Erik asked. Even without looking at him, I knew there was a smug look on his face. I attempted to ignore him, but another waft of the deliciousness cooking on the stove caused my stomach to growl a second time. Erik chuckled and walked up behind me, resting his chin on my shoulder. "I do not believe I will be able to eat all of these by myself."

"Okay." I said, turning around. Just as I had guessed, Erik was smirking and I just wanted to wipe that look off his face. "Alright. I'll eat some of your pancakes, but that does not mean all is forgiven." Erik laughed and returned to the stove to flip the pancake currently in the pan. I walked over to the table and pulled out a chair, sitting down to wait for the food. My fingers drummed lightly against the wood tabletop as I watched Erik cook, feeling proud for how far he had come. When he first came here, he didn't even know how to use the modern stove, yet, here he was, completely capable of cooking the most delicious meals on one. The stove wasn't the only thing he had excelled at using. Erik may not admit it, but I noticed the browser history on my laptop had websites I didn't remember visiting. I smiled at the thought of Erik becoming an avid internet user. At that moment, he noticed the smile and sent one in my direction.

"Breakfast is done, mon ange." Erik walked over, a plate stacked high with pancakes in one hand and the bottle of syrup in the other. He sat them down in front of me and returned to the kitchen counter to grab a bowl of freshly cut strawberries. When he finally took a seat across from me, I served myself three of the delicious looking pancakes. I doused them in syrup and put a few strawberries on top. Just as I took my first bite, which was absolutely divine, Erik spoke. "After breakfast, would you like to practice for your audition?"

"Hmm?" I looked up from my plate, mouth full of pancakes, and cocked my head inquisitively.

"You said you were going to audition for Beauty and the Beast. I just remembered and thought that while you're here, you may as well work on something productive." Erik said.

I swallowed the food in my mouth and replied. "Of course we can! Heck, I almost forgot about that. Auditions aren't until the first week of February, which is in two weeks. That'd be great, Erik." Just as he suggested, after breakfast, we worked on my audition for Beauty and the Beast. It was hard work and I knew it was going to be worth it in the end. Erik was an excellent teacher. There was no way he could steer me wrong and there was no way I was not going to make it into the show. We rehearsed for a couple hours before we stopped so my voice wouldn't wear out. For the rest of the day, Erik and I simply enjoyed each other's company as he read some books I had checked out for him and I worked on homework.

...

Rowan's POV

Tossing my backpack next to the front door, I stomped into the kitchen past my roommate and best friend, David. He gave me a confused look as I passed by him, but he said nothing and went back to doing the homework I had seen laid out on the couch when I got home. I tossed some pizza rolls into the microwave and waited impatiently for them to be done. Today had not been the greatest—at all. Selena wasn't at school and I had planned on asking for her forgiveness. I went as far as buying her a card and a bouquet of flowers. When I realized she wasn't there, I tossed them into the nearest trashcan and thus began this foul mood.

The microwave beeped, telling me that the pizza rolls were done, but I left them there consumed in my thoughts of Selena. She didn't know just how much my feelings for her ran. Whether it was the fact that I had dated many of the girls at our college or that I tried everything in my power to capture her attention, she simply pushed me away. From freshmen year until that day I introduced myself to her, I had noticed her beauty and charm, but she hadn't even blinked twice in my direction. Every time we passed on our way to our classes, I would smile at her and hoped that she would return it. Just about every time I did, she kept on walking without even an attempt at a smile. It drove me crazy being ignored like that. Cheyanne wasn't even as big a help as I had hoped. Multiple times I begged her to introduce Selena to me, but she refused saying that I had to do it myself. So I did just that, but it had gotten me farther away from her than I had originally been.

Then that... That tall, dark-haired, French buffoon had to come along and steal her away from me. As hard as I could, I tried to find something about the guy that she was bound to not appreciate. My efforts were fruitless and drove me further into this growing funk. She had never mentioned the guy to me once in all the conversations we had. Not even once! Before I had kissed her, we had become decently close to one another. At least that is what I had thought before she stormed off after yelling at me... Why couldn't she give me a chance to prove myself to her? I would do anything, anything to have her in my arms and be able to call her mine.

"Would you really do anything?" a voice unlike any other questioned. My head snapped up to find an older woman standing before me. She was dressed in clothing that resembled a fortune teller's, colorful and flowing. Her skin was wrinkled and pale against the vibrant colors of her garbs. The silver curls atop her head were neatly brushed and held back with a purple bandanna. The sight of this granny wasn't what shocked me though. How had she gotten in my apartment without David or myself letting her in?

"How did you...?" She cut me off with the wave of her hand, my lips instantaneously shutting themselves. A wave of panic ran through me. Who the heck was this lady?

"Would you do anything to get Selena to love you?" Her tone was serious and caught my attention at the mention of Selena's name. I nodded my head slowly. "Are you sure?" I nodded vigorously this time. With another wave of her hand, my lips no longer felt like they were sewn shut. She smiled warmly and wrapped an arm around my shoulders. "Then I have a proposition for you, Monsieur Carter. One that you can't possibly resist..."

A/n: The plot is moving forward! Yay! Be happy! And review!