Find You In The Dark Part 7

My dad nodded knowingly. "So I think my stipulations are very reasonable. Clay is not allowed in your room when there is no one home. Are we clear?" I shrugged, not wanting to talk about it anymore. "Fine, whatever. It's not like I'm not seventeen years old, about to turn eighteen in four months. I'm almost an adult, Dad, and you treat me like a child." I whined. I knew I sounded exactly like the child I tried to convince him I wasn't. I was not making a very good argument.

"I don't care if you're 102. When you are living at home, you follow your mom's and my rules. It's just how it is. Now, this has never been a problem before, so what's the issue now?" My father asked me pointedly, making it clear he knew what, or who the problem was and his name started with a 'C' and ended in a 'Y.'

I felt like crying. I had never really fought with my dad and it felt awful. But I felt something inside me changing. I was sick of being treated like their little girl. I was finally becoming a woman; with the wants of a woman and the needs of a woman, and my parents were starting to cramp my style.

But I didn't argue anymore. I just left the kitchen, went up to my room, and closed the door. I was proud of myself for not slamming it the way I wanted to. I threw myself on my bed, gathering the pillow to my chest and pushing my face into the fabric.

I could still smell Clay's cologne and I felt a new wave of excitement. Those moments lying with him had been amazing. And it made me re-think so many of the caveats to our relationship. Because I wanted him, desperately, and I think I was pretty sure I was done with waiting.

Sure the issues were still there, but maybe loving him would be the best way to help him. Yep, my mind was made up. I wanted Clayton Reed as my boyfriend. I loved him and I wouldn't stay a part from him any longer. My parents and my own fears be d.a.m.ned.

And if he went into the dark again, this time I would be there to find him to follow him. Because I thought, perhaps quite immaturely, that my love could help him. Maybe our love could do even more than just help maybe it could heal him. Fix him. Fix everything.

"You look so amazingly awful!" Rachel squealed, having me turn around for the millionth time in my hideous formal dress. I had teased my hair into an eighties do, complete with the poufy bangs and frizzy curls. I did look pretty funny. Though, I was pleased to note that the dress was actually very form fitting and gave me the illusion of some amazing curves. So despite the nasty puffed sleeves and horrible color, I didn't look too bad.

Which was good, because I was ready to make my feelings for Clay known tonight. This was it, I was taking the plunge. Clay hadn't been back to my house in the week and a half leading up to the dance. He made a million excuses when I would suggest him coming inside after school. I knew my dad had freaked him out and Clay was trying to be respectful of his wishes. But that unfortunately meant we hadn't been alone since falling asleep in my bed and that sucked. Ruby had started taking the afternoons off at the shop so we would end up hanging out in Clay's living room, watching TV and doing our homework while Ruby plied us with new herbal tea concoctions she was trying out.

I really loved his aunt and her girlfriend. They immediately made me feel welcome- (unlike my father did to Clay -) and were very clear as to how happy they were that Clay and I were spending time together. I could see the worry in Ruby's eyes when she looked at her nephew. It was the same worry I felt underneath the budding antic.i.p.ation that was building inside of me when he and I were together.

The s.e.xual tension was threatening to choke me, it had become so thick. Clay and I made every excuse to touch each other, in a seemingly platonic way. Clay would brush the hair off my face. I would pick a piece of imaginary lint from his arm. It was a beautiful dance we were engaged in and the build up was almost as delicious as what I imagined the real deal to be like.

"I can't wait to see what the boys are wearing." Rachel squealed. She looked fantastic in her bright pink dress. She had pulled her dark brown hair into a messy up do, with curls framing her face. If the way she looked tonight didn't have Daniel tripping over his tongue, I didn't know what would.

"Yeah, Clay was pretty cagey about his getup, it should be interesting." I said, touching up my makeup. I was wearing more than I normally did, but I was pleased with the result. My blue eyes were rimmed in eye kohl with a smudged, smoky look. My lips were painted an almost garish red, but I liked the way it made my normally thin lips look fuller. All in all, I didn't look too bad.

"You look so pretty, Mags. Even in that eye-searing color." Rachel said, putting her arm around my shoulders so we could stand together in front of my full length mirror. "Let's do this. Daniel and Clay should be here any minute." Rachel grabbed her beaded purse and I picked up my messenger bag. Rachel stopped me before leaving the room. "You are not taking that thing. It ruins the look." She went back to my closet and unearthed a black satin handbag that my mom had gotten me for prom last year. Rachel took my wallet, brush and mints out of my bag and placed them in the much smaller purse.

"There, much better." She said after I slung it over my shoulder. I just shook my head, not wanting to argue with her about it. We had just reached the bottom of the stairs when the doorbell rang.

My mother was there instantly. She must have been lying in wait for the guys to get there - armed with her heavy duty Nokia camera. I rolled my eyes at the thought of the next ten minutes of picture taking h.e.l.l.

"Well h.e.l.lo, Daniel. Clay." My mother said. She moved aside so they could come into the foyer. I covered my mouth with my hand trying not to crack up. They looked ridiculous. They had unknowingly worn similar suits. They each wore a very dated formal wear. Daniel's was maroon and Clay's a horrendous plum. Each had a white tie and a robin's egg blue shirt. It was a horrible combination. But they somehow made it work.

I took a moment to muse on how different they were, yet equally good looking. Daniel had started to let his blond hair grow out and it looked almost unkempt around his face. His toned arms barely fitting into the tight sleeves of the jacket. I heard Rachel's barely there sigh as she saw Daniel.

Now Clay was truly gorgeous. Even in the horrible suit, he looked handsome. His hair too was growing out into those curls I loved and they hung down just above his eyes. He seemed excited, buoyant even. His energy was apparent as he took my arm and placed my hand in the crook of his elbow. "My lady. You are a vision." He said, looking me up and down. I elbowed him and laughed. "And you, sir, look dazzling in your prune suit." He smoothed the jacket's front. "This is not prune, it is a very lovely shade of puce, I believe."

"Well, whatever it is you look pretty awesome." I said breathlessly. Clay smiled at me, catching the way my voice shook as he took my hand.

"Look at you guys! Aren't you a sight!" My mom said, pulling the four of us into the living room so she could take pictures. My dad looked up from the newspaper he was reading on the couch. His eyes darkened slightly at the sight of Clay holding my arm and I glared at him. Catching my look, my dad smoothed his expression and gave me a smile. "You all look great." He said politely. "Thank you, Mr. Young." Clay said judiciously, clearly trying to make this as painless as possible. Considering he hadn't seen my dad since their run in weeks ago, I thought it was pretty minimal in the awkwardness department.

After fifteen minutes of pictures, we finally got out the door. "One o' clock curfew." My dad yelled as we walked down the sidewalk. I knew what my curfew was, but was very aware that he was saying it more for Clay's benefit than mine. "Yes sir, not a minute later. I promise." Clay a.s.sured, giving his best parent pleasing smile.

Finally, we were in Clay's BMW and heading toward Red Lobster, where we'd be meeting Daniel's friend Raymond and his date, my friend Clare. "You guys look awesome! Even in that horrible color!" Rachel stated enthusiastically. Daniel chuckled. "Yeah, you don't know how hard it is to find an ugly get up." I laughed. "I'm just not sure if this color suits my complexion." Clay commented. The four of us laughed together. I felt on top of the world. Tonight was going to be wonderful. I just knew it.

Clay looked at me sideways and grinned. He was in a great mood tonight. Laughing and joking with everyone. He didn't seem tired or out of it. It was nice to see. Maybe the meds were finally working the way they were supposed to. Whatever it was, I wasn't going to focus too much on it. I was going to have a good time with my friends and my maybe boyfriend.

Our dinner at Red Lobster was a blast. Daniel, Clay, and Ray insisted on wearing those silly plastic bibs and we all ordered piles of crab legs, trying not to get melted b.u.t.ter on our tacky formal wear. It was good to hang out with Clare. I hadn't seen much of her since school had started.

By the time we got to the high school, the dance was in full swing. The gym was decorated in fall colors and fake leaves. Twinkling lights hung from the rafters and a picture booth had been set near the door to the boys' locker room.

Our group made its way to a table set up in the back of the gym. The DJ was playing some current pop hits and a bunch of kids were dancing in front of the stage. Clay took my jacket and went to check it in with the chaperons out in the hallway.

Daniel and Ray had gone to get something to drink and Clare had spotted a group of her friends and had gone to join them. Rachel leaned over toward me. "So, I'm thinking you need to get your act together girlfriend and claim good ol' Clay before he's whisked out from under your nose." I blinked in mock surprise. Though I was more than a little surprised by her sudden approval of a relationship with Clay. "Whatever do you mean?"

Rachel rolled her eyes. "You guys have been circling around each other for months. Come on, put us all out our misery and get together already. Because if you don't jump at it, you may find that you're too late." Her eyes shot over to the entrance of the gym where Clay had been stopped by Kylie's friend Dana.

Dana just wouldn't give up. She stalked Clay almost as much as I did. Always putting herself in his way, making excuses to talk to him. I had to suppress the urge to body check her. But I had to admit that Dana looked hot tonight. She wore a tight fitting red dress with a plunging neckline and her puppies looked about ready to spill out. Her blond hair was a ma.s.s of curls down her back and most guys would have been drooling at the sight she made.

My face flushed red as I saw the way she moved in close to Clay, laughing at something he said. He was smiling down at her and I could see he was having a hard time keeping his eyes on her face. I suddenly felt very foolish in my stupid teal dress and teased hair.

I turned away from them, trying to keep my voice even. "Well, if that's what he's interested in, then why should I bother?" I wasn't fooling Rachel in the slightest. She smacked my hand. "Don't be an idiot. Clay likes you. A lot. And even though I'm not entirely sold on him, I see how you guys feel about each other. And I'm not one to get in the way of young love. So, I think you should stop being a moron and go for it."

I looked back toward Clay and Dana. She was pulling him out onto the dance floor. He was following her, laughing. He looked over at me suddenly and I cast my eyes down to my lap. The evil jealousy monster, rearing its ugly head. I blinked back the tears that had suddenly formed in my eyes.

Daniel had returned to the table and was trying to talk Rachel into dancing with him. "Come on, Rach. Let's get our groove on." He danced in front of her. Rachel's eyes lit up and she got to her feet. "You okay?" She asked me, but not waiting for an answer before she followed Daniel onto the dance floor.

I looked over at Clay, who was dancing entirely too close to Dana for my taste. I wanted to have a good time and I would not mope over that stupid boy who I naively thought would be spending time with me.

But there I was left, sitting alone like a pathetic wall flower. The song ended and another started and still Clay hadn't come back to the table. Once again, he was the life of the party. He was dancing with a group of kids in the middle of the dance floor; Dana beside him. I was relieved to see that he didn't make any move to touch her, not that she didn't touch him. Because her hands were all over him.

Yuck. I pretended to be looking for something in my bag so I didn't feel like such a loser as I sat there alone. "n.o.body puts Baby in a corner." A voice said beside me. I looked up at Daniel who was standing there grinning. I smiled back. "G.o.d, you are such a dork." I told him. Daniel laughed and pulled me to my feet. "Come on, lets go do some dirty dancing." Thank G.o.d for my friends, or I would be running from the room sobbing right now.

We were soon dancing with Rachel, Ray, and Clare. I had lost sight of Clay and that hurt. I really thought he'd be hanging out with us. I thought that was the point of us all coming as a group. Maybe I had waited too long. Maybe we had played friends to the point that that's all he thought that I was. Mixed signals be d.a.m.ned. So I danced and tried to put my misery over him out of my mind.

After a few more fast songs, a slow one started. Daniel pulled Rachel into his arms and they started swaying together. I couldn't help but smile at the happy expression on her face. She met my eyes and I gave her a thumbs up. She grinned and closed her eyes as she laid her cheek against Daniel's shoulder.

Left standing there all by myself, again, I made my way back to our table. "Oh no you don't." Clay said from behind me, putting his arm around my waist. I looked over my shoulder and there he stood, glistening with sweat from dancing. He smirked and turned me around.

"What, no one else would dance with you? Where's Dana?" I made a show of looking around the room. I couldn't help the blatant jealousy that came through in my words. Clayton put his arms around me and walked backwards until we were in the middle of the throng of dancers. "Don't be like that, Mags. There's no one I want to dance with but you." He whispered into my ear. "Liar." I whispered back as I pressed my cheek into his shoulder and wrapped my arms around his shoulders.

Clay didn't say anything as we moved to the music. It was delicious the way his body pressed against mine. I felt completely alive. The music seemed to float over us and it felt like we were the only people in the room. I felt Clay's fingers in my hair, stroking gently and I sighed in contentment.

This is what it was supposed to be about. Tonight was about he and I. Together. "Maggie." He murmured into my hair and I pulled back and looked at him. He stared down at me as he slowly caressed my face. He had this way of turning me to mush. Did he have any idea what he did to me? We looked at each other for an endless moment. I was frozen in place.

We had stopped dancing and simply held each other as the song came to an end. And just when I thought our moment had come, when we wouldn't hold back anymore, it was over. "Clay. I want the next dance. Come on." Dana was suddenly there, tugging on his arm. Clay didn't take his eyes from mine, a question there. Did he want me to stop him? What did he expect from me?

But that vicious emotion called jealousy made me mean. "Please, don't let me keep you." I said acidly, moving out of Clay's arms. I could have sworn I saw hurt flash in his eyes. But he dropped his hands from my waist and let Dana lead him away. Away from me and whatever was there between us just a second before.

I couldn't help myself, I stomped off the dance floor and threw myself into the metal chair at our table. Rachel was sitting there by herself looking as unhappy as I felt. "Where's Daniel?" I asked her. Rachel jerked her thumb in the direction of the punch table where Daniel was involved in a very heated discussion with Kylie.

Great, we had both been ditched. So much for a fantastic evening. "Where's Clay?" She asked me in return. I jerked my thumb in the direction of the dance floor where Dana had wrapped herself around him. I couldn't help but take s.a.d.i.s.tic pleasure in the fact that he didn't seem to be enjoying himself.

Rachel sighed heavily. "What is with these stupid boys?" She asked. I leaned on the table, propping my chin in my hands. "They're boys, Rach. They're idiots." We sat there moping for a few more minutes when Rachel jumped to her feet.

"Enough of this c.r.a.p. We are not going to cry over them. We are here to have fun and d.a.m.n it, that's exactly what we're going to do." She pulled me to my feet and I laughed as we stumbled toward the dance floor.

Rachel tapped a boy's shoulder. He turned around and looked at her in surprise. He was cute in a dorky kind of way, but he looked pleased with her attention. She pointed at him and his friend beside him. "You two are dancing with us now." She took the boy's hand and pulled him toward her. The other boy looked unsure of what to do. I gave him a smile and that was all the encouragement he needed.

Soon he had pulled me into an overly close embrace as we danced rather awkwardly to the techno music. My partner tried too hard to play it cool and kept trying to grind against me. I attempted to give us some s.p.a.ce but he kept pulling me back toward him.

Luckily the song ended not long afterward and Rachel and I soon found ourselves dancing with two different guys. Thirty minutes later we had changed partners five times and were really enjoying ourselves again. And I didn't think about Clay and it was obvious Rachel wasn't thinking about Daniel.

A slow song came on again and the boy I was dancing with, Luke Tyler, who was on the football team, asked if I wanted to dance that one with him as well. I agreed and we started to move to the music. I didn't relax into him the way I had with Clay. But he was respectful and didn't move his hands anywhere he shouldn't.

We were half way through the song when someone interrupted us. "I'm cutting in." I looked up and saw Clay standing there looking very, very p.i.s.sed. Luke frowned. "Dude, we're dancing here." Luke swung us away from Clay, who followed. What the h.e.l.l?

"I said, I'm cutting in." Clay's neck and face were turning an alarming shade of red. Luke stood up straight and was clearly getting annoyed with Clay's aggressive att.i.tude. "And I told you that we're dancing, so back the f.u.c.k off." Clay yanked Luke's arm off of my waist and shoved him backwards.

"Clay! Stop it!" I yelled. Luke was angry. "What is your problem, man?" Clay shoved him again, advancing on the other boy with an aggression that scared me. I gripped Clay's arm to stop him. "What are you doing? You're going to get thrown out!" I screamed. Clay pulled his arm out of my grasp as he tried to lunge at Luke. He was shaking and he looked like he was going to explode. "f.u.c.k this s.h.i.t. I'm out of here." He said through gritted teeth and pushed his way through the crowd that had formed.

I stood there completely floored by his behavior. I turned to Luke who was trying to calm down. "Was that your boyfriend or something?" He asked. I shook my head. I didn't know who that was. "Sorry." I muttered, leaving the dance floor.

Rachel intercepted me as I headed over to grab my purse. "What was that about? Clay just stormed out of here like his a.s.s was on fire." I didn't know how to answer her, and I needed to find Clay. "Which way did he go?" I asked her. "No way. He seemed really p.i.s.sed off. Give him time to cool down." Rachel reasoned. She looked worried.

I got my purse and headed toward the exit. "I'm going after him, Rach. I need to talk to him." Rachel let me go, shaking her head. "I don't like this, Maggie. He didn't seem all there. I really think you need to leave it be." I didn't want to hear her advice. My single focus was on finding Clay.

I pushed past Rachel and went through the gym doors and looked down the darkened hallway. No Clay. I left the building and went out into the cool night air. "Clay?" I yelled. I looked toward the parking lot and didn't see anything. On some half brained instinct, I went around the back of the school toward the football field and bleachers.

I heard a loud slam followed by a bellow of rage. s.h.i.t, I think I found him. Turning the corner, I saw Clay beneath the metal bleachers, holding his left hand against his chest, breathing heavily. "Clay?" I called out. He looked up and then turned away from me.

"Go away, Maggie. Seriously. I can't be around you right now." He sounded so angry and I just didn't understand where it was coming from. Well, he couldn't tell me what to do, so I continued to walk toward him.

Seeing me coming, Clay yelled at the top of his lungs. "I said get the f.u.c.k out of here!" I stopped short. Okay, he was freaking me out now. "Why are you mad at me? What did I do?" I asked him over the distance of fifteen feet.

Clay shook his head and gave a gurgling cry as he slammed his hand into the bleacher. s.h.i.t. I rushed over to him and took his injured hand in mine. It looked as though he might have broken two of his knuckles. They were turning a nasty purple and there was the unmistakable yellow of marrow. "What are you doing?" I cried.

The tremors in Clay's body were causing me to shake too. "I just want to be alone. Please just leave." The anger had left his voice and he sounded extremely tired. I pulled a tissue out of my purse and dabbed the back of his hand, where blood had started to ooze out of his skin.

"Not until you tell me why you're so angry." I insisted. Clay tried to pull his hand away but I refused to let go. "Stop shutting me out, Clay." I warned him. Clay hung his head, the fight leaving him. "You stopped taking them didn't you." I stated more than asked.

Clay sunk to the ground, not caring about the dust and dirt getting on his clothes. "Yes, all right. I stopped taking them three days ago. Happy?" He asked me with venom. Okay, now I was p.i.s.sed. "Happy? Happy!?!" I yelled at him. "Oh, I'm just ecstatic that you're not taking the medication that stops you from becoming a raging lunatic. I'm over the moon here." I said with sarcasm. I turned to leave, sick and tired of his drama. My night had been ruined by him on multiple fronts and I was ready to go home.

I started to walk away when I heard him get to his feet and run after me. "Don't go, Maggie. Please. I need you here." He pleaded with me. There was that word again. Need. He needed me. And some annoying girlie part of me thrilled at his words as much as the rational part of me was terrified of them.

"You just told me to go, Clay." I said, not letting him pull me back. He sighed. "I know I said that. I just didn't want you to see my like this...again." "Then take your medication, Clay. Then we won't have this issue." I said harshly. I tried to move away from him again but he grabbed my hand. "Stay with me. Please." He sounded so broken and I hated how swayed I was by him, even when I knew I should get the h.e.l.l out of there.

"Why did you do that back there? It was humiliating." I told him, still refusing to face him. "Look at me." He begged, pulling on my shoulders until I was facing him. His eyes were frantic and he was breathing rapidly, as though he were about to have a panic attack. "I couldn't stand seeing you dance with that guy. He had his hands on you and I thought I would lose it. Well I guess I did lose it." He chuckled humorlessly.

His words p.i.s.sed me off. "Who the h.e.l.l do you think you are? You had just spent the entire night dancing with other girls! But I'm not allowed to dance with other guys? What a bulls.h.i.t double standard!" He flinched at my anger. Good. He had made me mad and he needed to see that.

"You're right. But I didn't want to dance with those other girls. You think I give a s.h.i.t about Dana, or anyone else? Because I don't! I could never care about them because they aren't you! But you are constantly throwing me into the friend pile. I thought you didn't want to be with me! Did I misread something here?" He sounded desperate. Where the heck did he get the idea that I wanted him to be with other girls? Hadn't I been making it very obvious for the past few months that I was crazy about him? Maybe he was more delusional than I thought.

I shook my head, my thoughts were fuzzy and my chest felt tight. This roller coaster we were on needed to stop. I wrenched backwards, away from Clay's grip. Clay looked panicked and tried to reach for me again. I shook my head and he dropped his hands to his side. He looked at me as though I were breaking his heart, which was nuts because I had no idea I even had it. "When you're in a room, Maggie, all I see is you. You make everything better. Clearer. You stop the crazy noise in my head. I can think, h.e.l.l, I can breathe when we're together What you make me feel is the most unbelievable and scary thing I've ever felt." My eyes went wide at his confession. I didn't want to say anything, not wanting to break the spell we found ourselves in.

"I never thought I deserved to be happy. With all the s.h.i.t that went down in Florida, it felt like my life was over. Moving here to Virginia might as well have been a death sentence. But then you literally ran into me." We both laughed at his choice of words, easing the tension a fraction.

Clay grabbed my hands and placed them over his heart. I could feel the erratic beat beneath my palm. "You ran into my life, this beautiful, amazing girl who changed everything. I finally saw what my world could be. What being normal and happy could look like. You've given me everything I never thought I could have! It scares me to think of life without you. Of not seeing your smile or hearing your voice. So when you didn't stop me from going off with Dana and then went and danced with that a.s.shole, I thought you were telling me loud and clear that I didn't have a chance with you. And all I could see was my life without you in it. And it was a f.u.c.king dark and horrible place."

I closed my eyes, feeling the p.r.i.c.k of tears behind my eyelids. How could I stay angry when he was saying everything I had wanted to hear since I had met him? Even in the midst of this whirlwind, he made me feel alive and adored. What girl could resist that combination?

And it was time that I revealed my own truths.

"That is so beyond ridiculous. I'm crazy about you too. I've wanted to be with you since the day I ran into your life; literally. Even when you were being the biggest p.r.i.c.k on the planet, I wanted you. But I thought being your friend was all you could handle. You know, with everything else going on." I looked at my feet, not wanting him to see my own vulnerability.

I heard Clay's sharp intake of breath and then his fingers on my chin. "Mags. I've wanted the same thing. You have no idea how much. But you said over and over that I was your freaking friend." He said in a desperate sort of way. I shook my head, my hair falling limply around my shoulders. The hairspray and teased styling long gone.

"You're sick, Clay. I didn't want to overly complicate things." I justified. Clay pulled me into his arms and I didn't fight him. "No, Maggie! No, no, no! I can't stand just being your friend. It's driving me crazy holding back on what I've really wanted to say. I need to be with you! It's the only thing that makes sense in my insane, f.u.c.ked up life." He was so impa.s.sioned in his appeal.

I stood stiff in his arms, not sure what to do. He buried his face in my hair. "I'm a mess. If I were selfless, I'd make you leave. I know I'm a lot to deal with. I'm no where close to getting a handle on things. But I'm not lying when I say you make me feel like I can do it. If you're with me, I can do anything." He stopped for a moment and then the seriousness seemed to break and his mouth quirked in a tiny smile.

"So can we try? Even if it lasts an hour?" I snorted. He was quoting Yo La Tengo to me after everything he just put me through? First j.a.panese poetry, now indie rock. What next? Will he serenade me outside my window to Depeche Mode?

But if there was one thing I had learned about Clayton Reed, is that I was powerless to resist him. He could charm the panties off a nun if he was inclined to do so.

Slowly I brought my arms up until we encircled each other. Even in the hazy glow of contentment, I worried that he would try to replace his need for medication with me. I didn't want to become his crutch. I wanted him to get healthy and do it for himself.

All of those concerns swirled around my head, making a decision difficult. And then he put his mouth to mine. The whisper soft touch of his lips and everything- my worries, my concerns, my doubts about our future, were lost in the amazing feeling of his mouth, his tongue and the light nips of his teeth on my bottom lip.

We kissed for awhile, his hands getting tangled in my hair, my fingers making their way underneath the back of his jacket, clutching his skin. I could barely breathe and I knew I was going under. I was drawn down by the strong undertow. Down into what seemed to be a delicious darkness. And I was happy to lose myself in it.

Chapter Eleven.

It's amazing how something that had, in concept, seemed so insignificant to my life could now become my entire world. Three weeks after the Fall Formal I was flying high. If I thought I couldn't get enough of Clay when were just friends, it was nothing compared to the insatiable need I had developed when he became my boyfriend.

Boyfriend.

Who'd a thunk it?

"Ugh! Can you guys get a room already?" Daniel made a gagging noise from across the table during lunch. I smiled as Clay kissed the soft spot below my ear. He nuzzled my neck and I leaned into his touch.

"Oh shut it, Daniel. You're just jealous. Just because Kylie has cut you loose...again." Rachel said hatefully. My two best friends were the only dark spot in my state of Clay induced euphoria. Ever since the night of the dance, after Daniel callously ditched Rachel in favor of trying to work things out with Kylie- (who dumped him three days later-), they had been at each others' throats.

Personally, I was totally on Rachel's side with this one, though I typically tried to be Switzerland between them. But what Daniel had done was nasty and he deserved every ounce of Rachel's complete and utter b.i.t.c.hittude.

Daniel curled his lip at Rachel but didn't say anything back, angrily shoving his mashed potatoes around on his tray. The tension between the two of them was palpable. Clay cleared his throat, clearly uncomfortable.

"So, do you guys have any plans for Thanksgiving break?" Clay asked, trying to break the tense silence that had blanketed our table. Rachel shook her head and Daniel grumbled something unintelligible under his breath.

I leaned into Clay's chest. "I'd take that as a...maybe?" I posed the statement as a question, hoping to solicit some sort of response from my miserable friends. "Well, I have an idea." Clay piped up, getting everyone's attention.

Daniel stopped swirling his potatoes and Rachel looked up from her Cosmo magazine. "Oh yeah? What's that?" I asked him. Clay grinned down at me and kissed the tip of my nose. I loved it when he did stuff like that. He had this way of making me feel like something infinitely valuable. Like I was the most precious thing in his universe.