Your best lie yet.

Disclaimer: I own nichts ┌( ಠ_ಠ)┘

Beta read by: Butterfly Crown

1:02pm Friday 24th July, 2015.

She expended most of her summer vacation digesting cheesy romance novels whilst listening romantic show tunes on her Ipod. Her latest project was none other than Bree Despain's 'The Dark Divine' completed with the melody"If I Loved You"from Carousel. Albeit she possessed a strong abhorrence towards supernatural novels containing cliché vampires and werewolves, she found herself relating to Miss Grace Divine. It was true; she was totally and completely indulged in the protagonists' love for one another.

As her knowledgeable garnet eyes studied the book's captivating finale, she found herself jealous; conclusively jealous that even a fictional character was lucky enough to be blessed with the jewel of love.

Releasing a long silent sigh, she lazily climbed out her bed to insert the latest Taylor swift album into her CD player. She flung her Ipod onto the pink cotton sheets as she adjusted the volume on her radio.

Her pink room was splayed with Paramore and The Veronicas posters whilst being subtly accented with abstract wall quotes. She couldn't help but stare at the particular wall scribbling that perfectly summarized her life at the moment.

At age 17, her longest relationship had been the one month 'fling' she had with a teal eyed brunette named Jason. To the public, it seemed like a hot steamy relationship that burnt out to fast, but to her, it was just a typical 15 year old mistake.

She re-examined the Daniel Ilabaca's quote once more before reading the incoming text:

Pinky,

Urgent! Need 2 see you. Come over now. We need 2 talk!?

Brick.

✓ Seen 2:38 pm.

She hurried on a pink blazer veste to cover up her almost naked shoulders. Her white camisole vest was a bit too showy to visit master pervert's house . She imagined that he finally dropped his pride and decided to beg her for summer homework help. This was after all, their last year of high school and Brick needed the extra edge to get into one of the top 10 colleges. Whilst she lightly fantasized Brick on his knees, pleading for help, the crimson eyed boy paced his champagne colored living room waiting for her appearance.

3:55pm Friday 24th July, 2015.

Her floral print wedges clanked with each step as she boldly led herself to him. The level of familiarity and comfort she had was uncanny to both teens. It pissed her off. When did they become so close? Why did she know Brick's house like the back of her hands?

He couldn't help but smugly laugh at her appearance. She was breathtaking; yes. This made the whole situation quite ironic.

As he discretely ogled her appearance, the physical mass in her hands caught his attention, "You brought …. Stuff?"

A quizzical look erupted on his face as his attention was now focused on the overly cute Hello Kitty hand bag. He had always hated that bag, and she knew this. The ghastly devil knew of all his futile attempts to rid the world of her girly catastrophe but she couldn't care less. It was cute, pink and fashionably expensive. Since when did Brick's opinion matter anyway? She always hated that ridiculous red cap but he wore it nonetheless. Even now, his prized possession was still glued to his head. Blossom had long out grown her big red bow and switched her attention to cute, smart clothing and fashion glasses.

"Yeah, I figured that if the great Brick Jojo requested me, I'd have no choice but to bring out the heavy artillery. " Carefully, she emptied her bag's contents onto the mahogany coffee table as Brick directed her to sit next to him.

"At least you know I am great," he joked as he shot her his award winning smile. She never told him this but that particular dimple infested smile both irritated her and melted her insides.

Shaking away the feelings of need, want and lust, she coyly urged, "Brick, get to the point without making me gag – why don't you? As much as I adore you needing my help, I have important things to do."

Wrinkling his slightly tanned forehead, he raised a brow in utter perplexity, "Like?"

"I have a date." She lied as she sized herself up to the fairly toned lad.

Nearing her face, he breathed "More like a date with books. I've never seen you romantically involved with anyone since your little fiasco with the captain of my football team." Hiding the bit of contempt and scorn hidden in his words, he joked, "It's like you're married to your readings now. It's cute."

He genuinely laughed as he lightly patted her head in a patronizing fashion. After all, it was the truth: the cold-hearted truth she was forced to endure. No one dared look at Blossom Utonium the same way they'd look at her cousins; Bubbles and even Buttercup. At first, Blossom believed it was her bright orange hair that acted as a cock block, but seeing Princess float from relationship to relationship like it was no big deal was proof that it wasn't her physical appearance that was to blame.

She was simply unlovable.

Even the boy who possessed those bright flaming crimson eyes which currently bored into her soul had a 'go' at Princess, at least trice. Once more, she sighed in remembrance of Daniel's quote she had etched onto her bedroom wall.

"Brick," her voice was soft, careful; measured. Hurt and anxiety were forced down her throat as she whispered, "What is it you actually want?"

She desperately bit back the impeding tears as she returned the awkward gaze to its recipient. She hoped this wasn't one of his foolish attempts to ridicule her again. It was summer vacation; he should have no reason to mock her. Yet, he was...

"Put away the laptop, the tablet and the goddamn Ipad. Right now, right now I just want you."

At first, she didn't understand a word that escaped that perfectly plump mouth of his.

Her?

He wants her?

This was Brick Jojo; one of the most popular boys at school. He was a jock for crying out loud. A smart one too. The boy effortlessly maintained a 3.9 GPA throughout his high school year. Though, it obviously paled in comparison to Blossom's 4.1, she admired his overall knowledge, competence and well-roundedness.

Up to this day, she could never score higher than him in Mathematics. It's true, she was always third and he second, since time immemorial.

She blinked; first involuntarily, then eye-popping. Brick wanted her. Brick Jojo, the Brick Jojo,wanted her. She hadn't yet realized the closeness of their faces, nor the fact that his legs gently teased hers with a soft soothing touch. Their noses rubbed and it wasn't until he took a sharp breath, that she noticed the severity of the situation.

Instantaneously, she tensed, and within moments her body shook with an uncontrollable vigor. To make matters worse, she mentally repeated Daniel Ilababca's quote once more;

'If you're afraid to fall, you'll fall because you're afraid. Everything is choices'.

Yes, everything is choices, and she believed that Brick chose to like her, so naturally, it was now her choice to give him the reaction he wanted.

This was the boy who teased her until she turned thirteen; the boy who mocked her intellectual competence; the boy who ganged up with Butch of all people, to belittle her mediocre athletic aptitude.

'Mediocre', that was the exact word they used to taunt her.

For what? Because she couldn't climb a stupid rope in gym? Brick was the type to laugh at each and every one of her imperfections and exploit them. Still, this Brick Jojo, the one she accidentally befriended because he showered her with kindness in her time of need, wanted her. It was incredulous.

"W-what do you mean?" she faked cluelessness as she tried to conceive a rational answer to her own question.

Surely he couldn't have been asking what she thought he was. It was those cursed books she'd been reading from dusk till dawn. Damn that Becca Fitzpatrick and her 'Hush Hush's aga. There was absolutely no way that the universe would allow this sharp faced Jojo to be her Patch.

"Bloss..."

That was it. Never had he ever called her that. On rare occasions and when he was pissed off, he'd refer to her by her real name, Blossom, but never 'Bloss'. Her mind screamed at her whilst replaying their horrifying past. The demonic brute had spared her no emotion whilst teasing her and yet, her body and mind refused to synch.

By now, she had tuned everything out; everything except his raspy voice. She was certain that if Brick sang, he'd serenade a melody similar to Noah Puckerman.

"… I love you."

Gently, he cupped her chin with his right hand and traced her jawline with his thumb. He'd be lying of he said he didn't enjoy doing this, and she'd been lying if she said she didn't feel the same. She swallowed hard as she quickly tried to counter with a smart, snide remark. Unfortunately for her, no dice.

She averted her eyes from his clouded ones to the hands that were now grabbing hers; the way they fit perfectly as they intertwined with each other in the most corny and cheesy way.

It finally dawned on her. She and Brick would be the next she and Jason if she didn't slow things down. Yes. She had already considered the possibility of them being 'together'.

"Brick," her voice breaking from the overwhelming emotion, "I'm sorry, I can't".

She lied. Quickly, she shot up from her seat and hurried her belongings back into her bag.

Brick stared at her overly tight black leather jeans and released a wide grin; the type of grin that roughly creased his sides and slightly wrinkled his nose. It was his infamous evil grin.

"My God pinky!" He laughed.

A sharp pain shot through Blossom's body as she turned in horror. Immediately her eyes met his devilish crease at his sides when he'd accomplish a great prank. The way he bit his lips, the way his eyes gleamed and the slight coloring of his cheeks as the blood flowed through, made her epiphany so much easier.

"Brick," she whispered to herself as she tried to stomach the aching feeling in her chest cavity.

"You thought…" he began losing his breath as his laughter became no more than horrific slanders to her ears. Blossom's insatiable hunger for love had caused her to be vulnerable to his attack.

"… that I was being serious?!"

After taking a moment to regain composure, he coyly continued, "I can't believe you even had the balls to reject me either. Seriously toots, you are gold!"

He smiled once more as he lifted his hands to mess up her tousled hair. Her deer in headlights appearance made him fight the urge to prey on her just once, and disregard their years of friendship. She had to return to the Blossom he'd frequently tease. She was too pretty to be a wallflower and to unattainable for masses to fawn over her. However the current outfit she sported wasn't easing his libido one bit.

He grinned once more before announcing, "See fellas, that's... how you finish a game of dare."

Like clockwork, the boys singled out from their hiding positions, each with a look of satisfaction and humor. Humor, because they had just witnessed self-proclaimed playboy get rejected by the hard to get scholar. Even the 'great' Brick Jojo couldn't score Blossom Utonium. Luckily for him, that was never his goal.

Blossom waited until all the boys cleared the room. She even endured the awkward greeting with Jason, Boomer's puppy dog eyes and Butch's unnecessary sexual advances. The pig.

Realizing her stoic structure, he humbly asked, "Are you mad?"

"Brick," she slightly raised her voice, "What would have happened if I said yes?"

He paused for a while and carefully examined her question. He even searched her face for the hidden emotion; the real reason behind that question. Normally she'd brush it off, call him a jerk and leave screeching like a banshee, but now she was quiet and rigid. He messed up and he knew it.

He shrugged, "Dunno, I just never expected you to say yes."

He tightly hugged the back of his neck as he became self-conscious of their debacle. He was losing her because of a stupid game of dare. He couldn't bear look at her directly so he peripherally stared at her. It wasn't that he feared turning to stone the moment their gazes met. No, it was because he didn't want to feel the guilt that was stuck behind his throat. He was running from this guilt that made him feel like choking on his words. It suffocated him.

"Ha..." she softened. Of course. Why would she have said yes? Brick never thought of Blossom as weak. She certainly wasn't the type to swoon over a guy who uttered a causal 'I love you',especially if the guy was him. Seeing her softened expression, he relaxed and let out a wholehearted laugh.

"Hey Bloss, this may have been my best lie yet."

Biting back her feeling, trying to return to the 'normal' they were accustomed to, trying so hard not to act upon that cute nickname 'Bloss', she replied- mainly to herself, "Yes, this is the best lie yet."

4:23pm Friday 24th July 2015.

Sequel is called "CONSEQUENCES"

"Because sometimes, reparations must be paid." ~N. Risa.