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twenty

                    "SO, EVERYONE'S BEEN ASSEMBLED," CASEY TOLD KAYDEN AT THE END OF THE DAY, BRUSHING HIS SIDE SWEPT PINK HAIR OUT OF HIS EYES. The last bell had just rang and everyone was making a beeline towards the doors, as if they couldn't wait to get out of the claustrophobic school. The teachers had sloppily assembled their own types of lesson plans, but it was obvious they couldn't give two shits about the lessons. Everyone kept looking over their shoulders and traveling in tightly knit packs with their heads down. It was clear that they suspected anyone and everything, in case they were the Shadowman's next target.

Casey had met up with Holland, and was leaning gently into her as the two talked with Kayden. She knew he had probably apologized to her profusely for his behavior, and she had known all along that Holland would eventually forgive him. The two were extremely close, and maybe they didn't know it, but it was obvious they were more than that.

"Even Lex?" Kayden asked cautiously. Alexis had looked pretty pissed the last time Kayden had caught sight of her in the halls, and she didn't know if she would even be convinced.

Casey nodded. "She said she doesn't know if she's completely forgiven you yet, but she's happy that you ended things with Kyle." He bit his lips. "She's also still not really over. . .you know. What happened with Eliza."

Kayden nodded, shuddering at the thought of that happening to someone she was that close too. She didn't even know how she would deal with it, and felt amazed that Alexis had even managed to come to school today. But Lex had always been like that- holding her head high and being extremely good at overcoming adversities, whatever they might be. Kayden supposed it had to do with the way everyone had acted when she had first come out as pansexual; Alexis had had to deal with the teasing for months before the school had eventually moved on to bigger things.

"But hey," Casey put a warm hand on her shoulder, his eyes soft. "We left Aiden for you to find and talk too."

Holland smiled. "Yeah. You all. . .you all are really close, Kayden. Closer than I think you both really realize. You need each other."

Kayden felt her body go icy at the words, remembering what Gen had said to her in the kitchen just a mere couple of nights before: "Aiden O'Conner is in love with you."

The thought scared her more than she wanted to admit. She had no idea how to love or what love really was, considering everything Kyle had done. Would Aiden yell at her too? Bruise her when he was angry and drink when he felt out of control? She felt scared at the very thought of it, and had pushed the statement to the back of her mind. Now, she felt the butterflies in her stomach resurfacing all over again. What would he even say to her, after what she had done Saturday? Would he ever want to talk to her again?

"Hey," Holland raised her eyebrows. "It's gonna be okay. Just find Aiden and meet us all at the library on South Street. I think if we find some stuff there we can be closer to figuring all this out."

Kayden took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Okay. We'll see you guys there."

The three bid each other goodbye, and Kayden started off down the hallway and towards Parking Lot C, where she knew Aiden parked in the second spot from the right. She had seen him crossing to his car often more times than not, and crossed her fingers that he hadn't left yet.

As she pushed open the metal doors, she breathed a sigh of relief. He had obviously just gotten to his car, and was digging through his jacket pockets for the keys. She hurried down the stone steps leading up to the door to the school and ignoring her pounding heart, began to cross the parking lot towards him. He succeeded in getting out the keys and was opening the driver's side door when she called out, "Aiden!"

He looked up at the sound of his name, casting his gaze around until it landed on her. Something flashed in his gaze, and he didn't say anything; just waited until she made it a few steps from his car.

It hurt to look at her. It hurt. Her blonde hair hit just below her lower back, and her face was pale. With her sunken cheeks and bloodshot eyes, he wondered just how badly she had been treated in the past couple of days.

She caught her breath, pulling at her sweatshirt sleeves. "I need— I need to talk to you."

"Really?" His voice was quiet, but there was something in it that warned her not to cross any unspoken lines. "You want to talk now?"

"Yeah," Her voice was slightly shaky. "I know. I should have seen it. I know you think I'm stupid, and I'm sorry. I shouldn't have fallen for it."

"Yeah, you shouldn't have." He said, brushing his dark bangs out of his eyes. He leaned back against the side of the car, different emotions twisting his heart from edge to edge.

He squinted at her. "Anything else?"

She closed her eyes, bracing herself for what she was going to say before she reopened them and blurted, "We broke up."

It took a second for the words to reach him, and he blinked hard, as if he had imagined it. "What?"

"Today," She said quickly, tucking a lock of blonde hair behind her ear. "I saw him beating up Casey today and I. . .I put two and two together. I broke up with him. He didn't take it too well, but I did it. I broke up with him."

"But. . ." Aiden was shocked. "You—you said you loved him."

Kayden's eyes filled with tears. "I don't. I know I don't. Not after everything—"

Her voice broke and a tear slipped down her cheek as she met his eyes. Her voice was choked when she continued faintly, "Not after everything that he did to you."

Aiden's hands were shaking, and before he could stop himself he had strode towards her and wrapped her in his arms, lifting her off her feet and hugging her so tightly he felt he couldn't breathe.

His voice caught. "I'm sorry too. For not telling you."

Her voice was muffled as she breathed in the scent of him, her arms wrapped tightly around his neck. "It doesn't change anything."

She broke away slightly to look up at him, her blue eyes glistening with tears. "You know that, right? Your past self doesn't define you, Aiden. I know who you are, and that's all that matters to me."

He made a choking noise in the back of his throat, and clutched her tightly to him again. It was the first time anyone had ever said anything remotely like that to him in his life.

And he couldn't believe that even after everything, it had still been her.

we FINALLY got a good chapter. but don't be fooled, babies, this feel-goodness won't last for long (: remember to vote and comment, i love you !!