that

Tyler left the room immediately the bell rang, and Snow didn't see him again. She had looked for him during lunch and hadn't seen him. She didn't understand her intense need to see him. She didn't know him....that well, why was she always looking for him? She convinced herself that it was just because of that hippie project but deep down, she knew it wasn't.

She was inexplicably drawn to him. It felt like they had met before, like they had a connection. It nagged her, the suspicion that they first time they met hadn't been in the hallway that day ever present in her subconscious. When the last bell of the day ended, Snow trudged out of the library, meeting a disheveled Em on the way out. She always had a free period for her last class everyday of the week and she liked spending it in the library. Her friends liked to taunt that she'd paid the school to get the timetable of everyone's dreams. They weren't completely wrong.

"Why do you look like that?" Snow questioned her sister. It was unlike Em to look disheveled at school, it would upset the social hierarchy or something of the sort. Em sighed dreamily before replying and Snow immediately regretted the question. Her steps faltering as the answer reached her ears.

"Bennett," Em replied breathlessly. One word. That one word was all Snow needed to hear to join the dots. Her heart clenched painfully and she almost couldn't breathe.

"But you don't have the same class for fifth period today," Snow continued, unsure why she pursued the matter further.

"I know," Em replied with a faraway look in her eyes. Snow sighed and dropped the issue as they walked towards their car. Clearly her sister was still riding on a high caused by her magnificent boyfriend. Snow gritted her teeth wondering how fate could be so cruel. She just had to fall in love with her sister's boyfriend. Of all the people in the world, why him? Why someone she could never have?

"Snow," a smooth velvety voice called from behind them, the very distinct scent of this person immediately alerting Snow to who it was and stopping her immediately. She turned to look at Tyler, wondering what he wanted and where he'd been. She raised an eyebrow in question. Tyler studied her for a second, he hadn't got a chance to see what she was wearing yet.

Tyler thought she looked just as tantalizing in sweatpants. Maybe his opinion was a little biased but to him, she could wear a potato sack and it would still have him fighting for self control. The large sweatshirt she was wearing made him wonder what she would look like wearing one of his shirts. He shook off the thought before it had the chance to cause...problems downtown.

"Are we doing the project today?" Tyler asked into the silence. Asking. That was something he didn't do often, almost never. Snow thought it over for a moment. Today was Friday, there was bound to be some party that Em would inevitably drag her to. Assigning her the role of designated driver, even though she didn't have a license, and putting her through the torture of warding of advances and worrying over her the whole night until eventually, she'd find her in Bennett's arms.

Between that and doing schoolwork, she actually preferred schoolwork but at the same time, she didn't want to do anything. Just lay in bed and watch a movie while stuffing her face with snacks. Was that too much to ask?

"I'll see you at home Em," she said with a smile, making up her mind and hugging her sister. Of the two, she felt it would be easier to convince Tyler that they do nothing than her stubborn sister. Besides, she really wanted to ride his bike again.

Tyler led the way to his motorcycle. He'd watched her think about his question, the wheels turning in her head, her face an open book to him. She didn't want to do the project, or at least that's what he had gathered from her face. So when she turned to hug her friend goodbye, he was a little surprised.

"Is your friend sleeping over?" Tyler asked as they walked, wanting to hear her voice. She chuckled briefly and the sound was so beautiful, he felt the urge to prolong it.

"That's my sister," she replied, amusement lining her tone. Tyler looked at her, eyebrows raised to his hairline. Sister? That was the twin sister she mentioned? They look nothing alike. Tyler thought to himself.

"I know we look nothing alike but that's my twin sister Madeleine," Snow continued at the expression on Tyler's face. He shrugged and said nothing, helping her put on the pink helmet he'd bought for her. She flushed a colour more beautiful than the helmet and shyly said her thanks. When they slowed to a stop outside his house, Tyler wished he lived further away. He loved the feel of her clinging to him, excited squeals and giggles tumbling past her lips every once in a while.

He helped her remove the helmet and get off the bike. As usual, her hair tumbled out of the bun it was in and the dazed look of excitement on her face, framed by her beautiful hair made her look so irresistibly gorgeous that Tyler gulped and pressed his lips into a thin line. She stepped closer and threw her arms around his waist in a brief hug. His arms stayed firmly by his side, he didn't know what he'd do if he touched her. She pulled away after a few seconds and looked up at him with a soft smile.

"Thank you for the helmet," she said, hoping it explained her hug.

Tyler shrugged, not trusting his voice to not crack under the one million emotions swirling around in his being. He closed the door behind her as they walked into his house. Snow nervously twiddled her thumbs as they walked towards his living room. She wondered how to tell him that she didn't want to continue the project. They still had a whole week left and they had done almost half of it. It could wait. Making up her mind, she abruptly turned to face and bumped into his chest, the impact pushing her back on unsteady feet. Tyler reached out and wrapped an arm around her waist as she fell, pulling her flush against him. Snow flushed red as the shock wore off and embarrassment set in. Why was she embarrassed though? He was the one walking so closely behind her. Snow thought to herself.

"Are you going to let go now?" Tyler asked with a raised eyebrow, amusement and something darker swirling beautifully in his eyes. Snow's brows furrowed in confusion then she realised she was clutching at the material of his shirt, hanging on for dear life. She hadn't even noticed him let go of her. Her cheeks once again flooded with colour and she abruptly let go of his shirt, cleared her throat and stepped back.

"I..I actually don't want to do the project," Snow said as she composed herself, looking up at him from beneath her eyelashes. I've already made a fool of myself, she thought, what's the worst that could happen now? "Today's Friday and my sister would've dragged me to some party I don't really wanna go to so I came with you," she offered in explanation. Tyler nodded for her to continue. "Can we just watch a movie instead?" she asked, a hopeful gleam in her eyes. Her parents weren't even home so, she wouldn't have to be conscious of the time.

"You want to netflix and chill?" he questioned with a mischievous smirk and as expected, her cheeks turned a bright pink and she turned away from him, muttering under her breath. "Sure we can. Pick a movie and I'll fetch a blanket and some snacks," he said with a chuckle. She smiled gratefully and scurried off to his shelf to pick a movie. A few minutes later, they were sat on the couch with a bowl of chips between them, Snow wrapped up in a blanket and Tyler in a pair of grey sweatpants and a white tee. Em had called just before the movie started to inform Snow not to wait up when she got home, she was going to go back to Bennett's. Expected.

Six hours later and halfway through the fourth movie , Snow was fast asleep on Tyler's lap. The sound of the door opening and footsteps rushing in woke her up and she sat up, rubbing her eyes. She didn't remember falling asleep. The minute, an angry looking Marco emerged from the hallway carrying a bundle in his arms with Salvatore trailing behind him, the fog of sleep cleared from her mind as she immediately recognized the shock of copper hair on the bundle's head. "Em....?" she called, confused.