Days went by, and Hunter stuck to his word. He didn't contact me again, and I wasn't sure if I was happy about it or not. I knew I should be, because I was the one who told him to back off, and I know that it would be too weird with him and Jessica still dating, but somehow, in just one day I'd let him get under my skin and into my head too easily. I'd thought I was blocked off to the world and to men especially, yet I catch myself thinking of him all the time.

What doesn't help, is that Jessica is incapable of keeping anything in her life private. All I've heard about from her for days is how sweet Hunter is, how adorable he is, what a good kisser he is, how everything he ever does is just perfect and she totally could see herself falling for him.

Getting her ready for her first date with him after the strange night I'd spend with him was the worst of all. I'd gone to her house, the pair of shoes she wanted to borrow in hand, and helped her with everything. From what color highlight to use, which underwear, and how to wear her hair. Of course when she was ready she looked stunning, as always, her blonde hair braided to the side and smoky eyes making her bright blue iris' pop. She'd been so nervous, and the way she got the jitters and lost her nerve to go at all multiple times only made me feel like even worse trash than I'd already felt.

Jessica and Hunter weren't the only things on my mind though.

After I'd had some time to think when I left Jessica's house, I got home and curled up in my bed, still feeling scheevie, but I was also thinking of something Hunter had said the night before. So I guess in a way I was actually still thinking of him.

"You just need to find what's going to make you happy, and then go for it." He'd said. "You're too young to have no idea what you're going to do with your life. You might feel lost right now, but you'll find your way eventually, you've just got to be open to it."

He'd been so right, seeing straight through my insecurities and telling me exactly what I needed to hear. In my group of friends, I'm always the voice of reason, and the one telling them what they need me to to help them out. It had been nice to actually feel like I had someone in my corner for once.

So the very next day, when I snuck off to the bookstore to pretend I was in class, I spent the entire time on my computer trying to come up with a new prospect for me to focus on. I knew now that nursing was never going to work out for me, but I did know I still wanted to do something with meaning, and something that involved helping people. After a few career and personality tests, Teacher kept popping up.

I'd sat back in the chair at the rickety old wooden table in the back of the store and really tried to picture it. Me, as a teacher. I still smile when I think of it. I checked out the courses offered at Texas A&M, and was pleased to find a pretty good teaching program and I changed my major and determined to myself that I would start taking classes again in January when the new semester starts. But I hadn't stopped there, not when I was on a roll.

With my new found purpose giving me confidence I walked up to the checkout counter of the bookstore and asked the guy working if they had any positions open. Just like fate, he pulled out an application and explained to me that the other girl who worked there had just put in her notice that she was leaving. I was practically hired on the spot.

"Tay-bae?" I heard Jessica's high pitched voice call through the apartment.

"In my room!" I shouted back around the bobby pin that was between my lips while I pulled my thin hair up into a bun on the top of my head.

She swung open my door without knocking and smiled at me in the mirror. "Crap, I forgot today was your first day." She said as she shook her head at my brown 'Reading Land Bookstore' employee t-shirt. "What time do you have to go in?"

Jessica laid out in the middle of my paisley print bedspread and rolled to her side to look at me, her makeup all done and her outfit too precisely picked out for her to just be stopping by for a chat. "In like an hour, but I wanted to get there early since it's my first shift."

"Sucks you're on the night shift." She sighed, twirling a piece of her hair. "So, then I guess I'll cut to the chase," she smiled sweetly, that look in her eyes that she's about to ask for a favor.  "can I get picked up from here?" She grinned.

"Huh?" I said, turning away from my vanity mirror and looking at her.

She sat up on her elbow and rolled her big blue eyes. "My parents have been so lame lately, and they think I'm spending too much time with Hunter and I don't think they like that he's older." She shrugged. "So I told them that I'd be hanging out with you today."

"Ok?" I muttered, waiting for the rest.

"So Hunter is going to pick me up from here in like thirty minutes."

"Jess, I've got to go to work."

"You just said you don't have to be there for an hour." She pointed out. "Plus, I need you to take a picture with me so I can post it on my Facebook and really sell it to my parents that I came over here." She laughed to herself, then sat up. "I don't know why you're bothering with a job anyway." She added as she held up her phone and I sat close to her. "Your parents pay for everything you need anyway."

I smiled while she snapped the picture then went about adding the right filter while I went to find my shoes in my cramped closet. "I already told you, Jess." I sighed. "I wanted to help pay for my own stuff. I'm not a little kid anymore."

"Still, it seems pointless as long as they're willing to do it." She said passively. "I was going to ask you something else." She laughed, her cheeriness creeping back in.

I raised my eyebrows to turn and giver her my 'what now' look. "Yes?" I asked.

Jess sat up on my bed and pulled her hair away from her bare ears and she frowned. "Don't you see what's missing?" She purred.

I rolled my eyes, unable to keep from smiling at her puckered lips. "You know where I keep my earrings, Jessica."

"Yay!" She cheered, going over to my dresser to flip open my jewelry box and digging through it. "You know I love you, right?" She laughed.

"You better." I called as I walked out of the room and into the bathroom to brush my teeth. When I walked back into my room I found Jess taking a selfie of herself, her cleavage on full display as she made a seductive face for the camera. "What the hell are you doing?" I laughed and she dropped her phone and started laughing too, a slight blush on her cheeks.

"Oh my god, I was just trying to Snap Hun- I mean, Germany." She winked.

I nodded knowingly, hiding my face to not let her detect the weirdness I felt from it. I tried not to think about the fact she was sending him dirty pictures, but then I realized he was coming to my house. He was going to know where I live now. I almost groaned out loud as I grabbed my purse from my bedroom floor.

"Where are you going?" Jess called. "You've got plenty of time, and I told Germany to hurry."

She was following me out of my room. "Just make sure you lock up when you leave." I told her without really looking at her. "I told you I want to be early today so they know I'm taking the job seriously."

"It's a small bookstore." She said sourly, like the job was below me...or her.

I shook my head. "Sorry, Jess." I snipped. "I can't stay home to babysit you today, I've got to go. Don't forget to lock the door when you leave, Macy won't be home until late, she's got a date tonight too."

"Don't you want to try dating again?" Jessica asked suddenly and I turned to look at her. She smiled sheepishly, but she kept her eyes on mine.

I dropped the look first, turning back to put my hand on the door. "I don't have time for this conversation."

"Ok," she gave in, plopping down on my leather couch in the living room. "Good luck on your first day."

"Good luck on your date." I called back as I closed the door behind me and rushed down the stairs.

I didn't even bother to look up when I noticed someone else on the stairs because I was so lost in my own head. As I passed the other person I got a whiff of a familiar cologne and I stopped at the bottom of the stairs and looked back up to see Hunter standing in the middle, looking down at me with a strange expression.

"Thought you were going to completely blow me off." He said after a second of awkward silence.

"No, sorry." I finally gasped out, feeling weirdly out of breath.

Hunter glanced up at the door and then walked back down the stairs to stop in front of me. "Nice shirt." He said, smiling for the first time as his eyes read the front of my shirt.

"If you're going to make fun of me too, then I'm leaving." I sighed, turning away but he grabbed my wrist and pulled me back.

He looked into my eyes and I didn't see any malice in them. "I meant it." He said more seriously, letting his grip loosen and eventually fall away from my arm. "Does this mean you came clean about school and stuff?" He asked, keeping his voice soft.

I bit my lip, a little embarrassed that I'd told him the truth before, but I nodded. "Yeah, I told them and I actually am enrolled in school again with a changed major." I told him shyly. "Today's my first day at my new job." I added, explaining the lame shirt.

He smiled broadly and his indigo eyes seemed to lighten as his smile touched them. He almost looked...proud. "That's so cool, Kit." He said honestly. "What did you change your major to?"

I was a little taken back by how interested he seemed, but I tried not to be awkward. "Oh, um, Early Childhood Education. I think I want to be a teacher."

He nodded. "I can totally see you being a teacher." He laughed. "Have you thought about what grade you want to teach? Or what subject?"

I shook my head as I looked at him. "You are the first one to even ask me that." I blurted. It was true though, when I'd told my parents, they were less than excited, understandably since they'd always thought I was going to be a nurse and they were a little more than miffed when I told them I had kind of dropped out of school for a while. But my friends didn't ask either. They kind of processed the news, congratulated me, and we all moved on.  I was both happy, and annoyed that Hunter was the first person to actually show some interest in my life. "I'm thinking maybe first grade? I really like History and English, but I'm not sure I'd want to teach only one or the other my whole life."

"Yeah, so then a younger grade would be perfect because you get to do a little of everything." He agreed.

"Exactly." I smiled, reminded again of how easy it is to get caught up in just being around Hunter. He's just got one of those personalities that are infectious to be around.

"Well, I for one am very happy for you." He said after a beat. "When do you start school?"

"Spring, so January." I said quickly, checking the time.

He looked down on me, the blue of his eyes accented by his dark blue button down shirt he was wearing open over a grey t-shirt. "Don't let me keep you." He said gently, taking the railing in his hand and backing up one of the stairs. "I'm glad you figured out what you want to do."

I nodded, unsure of what to say before I was just telling the truth. "Probably wouldn't have if it hadn't been for you pushing me the other night." I admitted and he smiled impossibly bigger.

"Happy to be of assistance, although, I'm sure you would have figured it out on your own. You're a smart girl."

"Whatever." I brushed off the compliment. "Bye." I half waved.

"Have a good first day." He said back. "Go knock 'em dead."

"Thanks." I smiled, then he started backing up the stairs again, reminding me why he was here in the first place. "Have fun on your date." I added, not liking the way the words tasted on the tip of my tongue.

I felt the gloomy greyness moving back in on me and I turned away from him to walk out from under the breezeway. "Hey, Kit, wait!" He called, something in the tone of his voice telling me I shouldn't turn back, but I did.

As soon as I did, he started walking back down the stairs towards me, but my apartment door pulled open.

"Hunter, you're here!" Jessica called out sweetly, then she turned back to lock my door and pull it shut behind her. When she turned back she furrowed her brows at me. "I thought you left, Tay?"

I opened my mouth to speak, but Hunter beat me to it. "I distracted her." He admitted and I cut my eyes to him. "I was just telling her that me and some friends were going to go out tomorrow night downtown and I was going to see if both of you wanted to come since Aaron will be there too." He lied so smoothly I wasn't even sure if it was a lie or if that really was what he was going to say when he called me back, although it didn't seem like it.

Jess looked down to me, her eyes excited. "What do you say?" She asked. "It'd be fun!"

Hunter gave me a warry smile and I knew that this was a last minute thing he'd come up with. He almost even looked a little uncomfortable. "You don't have to if you don't want to." He added.

I sensed in his voice that he was hoping I'd say no, which was all the more reason for me to say, "Yes."

He was the one always making me feel weird around him and tiptoeing around Jessica, so maybe it was time for a little taste of his own medicine.

Hunter looked surprised, but then he pasted on a smile. "I guess we will pick you both up from here tomorrow night then." He smiled, something in his eyes seeming to say, game on.