My eyes were trained on the white ceiling of my room as I laid in bed thinking about everything that had happened last night. I hadn't been able to sleep properly. It was scary to know how deeply I still cared for Chris.

I always knew that I missed him, but not to what extent.

I mean, there was a moment last night, when I definitely wanted to jump on him. Apparently, Cassie would have been delighted to witness that. I rolled my eyes as I pulled my cover tighter, cuddling into it.

A part of me was stupidly relishing on the fact that he might feel the same way. The tender way he'd brushed my cheek and the mesmerizing eyes were not lost on me. There was something there. I wondered if it was true the whole where there was fire, there are always ashes.

Could it be it? Was there more to it?

Either way, it was pointless. My stomach sank as I closed my eyes. I was still going back to California. There was no way that I'd leave the university just for a guy, my parents had been working too hard for me to get in and I couldn't change my mind now.

What if he's the guy, though?

Ugh.

I pushed all those thoughts away before pulling off the covers and actually getting up. By the time I finished showering, they were well tucked inside a little box on the back of my mind.

This was one of the things I'd missed most. My family. They could be overwhelming most of the time, but we loved each other.

I crossed through the threshold and leaned on it, watching the scene unfold. Riley and Haley were both making their own lunch. Mom complained at the jam-packed knife left on the counter, while Riley blamed Haley for leaving it like that. They started groaning and glaring at each other. My smile widened when Mom's blue eyes turned to me. Her lips curved up, too. Uncrossing my arms, I stepped through the room to grab a plate and my put some fried eggs on it. The toaster chimed in and two steaming toasts burst out.

"Hi Mom," I beamed at her as I grabbed one and placed it on my plate. Haley and Riley were still fighting over who was going to pick up the knife, when I grabbed it, spread the jam on my bread and placed it on the sink, ending the argument for once and for all.

Mom sent me a thankful stare. "Did you have fun last night?" She asked before grabbing her mug and taking a sip.

I nodded as I swallowed a fork-full of eggs. "Yes, Cass and Nathan are really fun to hang out with."

She placed a steamy cup of coffee in front of my plate. "I heard a bike after midnight," she trailed carefully, not wanting to ask the question we both knew she was itching to.

Haley beat her to it. "Was Chris here?" Her brown eyes sparkled excitedly.

All eyes were on me. I chewed fast and tried to look nonchalant, because there was nothing exciting to begin with, before I shrugged. "He did." Mom raised an eyebrow. "No big deal," I muttered annoyed.

Gosh. Forget that thing I said about missing my family. I shoved another spoonful of eggs into my mouth trying not to roll my eyes.

"That's awesome," Mom added cheerfully. "Because Luke is coming for dinner tonight. And usually, Chris comes with." The eggs got stuck down my throat and I started to choke and cough erratically. Riley patted me on the back as I reached for my coffee to take a drink. Which was totally stupid since the darn thing was hot and scalded my tongue before burning down my throat.

Mom's lips twitched as she tried not to smile. Not quite hard because a chuckle left her lips before she clasped a hand on her mouth.

My sisters went upstairs to brush their teeth as I sulked all the way until I finished my breakfast, not really hungry anymore.

***

And I'm seeing him again tonight. Freaking awesome. To top it all, he looked good in that gray sweater and ripped jeans combo. He seemed to be in a sort of argument with Michael, since they were gesturing with their hands and all that.

"He is hot, isn't he?" Caitlin's voice sounded beside me. My eyes turned to her, just as she was checking Chris out, while biting her bottom lip. What the hell? A frown creased my brows, just as my stomach clenched. Is she undressing him with her eyes?

Crossing my arms across my chest, I pressed my lips in a flat line, while imagining that I grab her face by the chin and turn her head to the opposite side.

What the fuck do I care? Clenching my jaw, I purposely turned away to my left, where there was nothing, or no one, of interest.

Caitlin glanced at me, her brows furrowing. "Do you know him?"

I didn't get to voice my answer—which would have been something along the lines of what do you care—when Michael stepped into our little circle. His stance was normal, not like he'd been arguing for the last ten minutes with Chris, which was a bit odd. Apparently, the guy really cared about how he might appear to the public eye. I did roll my eyes slightly.

"Good morning people! You are surprising me with the photos you're sending and it's our first week." He smiled cheekily, his eyes scanning everyone in the class. "I just have an issue to solve," he glanced at Chris, "and I'll be with you if you have any questions. If you don't, please go roam around the park to snap your best shot."

Bemused, I glanced at Chris who had crossed his arms, tapping his left foot against the pavement, clearly glaring at out teacher. What issue could arise such a ruckus? Our eyes met for a brief moment, but Caitlin grabbed my arm to pull me away. I couldn't help but notice how Chris' lips pressed in a tight slash before I turned to her.

"Wanna aim together?" She beamed at me, not waiting for an answer at all, leading the way into the park.

To be honest, I wasn't sure if I wanted to be with her right at this very moment, when moments ago she was clearly undressing my ex with her eyes. It made me feel uncomfortable and wary at the same time. Then again, I couldn't stay here and try to figure out what was going on, could I?

Rather reluctantly, I followed her. Not without glancing back at Chris. He'd uncrossed his arms and was clenching his jaw as I walked away with our classmate. For a moment, I felt like I should go back and try to talk to him to know if I could help somehow, but we weren't really friends, and he wouldn't have appreciated my intrusion.

Chris always liked to do things in his own obtuse way.

We walked around the park for ten-full minutes in silence, when she stopped in front of a small fountain. "Are you okay? You seemed sort of angry back there?" She bobbed her head, gesturing to the way we'd just come from.

"No." I shrugged, my eyes roaming around the park to find a decent subject to portray. For some strange reason, I was photographing the books or movies I'd enjoyed as a child. It seemed uncharted territory, but since those were the ones my sisters were reading right now, I felt like it was something else that we could all have in common.

She snorted, making me glance at her. She didn't look convinced, but didn't look angry either. There was nothing to be upset to start with. She just said something about my ex—little fact she didn't know— and I'd completely overreacted about it all.

Chris and I were nothing more than acquaintances. He could date whoever he wanted to. Just like me.

"Are you sure?" She pressed on. "Because there's seems to be something there."

My eyes cut to her. "Why would you say that?"

She looked at the camera in her hands, adjusting a few things before glancing back at me. "I don't know," she shrugged. "It's just the way you both look at each other."

Her answer left me stunned for a moment. How the heck do I stare at him? I couldn't ask more because a guy passed running next to us and she had to follow him to take his picture.

I guess she is doing the whole hot boys theme, then.

Things were definitely not working out for me today. Sulking, I roamed all over the park, trying to find inspiration. It was extremely hard, since I couldn't stop thinking about the fact that Chris was going to be at my house for dinner. Probably paying all attention to my sisters, too. And now, after Caitlin's comment, I was worried at how I even looked at him.

Great.

Crestfallen, I laid on the grass watching the clouds pass by. I heard children's laughter to my left. Leaning on my elbows, I stared at them. There were about ten kids playing around as their teacher blew bubbles for them. Tilting my head, I watched them mesmerized. I remembered about another one of my favorite's books. The girl was gifted and even though her parents treated her like dirt, she found love and companionship with her teacher.

Finally, something felt right.

I stood up, patting my behind and stepped closer to the teacher. I knew I couldn't take pictures of either the kids or her without her permission, so I asked her if I could take a few photos of the bubbles, and the kids playing on the background with her. She agreed, but made me promise to show her the pictures before I left. It seemed fair that she wanted to make sure I was keeping my promise, so I agreed.

The photos were great. Especially when I came up with the idea of everyone joining their hands together, making a circle. It seemed a brilliant idea until I wanted to take the picture. I had to step in between the kids, trying to point the camera right in the middle of the circle. It took me a few shots, but I managed it.

The teacher loved the pictures. Especially since I'd made sure to never take the face of the children, something that she appreciated. We exchanged emails and I promised to send them to her as soon as I downloaded them in my computer. She even asked me if they could use it for the school's Facebook page, and she hinted that if I wanted to make this a business, I should give her a call someday.

It was the highlight of my day, especially for such a newbie as me.

Could I become a professional photographer someday?

That was food for thought, and it kept me occupied for the rest of the morning. 

Thank you for reading me!