Four days have passed since I had to hold the microphone for Ryker Avery at his concert. I had secretly been hoping that he wasn't actually the lead singer in Two-Strings and that he was only a mechanic at the local car shop, but that was definitely him Monday night.

Today was Friday. Prom was today. I had returned the stupid dress that I had boughten to make Tracey mad. I felt really bad that I had screwed up prom for Finn and that he had to skip out now to come to my house instead. It sounded so lame, even to me.

I applied a bit of mascara to make my gray eyes less dull. Then I put on something I wouldn't usually wear.

I pulled on a pair of skinny jeans with a maroon tank top and a white cardigan. Wearing this, I felt completely out of my element. I even put on a pair of boots instead of my comfortable converse.

I brushed my hair, untangling all the knots and let it hang down my shoulders. I know that mostly every other girl in my school dressed up way more than this, but for me, this was the most I would do.

Finally, I hooked the necklace my dad had given me for my last birthday he was alive for. It had my birthstone on a simple chain. It wasn't anything flashy, but I loved it.

I gently picked up the framed picture of my father and I at the park when I was around six or seven years old. He was standing behind the swing I was riding with a huge smile on his face that matched my own.

I couldn't believe my mom had already moved on from him. I haven't spoken to her since our argument on Monday. She hasn't tried to explain herself either.

It was like I didn't even know her anymore.

I put the photo back on my dresser and plugged headphones in my ears. This time, I made sure not to listen to Two-Strings as I drove to school.

I walked into English class and there was a collective gasp. Everyone who was already there was staring at me as if I had two heads or something.

Then I realized it was because of my clothes. Jeez, I knew how to dress well even if I never wanted to.

I held my head up high and made my way over to my desk. Ryker's eyes narrowed on me as I walked past him. He reached out to grab one of my headphones and I pretended not to let him. He easily slid it out of my ear and into his own.

I turned the volume of the screamo song all the way up. The music blasted out of the earphones for the whole class to hear. I smirked as Ryker scrambled to yank out the headphone.

He growled at me. I kept walking.

I sat next to Xander who was laughing hysterically. I faced him with a triumphant smile.

Finn nudged me on the other side, giving me a thumbs up. Then Mr. Duncan began class.

I couldn't wait to get home. When the final bell rang, dismissing us, I swear I was the first one out. I sped home.

I went in the kitchen to grab a soda when I found the note mom had left taped to the fridge.

"I'm working. Won't be home until early morning.
-xoxo Mom"

I ripped the note off the fridge, sensing bullshit. She was out with that guy again. She wasn't working. I crumpled the note in my fist and tore it to shreds in the garbage can.

I reached up to clasp the necklace in my hand. There wasn't anything to grab. I started panicking when I realized I had lost my necklace. I ran around the house, frantically looking for it. I searched until I was exhausted and couldn't move anymore.

I threw myself on the couch in the living room. I ruled that I must have lost it in school. I felt tears prick my eyes when I thought about how impossible it would be to find it.

It was almost five o'clock. Prom started at seven so Xander would be here soon with Riley to take pictures. He had insisted that I see him all done up.

The bell rang and I leaped off the couch. I opened the door to let Xander and Riley inside.

Xander looked really good. His hair was neatly combed back and his black tux suited him well. Riley looked dazzling in a rose dress and her auburn hair piled on the top of her head with two curls framing her face.

"You guys look amazing!" I gushed.

"Thank you, Evangeline," Riley smiled.

"Thanks, Eve," Xander beamed.

I fussed around them, taking pictures, for about an hour. When they were ready to leave, I gave them each a hug. Finn was walking up the driveway when I opened the door for them to leave. They passed by him and greeted him.

I held the door open until Finn stepped inside. I shut it behind me while he looked around.

"Nice home, Evangeline," he commented.

I waved my hand, "You can call me Eve. Evangeline sounds snotty."

He chuckled and agreed to call me Eve. I smiled and lead him to the kitchen. I grabbed two Cokes out of the fridge, handing one to him.

Finn leaned against the dinner table with his arms folded neatly across his chest.

"So, what do you wanna do?" I asked awkwardly. I was so smooth.

He shrugged, "Anything is good to me."

Ugh. He was so nice. Unlike somebody else I knew.

"Okay, let's watch a movie. I'll make some popcorn and meet you in the living room," I suggested.

Finn stood up straight and said it was a good idea. He left me in the kitchen while he went to find a movie. When the popcorn had finished popping, I brought it into the family room where Finn was sitting on the long, floral couch. I set the bowl on the low coffee table and took a seat in the armchair next to the couch.

"How about All Aliens Return to Space 2?" Finn offered, bouncing the remote on his knee.

That's it. This was the man I would marry. Xander and I have watched the first All Aliens Return to Space at least a thousand times. I have yet to see the second one.

"Yes! I've seen the first one at least a gazzilion times!" I slapped a hand over my mouth. That just made me seem like a complete nerd.

Finn started laughing at my expression.

"No way. I have, too," he struggled to get out through his laughter.

I reached into the bowl of popcorn and munched on some while we watched the movie. The graphics were very cheesy, but neither of us cared. We laughed at funny looking aliens and just about everything else in the movie.

Knock, knock.

"Hm, I wonder who that could be. I'll be right back," I said to Finn. He nodded, chewing popcorn.

I swung the door open to come face to face with a very pissed off Ryker. He still had the lip piercing on since yesterday which I thought was strange because he should have been at prom with Hannah. His tuxedo jacket had been removed and he was only wearing an unbuttoned, white dress shirt. A blue tie that matched the shade of his eyes was draped across his shoulders. The tattoos on his neck were easily visible.

"Why are you-"

He shoved me out of the way, barging his way into my house. He briskly walked right up to Finn. Finn stood up, uneasily.

Ryker grabbed the front of Finn's shirt and slammed him back down on the couch with one arm. Ryker stood breathing heavily in front of the couch that Finn was now sprawled across.

Ryker's voice was way deeper than usual when he said, "I thought I told you to stay away from her."

Without closing the front door, I ran towards the guys, my cardigan flying out behind me. When I tried to reach a Finn, Ryker's arm shot out, stopping me.

"Get out of here now, or I swear I will kill you," he threatened.

Finn didn't have to be told twice. He jumped off the couch and was out the door, slamming it shut, before I could even register what had just happened.

"What the hell, Ryker!" I yelled, arms flailing.

His head whipped towards me, blue eyes on fire.

"Finnegan Montgomery is the worst guy you could possibly be with," he spat.

"What are you talking about! He skipped out on going to Junior Prom to hang out with me. He's the nicest guy around here. And who the hell are you to say that? You've probably hooked up with more girls than you can count on two hands. You're such a jerk, I hate you!" I threw my fist to connect with any part of him, I didn't really care what.

Ryker caught my swinging fist in his much larger one.

"You need to calm down."

"Don't tell me what to do! You just kicked my only chance at getting a boyfriend out of my house!"

Ryker scoffed, "You thought he was really interested in you? Finn's a player, Angel. He just wants to get in your pants and brag about it because he lives for challenges. And you are a challenge. You don't let anyone near you or get close to you besides that weird kid, Xavier, or whatever."

"You're such a liar!" I accused, "Get out of my house now. You can go suck faces with Hannah-"

"Stop talking, damnit. When I asked Xavier why you weren't at prom, he told me that you were at home with Finn. After he told me, I left prom and came straight here to warn you. I didn't have to do that. I could have let you be the laughing stock if the entire school, but I didn't," he raised his eyebrows.

I was quiet for a moment. Then I said so quietly that I wasn't even sure he could hear me, "You're wrong. Finn isn't like that."

I shoved him, hard. He was still holding onto my fist when he toppled backwards. I fell with him until we crashed to the couch. I fell on top of him. I immediately started squirming to get off of him.

Ryker wrapped his arms around my waist, pulling me back down. My face landed in the crook of his neck. Ryker reached for something in his pocket, but I didn't really care what it was. All I cared about was getting off of him. I smacked his chest repeatedly to no avail.

His deft fingers tickled my neck and he finally let go of me. I leaped off the couch and was across the room in a second. I pointed at the door and yelled, "Get out!"

Ryker smirked from the couch, his dress shirt all crumpled. He shrugged and swaggered out the door. As he shut the door behind him, his face locked on mine. A strange look, something resembling sadness, flew across his features before returning back to his usual cold look. The door shut and I heard Ryker's motorcycle rev up. When I was sure he had left, I slid down the wall I was standing against.

I pulled my legs up to my chest and laid my head on my knees. Unconsciously, my hand reached up to hold on to the necklace my father had given to me, without realizing that I had lost it at school.

Except, instead of grabbing at nothing, my hand enveloped the smooth birthstone of the necklace. I shot my legs out so I could see if what was in my hand was actually there.

There, in the center of my palm, was my birthstone attached to a simple chain that was latched around my neck. How had it gotten there? I knew I had lost it.

Then I remembered Ryker reaching into his pocket and delicately touching my neck while we were entangled on the couch.

Even though Ryker Avery says he hates me, he always comes to my aid, which got me thinking. What if he was right about Finn?