Please take this moment to pray for all the grieving families in Newton CT. May you all have the strength to survive this tragedy and may all the departed souls rest in heaven.

Dedicated to all of the following people. 

To BooksAreForever for inspiring Tessa's dress and for all those links which were the closes to what I'd imagined her wearing.She had me at Emma Watson and Harry Potter :P. Dedicated to BeautifulSpirit for Megan's dress. Dedicated to infernogirl73 for Beth's dress. Dedicated to uncanny2 for Nicole's dress. Also dedicated to Bookgeek4life and Becamarch10 for their exceptional suggestions for Tessa :)

Slideshow of their dresses to the right.

Chapter Fifteen Part One : He's Searching My Body Like It's A Map To Atlantis

I'm going to puke, that's it. I clutch my stomach which is churning heavily and stare at the pristine floor of Town Hall. To think so much effort has been put into making the floor gleam like Ryan Seacrest's teeth saddens me as I'm obviously going to hurl all over them.

"Sit still." Beth orders but I can't. I need to be ready to run in case I can't hold it in anymore. Why, I ask myself for the nth time, would I agree to put myself through this? What possessed me to agree to putting on a fancy dress costume and parade in front of people who have nothing better to do with their evenings.

Voodoo that explains it. My mom must have found another past time now that her book club has ended. Dark magic might possibly be the only reason that I find myself in such a situation. Sitting in front of a large mirror, all I have on is a shocking pink-definitely picked by my mom-robe with Beth hovering over me.

"Look, I get it you're nervous but looking like a Crayola gang banged clown wont help."

She's right, of course she is. I should be grateful that it's her and not her mother, Marie who's doing my makeup. Marie owns a small salon in town and has been hired by the planning committee to do the hair and make up of the contestants. Beth is just as skilled as her mom and so I asked her if she could do it instead. I refuse to let her go near my face with the amount of make up and curling irons that are available to her today.

Let's just say our styles are not similar whatsoever and Marie hates it when you interrupt her when she's working on one of her masterpieces. At least with Beth I can tell her when I think I'm starting to look like Goth Barbie.

"Do you think I can actually do it? Can I actually win a beauty pageant?" Apprehension and anxiety are weak words to describe what I'm feeling. This is bad, just really bad and I've got this ominous feeling in my gut telling me I should hitch hike a ride to the middle of nowhere.

She tsks, before answering. "As you know, I'm not the biggest fan of these things. I think it's rather demeaning to women to have them make a spectacle out of themselves just for the sake of entertainment. Do you think when we were fighting to get the vote; this was the future we had in mind? Beauty Pageants are a vain, self absorbed, demeaning show of how materialistic human nature is..."

"Your point, Beth, what is your point?"

"Oh, yeah that. All that being said, I think you'll kick ass." She grins at me before squirting something she calls 'base' in her palm and lathering it all over my face. It's sticky, itchy and uncomfortable but apparently if I don't want to look like a vampire under the spotlights I need to wear it.

There's a knock on the door and shortly afterwards Megan lets herself in. It's still early in the day so she isn't wearing her dress yet just jeans and t-shirt. She isn't taking part in the competition but is coming not only to support me but for her first date with Alex. We're in one of the rooms at Town Hall which was originally a mansion for a previous mayor, back in the 1800's. Since then it's been converted into a tourist attraction and as a place to host events such as these. Each participant has a room to themselves and since there are only ten of us as opposed to the twenty rooms they have here, we're not taking up a lot of space.

"I just came to make sure she doesn't turn you into Morticia." She giggles as she takes a seat on the foot of the bed.

"Oh har har, I swear you guys are tempting me to actually do just that."

"Please don't. It's bad enough I have to do this, I don't want to horrify the judges."

She purses her lip in a mock attempt to give me a disapproving glare but it doesn't hold for too long. She grins at me and pats my shoulder.

"When I'm done with you, you're not going to horrify honey, you'll stun them. You're gorgeous, even if you don't know that and with the right make up you're going to take the bitch down."

Oh Nicole. This is all about her, beating her, humiliating her and taking her place.

Though can you blame me for not wanting all that? I've gone all these years without wanting any sort of revenge that this scheme seems a little foolish. Isn't the day nerve wracking enough without the weight of payback on my shoulders? She's wanted the title for the longest of times and she's been preparing for it ever since. Am I ready to face the consequences when and if I do beat her?

Probably not, but Cole wants this and my friends do too so it wont hurt to try.

"I saw her when I was coming up." Megan adds, "She was shouting at her poor mom. Apparently the back of her dress isn't backless enough."

Her dress would be something extreme. If not spectacular it'd be one to shock. Surprisingly I still haven't seen my own. Honestly a part of me is too scared to even imagine what's inside the box. The Cole I knew before military school would probably have something akin to a gag gift in there. The Cole I know now...well I don't really know what he'll do. It's stupid of me, hours before the pageant starts I haven't even looked at the only dress I have.

Turns out I'm not the only person who is having these thoughts.

"Speaking of dresses, when are you planning on looking at yours?" Megan asks as the three of us look at the large box resting on the bed. It's like the thing is a ticking time bomb and the moment we touch it'll blow us to smithereens.

That looks more appetizing than finally unwrapping the shiny ribbon that ties the box together.

"I don't want to. Ever." I admit as both look at me incredulously.

"Then do you have a back up dress? I'm all for being risqué but going in naked doesn't seem like the best idea."

"I don't need your sarcasm right now Beth, I get it okay I do."

"Then what's the problem?" They ask in unison and I groan.

"The problem is that..." I don't really know how to explain it to them. No one understands how big of a deal it is for me to trust Cole. It's like I know opening the box will cement the relationship we currently have albeit a very unpredictable one. If, it turns out that there's something like a skimpy bikini or lingerie in there then I'll know that nothing's changed.

I like to think that it has, I like to think that we've come a long way. He's done so much to prove that he isn't the same Cole and I'm so close to not re-thinking all his actions.

"You're being silly Tessa; he said his mom was with him when he got it. How bad can it be?" I warily eye the mascara stick and hope Beth won't poke my eye out with it.

"She's right," Megan gets up and walks over to where the box is placed. Picking it up, she brings it towards me and settles it on the cluttered dressing table.

"Open it." She says with determination in her green eyes.

I have no other choice, obviously. If I don't want to go out in my birthday suit I might as well get this over with. How bad can it be? If all else fails, I could try to faction out a dress from the horribly frilly curtains in the room. A Disney Princess though, I am definitely not.

Sighing heavily, I get to work. The ribbon comes off first and then the wrapping paper. When all I have to do is lift the top off, I hold my breath and do it. The moment I removes the lid, I'm blinded by white light. Megan and Beth gasp at whatever they see but I'm unable to since my hand's covering my eyes. The light from the chandelier overhead is hitting whatever reflective object is there and I get visions of more disco ball like dresses.

Oh please no.

"It's...gorgeous Tessa! Oh My God, open your eyes and look." Megan squeals and my dread begins to go away. As long as it's not pink and sparkly I'll be fine.

"Whoa, I would marry a guy if he bought me this." Beth chimes in and that's when I have to look.

My eyes open to find a bedazzling bodice. Gingerly lifting the dress so that I can see it fully, I become momentarily stunned. It takes a long time for my eyes to get used to the shining jewels and when they do, that's when I fall in love.

It is gorgeous. No, gorgeous would be the understatement of the century. Looking at it, I know the feeling is mutual. It's like someone's bottled moonlight and sprinkled it all over this exquisite fabric. A delicate shimmery sliver lace covers the sleeveless top half. Like the wings of an exotic bird, it spreads down, curling around the waist. The cinched waist gives way to a sliver fitted mermaid like skirt which flares out towards the bottom. The material ripples beneath my touch and I'm almost afraid that wearing it would destroy the intricate work.

I cannot believe he's done this for me. I cannot believe that Cole Stone is capable of being so unconditionally thoughtful and kind and...amazing.

We gush about it endlessly as I try it on. It fits perfectly, like it's been made for me, it accentuates whatever curves I have and emphasizes my now thin waist. Fatty Tessie would never have been able to wear something as beautiful as this and I feel euphoric at what I've achieved.

Megan leaves since she needs to get dressed. The event coordinator or better known as our librarian tells us that we have ten minutes before I have to go the main hall to meet the rest of the contestants and have a dress rehearsal. The thought frightens me as I think about being in enclosed spaces with the kind of girls I know I'll meet. They will all be Nicole prototypes, born and bred to win pageants. Lord knows they'll faint when they see the state of my nails.

"Go get em tiger." Beth squeezes my shoulder in support before leaving. In a frightening turn of events, she's the DJ tonight. I wonder how much mom had drunk when she hired her. Does she have any idea what kind of music Beth likes to listen to? I'm not sure it's the type she'd want the snooty old ladies of our town to hear.

Oh well, I can assure you that Beth wouldn't let us be bored.

A large dressing room leads to the transformed main hall. I pass it to reach the dual staircases which lead down to it. The hall, previously used for things ranging from being as lame as flower shows to doubling as the location for school dances, has been transformed. I try not to sneeze too much as the powerful scent of roses attacks me. They're everywhere, I notice as I take a look around. People are still setting up but I can see what the theme is.

My mother is so predictable. Every year they use white roses and every year I end up having watery eyes and a runny nose. Guess I'll need to keep my distance from these cursed creations today.

In the dressing room I'm very much aware of all the girls who I'll have to compete with. They stop dead in their tracks as I walk in, making me feel extremely uncomfortable. I have this nightmare, you see and I have it quite often. I dream that I accidently walk out of my house, stark naked and don't realize it till well-I've become a public spectacle. This feels like serious déjà vu. I look down at my body hoping to god that I haven't forgotten to put on clothes. I sigh with relief when I notice that I still very much have my stunning dress fitted tightly around me.

Crisis-avoid.

"Where'd you get that?" A brunette asks harshly as she points her towards me. I furrow my brows, confused that most of them are looking at me the same way. They look-stunned, shocked, awed and a bit angry all at once.

What had I done?

"Get what?" I ask meekly, feeling a little overwhelmed.

"That dress, where'd you get it?"

How do I tell them that a boy, who I have no idea means exactly what to me bought it for me? I have a feeling that they second I say Cole's name I'll be greeted with something akin to the stampede in The Lion King.

Right, it's best if I exhibit my awesome lying skills here.

"I bought it."

The brunette who's interrogating me doesn't buy it. I've seen her around school, she's on the cheer leading squad and isn't a big fan of Nicole's. That itself made me respect her but right now she's seriously freaking me out.

"That's not possible. The designer hasn't put it up for sale yet and I would know. I've been on the waitlist for weeks and they still aren't replying."

She says this in an accusatory tone like it's my fault I have the dress and she doesn't. I did not know that it was a designer dress that I have on, let alone knowing that it has a waiting list.

Who has a waiting list for dresses?

"I-I..." I'm at loss at what to tell them. It's not clear what the fuss is about. All of them are wearing gorgeous dresses of their own, though I realize mine looks a lot more expensive.

How much had the idiot spent on me?

"Well?" She places her hand on her hip and taps her manicured fingers impatiently.

"Let it go Sissy, you're being pathetic." A voice breaks through the silence and my eyes shoot to the source. Lauren Philips, head cheerleader is walking towards us with a frown on her face. It's like she's got 'Sissy' here on some kind of command control program. The moment Lauren orders her, she backs away.

"I'm sorry about her; she tends to get a little intense at times."

Lauren is a gorgeous girl with the perfect body. She's blonde just like me but her hair is like spun silk, all shiny and smooth. It's in loose curls now, styled for the evening, framing her face and reaching her waist. All the cheerleading and gymnastics has given her the most toned body I've ever seen. Her gold, floor length shimmering dress clings to her like a second skin without looking obscene. Her high heels make her already long legs look endless.

My ego has just taken a huge hit. She's breathtakingly beautiful and she's nice.

"That's okay, I err, I better go."

"Wait." She calls as I spin on my heels and prepare to flee.

She's smiling warmly at me as I face her. I've known her since kindergarten and she's never once acknowledged my existence. The fact that I never seemed to want a friend other than Nicole might also possibly explain why we've never really talked.

"Where are you going? Your table is this way." She points towards a row of dressing tables with huge mirrors. Oh, right.

"I just, uhh, I need to get some air."

She shakes her head.

"You can't let them get to you. I can tell you're new to the world of beauty competitions. They're sharks, all of them. They'll smell your fear from a mile away so try not to look too intimidated."

"I don't see how that's possible. I don't even know most of them and they're looking at me like they wouldn't mind having me for dinner."

She waves her hand dismissively, "That's because they're scared of Nicole. She doesn't like it when they try to talk to you or your friends."

I know that, I've known that for a very long time but it still hurts. I've never done anything to Nicole, ever. I stepped out of her way when I was starting to become a liability. I didn't cling to her like the saran wrap she is around Jay. So it's kind of a mystery as to why she hates me so much.

"Oh and the fact that you've got Cole Stone wrapped around your finger doesn't help things either." She says in a hushed tone as we both at our dressing tables.

The statement knocks the breath out of me temporarily. Is that what people think? Is that the impression they get when they see Cole and me together? No wonder the girls hate me.

"It's not like that. We have a...complicated relationship." I unzip makeup bag and add the finishing touches like Beth instructed. She's done most of the work. My hair's twisted into a stylish chignon as the base of my neck.

Chignon, what a weird word.

Anyway, my makeup is already done. I try not to be taken aback by the difference it has made. I look...older, less like the twelve year old everyone mistakes me for.

Maybe Cole will notice that too.

"That's not what it looks like." Lauren says as she reapplies her lipstick.

I try to convince her that there's nothing going on between me and Cole. Perhaps if she's convinced then all her followers will stop giving me the death glare.

Speaking of death glares, I can see Nicole's face reflected in my mirror and she doesn't seem too happy. Although she's left me alone for the most part, I can see the barely there restraint on her face. She's itching to do something; at this point I almost welcome an attack. It's better if she just goes ahead and does what she wants right now rather than coming up with a master plan when I'm strutting around on stage.

The girls and I spend another thirty minutes or so before the announcer comes back again. This time he tells us that guests will start arriving soon and that we better have a dress rehearsal now. I fear tripping and breaking my neck as I struggle to balance myself in the six-inch heels Megan had forced me into. She said I needed every inch I could get to compete with the 'Amazon sized gorillas' I would be going against.

She's right. Most of these girls have the perfect super model height and I welcome the height my heels give me, even though they're walking death trap.

My dress is still earning me glares as we practice. It's a fairly simple process. As our names are called, we walk out from the dressing room and take our place at one of the staircases. With five on each one, we introduce ourselves to the crowd and judges. One by one, we walk down to our escorts who lead us to the dance floor. Each pair has their own five minutes to dance and impress. Then contestants merge into the crowd and take the floor by talking and charming the pants off of old people. This is where judges mark you for your personality. You can dance with anyone you want but the pressure of being judged remains.

Easy peasy, lemon squeezy.

The escorts will arrive once the show starts so we dont have our dress rehearsal without them. My stomach is twisted into knots as I think about seeing Cole. A part of me wants to throw something at him for spending so much money on me. Another part wants to hide behind him and just vanish into our bubble. When I'm with him, all I can concentrate on is either arguing with him or trying to keep up with his crude remarks.

I kind of miss his unending attempts to flirt with me right now.

"Tessa, sweetie is that you?"

Cassandra pops her head inside the dressing room, where we've all come back to. She looks ravishing as usual in a cream coloured lace dress. Her hair's in a bun just like mine but obviously she pulls it off much better.

I'm extremely aware to Nicole stiffening as her boyfriend's mother walks in and takes the empty seat next to mine. As much as I love Cassandra, I wish she'd just look in Nicole's direction to appease her.

"Your mother told me I'd find you here. You look beautiful honey and I knew the dress would look wonderful on you." She gushes and I blush. I'm trying to avert my gaze from Nicole's piercing one.

"Thank you," I say meekly hoping she'd pick up on my lack of enthusiasm. I'd given Nicole a big reason to pounce on me, what with the bathroom incident; I didn't need to instigate her further.

"You have no idea how hard Cole made us look for it. I cancelled all my appointments just so we could go shop but nothing was good enough for him." She shakes her head, reminiscing fondly.

Oh.

I just melted a little.

"After two days of finding nothing, I called in a favour. One of my friends works with this famous designer, I'd operated on his daughter once and he was very grateful. I took Cole to see him and with the way my son fussed, I thought the poor guy would have a heart attack. Nothing we saw made him think that you'd like it."

Did he think I'm fussy? Did he think I'm an obnoxious brat who wouldn't settle for anything less than a dress costing thousands of dollars?

"Don't be mad at him Tessa. I know Cole pretends to be this bad boy and I've seen enough of them when I was your age but when it comes to you he's a big softie." She places her hand over mine and gives me a smile that warms my insides.

"I honestly thought he'd stick to his routine of being with a different girl every week but when I see him with you, it gives me hope. Jay's my son, my flesh and blood but he really is an idiot for not knowing what he had."

I gape at her. Wait, did everyone know that I liked Jay? Had I had a sign plastered on my forehead all these years? This is so embarrassing! Please stop talking Cassandra.

"I don't...I mean I don't like him, we're friends...I, I don't," I stutter but she laughs gently and pats my hand.

"I'm not judging you. I love my sons equally but I'm glad one of them had the balls to fight for what they want." She winks at me as I sit there, utterly flabbergasted.

"Right, okay no more scandalizing the contestant. I just came by to wish you luck and give you this." She places a gift bag in my lap and looks at me expectantly. I dig inside and the first thing I touch is a smooth wrapper. Pulling it out, to my delight I see a huge bar of a chunky Kit Kat.

"That's from Cole." Cassandra grins and I match her expression. He sent me Kit Kats! How am I supposed to fight with that? I dig around the bag for a second time and my fingers curl around a velvet box. Pulling it out, I'm stunned to see a maroon Cartier box.

"This is from me, open it." She urges and I cautiously follow her instructions. Inside I find the most stunning pair of diamond teardrop earrings that I've ever seen. The gleam brightly, reminding me of how much money they've cost.

"Cassandra, I-I cant accept this, its' too..."

"Nonsense, I've had these for ages but never got around to wearing them. They'll look lovely with your dress."

"So can I give them back to you after the pageant?"

She shakes her head and pushes the box into my hand, making me fist it in my palm.

"I want you to have them,"

Cassandra leaves then and I'm a mess. Did I actually have this conversation with Jay's mom and Cole's stepmom? Did she just say what I think she did? Did she mean what I think she means...?

The best, wait scratch that worst thing she then did was to so blatantly ignore Nicole. It's like she didn't even notice her sitting there. Does she really want me to end up stuffed in my locker or attacked by minions with claw like nails?

Trying not to hyperventilate, I take deep breaths and prepare myself for the show. Guests are arriving; we can hear the polite yet totally nonsensical conversations taking place downstairs. Any moment now we'd be herded outside and made to parade around these people.

Remind me again, what the heck am I doing here?

"Ten minutes girls." The tuna salad I had for lunch threatens to come up. Deep breaths Tessa, that's it, just take deep breaths and you'll survive this. After that you can take off your six inch heels and clobber Cole with them.

"Try not to choke fatty." Nicole sneers as she pushes past me to take her place in the line.

The one shouldered crimson silk dress she wears flows behind her as she talks away. She's playing her best asset, her more than ample chest and her boobs are mostly on show. The back of her dress is more or less non-existent with singular strap connecting the top of the dress to the small of her back.

She looks every bit as stunningly fierce she is and I'm scared for my life right now.

My head's spinning by the time they call my name and I have to go take my place at the stairs. A large crowd is watching us and it's apparent that everyone in town is here; we have a lot of free food to give so yeah. My mother stands at her podium, calling off our names. The escorts line the elevated dance floor in the middle of the room. My heart skips a beat as I see Cole's eyes on me. They never leave me as I walk and take my place behind a girl called Rebecca O'Brian.

He looks so good, so perfect that I shiver slightly. He's wearing a suit just like the rest of the boys but he seems to look just so much...sexier, I blush at the word, than the rest. He's wearing a steel gray tie to match my dress over a plain white shirt and it brings out his eyes beautifully. He winks at me when he catches me watching and I hold back a giggle.

I mouth thank you to him and I hope he understands that it's for the dress. Then I realize that he can't actually see how I look since I'm obscured by Rebecca and she's a good 5 feet and 9 inches tall. Oh well, he'll see me when we walk down.

One by one the ten of us introduce ourselves to the crowd. I see my father standing amidst everyone else but Travis is nowhere to be found. He's tall enough so I'd know if he was here.

But he isn't.

Disappointment courses through me, he'd promised. After he had stopped choking on pizza that is, he'd promised he'd come to support me but he's not here. I get that he wanted to avoid dad but if I was going to do this, I needed people here who wouldn't make fun of me if and when I choked. Travis was one of those people.

Soft music plays as one by one; the escorts guide participants to stand at the edge of the dance floor. My heart's practically ready to tear itself out of my chest by the time I reach Cole. My breathing's heavy and I'm feeling so faint that I could just fall to the ground any second. With a trembling hand I reach for Cole who's staring at me wide-eyed at the bottom of the stairs.

It's something that only happens in the cheesiest of chick flicks and for that moment I feel exactly like those girls. Time seems to stop and the only people in the room seem to be this bad boy with the heart of gold and me-the awkward girl he likes spending time with.

My skin tingles with excitement as he interlaces our fingers and helps me step down. His eyes unapologetically roam my face and body and I don't try to hide. It's his dress I'm wearing, if he wants to look then he'll look. It doesn't matter that he's searching my body like it's a map to Atlantis. I'm doing this for him, this entire charade is for him and it's about time I admit it. I feel an immense amount of gratitude towards him, for everything he's done for me so far. I'd like to thank him with whatever way works best.

"You look beautiful." He says as our Lifetime Movie moment ends and I become aware of people applauding all around us. I even see Megan jumping up and down at her spot, squealing and waving at me frantically. I laugh at her excitement as poor Alex looks clueless as to what to do with her. Waving back, I let my eyes scan the room looking for more familiar faces. Beth grins at me as I catch her eye behind the DJ booth. She looks super professional with her headphones and a complicated looking contraption in front of her. She seems at home as she pushes various buttons as the music continues to change.

My eyes continue wandering as Cole walks us to the raised platform. They zero in on Jay who's standing somewhere in the back of the crowd and I frown. What is he doing there? Isn't he supposed to be escorting Nicole? Immediately I look towards Nicole who's on the arm of the Deputy Sherriff's son, Henry.

That evil cow!

I know what she's done, I know the second I see Jay's downtrodden expression. She's ditched him for Henry because everyone knows Jay can't dance. Obviously someone who's so set on winning won't choose a guy with two left feet to be her partner, but still.

He's her boyfriend! They've been dating for three years, does that count for nothing? He must be so embarrassed right about now, especially seeing as Henry's kind of groping Nicole's butt and she's doing nothing to stop him.

"Why are you frowning?" Cole asks as we take our place and I crane my neck to look at Jay. Yes, after everything he's said and done I still feel horrible for him. Standing there with his hands stuffed in his pockets and shoulders slumped, he looks so...sad. I want that sadness to go away. I want to kill Nicole for treating him like this.

"Nicole didn't choose Jay to be her escort." I mutter angrily and Cole sighs.

"Trust me Tessie, he doesn't care. That's not why he looks like his dog died or something." He clutches my hand so tightly that it verges on being painful. I don't understand what he's saying but the dangerous clenching of his sharp jaw tells me that I need to steer in another direction.

"This dress...its absolutely gorgeous Cole. Thank you; I don't know what to say."

He chuckles slightly and shakes his head. "Since when do you have a lack of things to say to me? Did your book of insults end?"

Rolling my eyes, I give his hand an extra squeeze. "Be serious for once, I really do appreciate it you know."

"No big, we didn't have to look much. I found it this some vintage store mom took me to."

Thinking about Cassandra's words and Cole's contradictory statement has me smiling to myself. I know he's the one who's lying. What I'm wearing doesn't seem likely to belong at a vintage clothing store. I might be fashionably challenged but I know an expensive dress when I see one.

If he wants to just shrug off his kind gesture then that's his choice. If he feels uncomfortable telling me about the effort he made for me then I'll leave him alone. I like teasing him, I love getting under his skin but this time I'll let it go.

One by one each couple goes to the middle of the floor and dances. Whenever we practiced, Cole always told me to maintain eye contact and now I can see why. Apart from Laura and her boyfriend Mike, none of the others have chemistry. Their routine looks robotic, practiced and frankly, boring. It's especially entertaining to watch Mr. Golden Boy Henry Riley drop Nicole on the floor when he attempts to dip her. It's hilarious but I literally have to stuff my fist in my mouth to stop from cackling like an idiot. It didn't help things when Beth accidentally played Kanye's Gold Digger just as they were about to leave the floor. She apologized looking sheepish and I was reminded why we'd become friends in the first place.

When our turn arrives, my entire body freezes. Cole tugs at my hand to lead me forward but I'm this close to passing out. He watches me with concern on his perfect face before bending down slightly so that our faces were leveled.

"Freaking out?"

I nod.

He tucks a lose tendril behind my ear and his fingers brush my cheeks, making my skin feel red hot.

"Look at it this way, if you fail, I fail and I hate failing. We've got this, I've got you Tessie." He promises.

"You said that when you asked me to jump down from your tree house. I ended up in the emergency room with a broken ankle."

He scratches the back of his neck, wincing slightly. "This is different. I-I'm not that stupid kid anymore. I promise no more trips to the emergency room."

"You sure?" I ask, already feeling much better.

"Cross my heart and hope to die Shortcake."

Grinning at him, I loop my arm through his elbow and together we take center stage.

Ladies and gentlemen, it's show time.

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SO. I'm alive *waves frantically* 

Had to split this chapter in two parts otherwise it would be like 20 pages on here :/

I had family stuff so yes...sorry. I also just finished season 3 of Downton Abbey and my heart feels like its been ripped out of my chest. DARN IT-WHY </3 :'( 

In other news I have this urge to make Logan Lerman play Cole :P I dont know why but I just do. I love him as well so...

Also on the agenda is deciding a ship name. Colessa? Tole? Cotess? Go willllld and tell me what your couple name for Cole and Tessa is. The most popular one wins :D

Right then, I thin that's it :D Happy reading and please vote/comment/fan if you like my work.

P.S PLEASE stop advertising on my story. It's rude and I'll just delete your comments. To that person who's made two accounts to promote their story, I know who you are so please stop it. We have a 'Share Your Story' club on Wattpad. Go there instead of being rude to me.

Pfft, that got a little serious. Sorry but I just get so ticked off :/