"Wow Mom, I can't believe you actually did that!" I cried.

"Well no one talks to you like that and gets away with it." she remarked.

"So does this mean that I don't have to clean up all those cups?" I asked with renewed hope.

She smiled, "Why should you have to clean up those cups if there's no proof that youwere the one who put them there?"

"So we're just going to forget this ever even happened?"

She nodded, "That's exactly what we'red going to do." We walked inside the house.

"Mom, I have a new boyfriend." I told her randomly, changing the subject.

Her face lit up, "Who?"

"Kristy's cousin, Cole,"

"Oh, good choice! He's got to be better than Ash." I tensed up at the sound of Ash's name. Mom noticed and winced, regretting what she'd said. "I'm so sorry, I wasn't thinking."

"It's ok Mom." I assured her. "I'm with Cole now anyways and I really like him." I was only saying this to make her feel better, knowing that Cole could never replace Ash.

"Well that's good." I could tell she didn't fully believe me. But she didn't question me about it, so I walked up to my room.

When I got there, I shut the door and sat down on my bed. I didn't know why, but I was crying. It seemed like such a weird time to cry. After all, Mom had just slapped The Queen of Mean. I should be jumping for joy. But I knew why I was so unhappy. I missed Ash.

I heard the doorbell ring from downstairs and walked down to answer it, but Mom already had. "Oh, hi Cole." I greeted him. "Where's Kristy?"

"Home, mind if I come in?" he replied.

Mom smiled at me suggestively and left us alone. "Uh, sure," I let him inside and led him up to my room. "So why isn't Kristy with you?"

"She actually doesn't even know I'm here." he admitted.

Now I was confused. "Oh, um why not?"

"Because I snuck over here." he replied.

"Well why'd you do that?" I asked.

"To be alone with you." He grinned mischeviously. "You've changed over the years, Evalynne. Your looks have changed, you aren't as shy. And I like it. A lot."

My eyes went wide in shock as he stepped closer and closer to me. And with every step he took, I took another step back. Until he had backed me up against the wall.

"I've changed too, Evalynne." he informed me. "Can you tell?"

I nodded slowly, "Um, uh, yeah..."

He grinned impishly, "Well do you like the change?"

He pressed one of his hands against the wall, enclosing the space to the right of me. "I-I-I don't know..."

"Of course you do, Evalynne. Just admit it, you love the change." He pressed his other hand against the wall so that I couldn't escape.

And then, taking me by surprise, he kissed me, mashing his chapped lips up against my more smooth ones. And I tasted Ash. I felt Ash's lips on mine. Ash's hands around my waste. So I closed my eyes and I kissed back.

I pulled away and whispered, "I love you Ash." But when I opened my eyes, Cole was standing there.

"Ash?" he demanded.

I trembled in his arms, feeling weak and shaky. "I'm sorry, Cole." I choked out. And to my surprise, he laughed.

"Whatever, I really don't care what you call me. As long as I can keep doing this," And then he wrapped his left arm around my waste, tangled his right hand in with my hair, and pressed his lips to mine.

"Cole, stop!" I ordered, pulling away.

"Come on, Evalynne. Lighten up," He leaned in to continue kissing me, but I dodged his puckered lips.

"Cole, just leave me alone!" I cried.

"Stop being such a prude." he scoffed.

"She told you to stop." an all too familiar voice stated sternly.

I turned to face my window, seeing Ash. Cole saw him too. "Shut up, dude!" Cole hollered. "You aren't even going out with her anymore!"

"Yeah, but I'm still going to protect her from guys like you." Ash snapped back.

"Why don't you just worry about your own girlfriend."

"I actually broke up with Julianne." Ash remarked.

"Why?" I asked him.

"Because she's not you."

I felt my heart speed up and using all of my new relieved strength, I pushed Cole away from me. Then I rushed over to my window. "Ash, I love you. And I miss you. And I need you. I need you so much." I told him.

He smiled, "I need you too. And I only date Julianne because I thought you were really through with me. I thought you really wanted me to move on."

"Well I only fake-dated Cole to make you jealous, because I was jealous of you and Julianne. I thought you really liked her. I thought you replaced me."

"Evalynne, she could never replace you. Nobody can." he assured me.

"I'm sorry. I never should have broken up with you." But before he could respond, I felt a tug on my shoulder. I turned my head to see Cole.

"What are you doing, Evalynne?" he demanded. "Don't go back to him!"

"Cole, this was a mistake. I'm sorry for using you, but you need to leave now."

He shook his head, "I was stupid for thinking this could work out anyways. Bye Evalynne." And he left.

Now he felt the same way I had when Ash and I broke up: stupid, empty and heartbroken. But knowing I had Ash made me forget about how Cole felt.