1. The Reason Is You: Chapter 1 Evie

2. Busily trying to regain her focus and complete her assignment, Evie suddenly heard a loud giggle and the sound of two people moving around on the sofa. She sighed.

3. “Don’t mind us!” Gabriella called out, giggling as Taylor started tickling her.

4. Evie smiled thinly and tried to ignore them, but it was impossible. She wondered briefly if they knew that it wasn’t just Evie who was in the room. A lot of the other dorm residents were watching in shock as Taylor and Gabriella treated the lounge like their own personal bedroom.

5. “I’ll... erm.... See you later,” Evie murmured eventually, saving her work and standing up from the desk. “I’ll be in my room for a bit.”

6. “Oh, we’re not disturbing you, are we?” Gabriella asked mildly as Evie walked towards the entrance to the hall.

7. Evie forced a smile and shook her head. “No, no; don’t be silly. I just... wanted to get more comfortable, I suppose. See you later,” she replied wearily, and then gave the two of them a wave before leaving the room.

8. As she walked into her bedroom, Evie sighed again and closed her eyes. Sometimes Evie swore that Gabby had no idea when it was the wrong time to disturb someone. Still, what Evie had told her friend was at least partly true. She did much prefer the comfort of her room to the relative discomfort of the dining room, but the trouble was that she was more likely to get distracted here.

9. Steeling herself to keep working until she had finished, she stretched out on her bed and began reading through the textbook she was using for her essay. She hadn’t gotten further than three pages before there was a knock at the door, and Evie groaned quietly. “Who is it?” she called rather irritably. Would she ever get this studying done?

10. “It’s me,” Zara’s voice called through the door. “Can I come in? The lounge is a no-go area; I think Taylor’s trying to see exactly how far he can ram his tongue down Gabriella’s throat, and there’s only so much of her giggling I can take in one evening.”

11. Despite her frustrated mood, Evie had to laugh at her other best friend’s exasperated tone. “You’d better come in then,” she called back with a smile, and the door opened as Zara let herself into the room looking grateful.

12. “Hey,” Zara said cheerfully, but she frowned when she saw the textbook in Evie’s hands. “You know, you should give that brain of yours a rest at some point. All this studying isn’t good for you; pretty soon you’ll be reciting equations and theories in your sleep.”

13. “That’s kind of the idea, Zara,” Evie smiled as her friend dragged over the beanbag chair to sit by her bed. “If I don’t get it fixed into my head, I’ll forget everything by the time of the exams.” “Urgh. Exams,” Zara muttered in disgust. “Don’t even say that word. I keep hoping that if I don’t think about it, they won’t happen.”

14. Evie grinned at Zara. “Your grandmother would tell you off for thinking that way. Besides, you’ll do fine; I know you will. And so will I, if I can stop myself getting distracted by something every 5 seconds.”

15. “You mean someone,” Zara corrected slyly.

16. Laying back on her bed and getting comfortable, Evie turned to frown at her friend. “What are you talking about?” she murmured, trying not to blush.

17. “Oh Jesse,” Zara cried dramatically, mimicking Evie to perfection. “I need to concentrate on my work so I can graduate and become a world-famous physicist someday, but how can I when your handsome face makes me feel like melting into a puddle of goo?” She smirked at Evie. “I’ve known you both since we were toddlers, Evie, and you’ve always followed him around making moon eyes.”

18. “Have not,” Evie mumbled defiantly, but then she sighed. She couldn’t deny the truth of Zara’s words. She had been hopelessly in love with Jesse ever since they were kids. But he’d never looked at her that way in return. To him, she was just like a sister and nothing more. Still, sometimes... He would say or do something that would make Evie think twice about his feelings for her. She thought back to the last time she’d seen him that day, in the cafeteria...

19. Jesse had come running into the cafeteria that morning, looking excited and punching the air victoriously. “Evie? Evie!!” he yelled.

20. Evie had glanced up from her meal and blushed slightly, as she always did whenever she was around him, but she gave him a wide smile. “Jesse? What is it?”

21. Jesse broke out into a grin as he walked over to her. “You know that assignment you helped me with the other day? I took it to my tutor this morning and she said it was one of the best she’d read in years! She won’t tell me just yet what grade she’s going to give me, but she said as long as I keep up the good work, I have nothing to worry about!” he beamed.

22. Evie grinned as she listened to Jesse; she loved making him happy. His smile was worth anything. “Oh Jesse; that’s great news! I’m so glad!!”

23. She was suddenly taken by surprise as Jesse grabbed her and pulled her into a hug. “You know I’ll love you forever for this, right?” he told her excitedly, and Evie felt her blush deepen. Luckily, Jesse couldn’t see, but she was sure he’d hear the trembling in her voice as she mumbled “Y-you’re... welcome...” I wish, she thought to herself longingly.

24. “Evie? Evie?... EVELYN!!!” Evie jumped as Zara’s voice broke into her thoughts. “What?” she asked hurriedly. Zara sighed. ”Have you heard anything I’ve been saying?” she demanded with a raised eyebrow, and Evie sighed in defeat. “Fine; fine, you win. I was thinking about Jesse again,” she huffed.

25. Sighing, Zara shook her head with a smile. “You need to tell him,” she said softly. “Jesse’s a guy; he can’t think for himself.”

26. Evie had to smile a little. “Not all guys are as useless as you think they are, Zara,” she pointed out, but then she sighed, bowing her head. “How can I tell him?” she whispered. “We’ve been best friends for so long... what if he doesn’t feel the same way and I end up ruining our friendship?”

27. Zara shook her head. “Impossible,” she said firmly. “He adores you; he just doesn’t realise how much yet.”

28. Zara stood up and pulled Evie up with her, hugging her tightly, and Evie sighed. She wanted so much to believe her friend, but she just couldn’t. If only she could find some way of letting Jesse know how she felt without actually having to say it out loud...

29. “It’s easy; you put on some pretty clothes and make-up ; you take him somewhere nice and dazzle him with conversation, and then you watch as he falls madly in love with you,” Gabriella shrugged later that day as she sat with Evie having lunch before her class. “Simple.”

30. Evie smiled wryly. “For you; maybe. But this is me we’re talking about.”

31. “We really need to work on your self-confidence, Evie,” Gabby said firmly. “You’re gorgeous, and Jesse will realise it by the time I’m finished with you. In fact... Get yourself ready to go out. We’re going shopping. Oh, and tell everyone we’re going out to the Campus Lounge later tonight. Including Jesse.”

32. “I can’t; I have studying to do,” Evie protested, but Gabriella was already getting up from the table. She turned to Evie with a determined look on her face.

33. “No buts. We’re buying you a fantabulous outfit and that’s final. Now go and get ready whilst I ring a taxi.” And with that, she ran inside to get her phone. Evie sighed. Once Gabriella had her mind set on something, there was no stopping her. She smiled to herself suddenly. It was the one thing that Gabby and Zara had in common; their stubborn natures.

34. Before Evie had a chance to stop her, Gabby was ringing for a taxi and asking to be taken to the shops. Evie simply sighed and resigned herself to the ordeal. She could only hope that the plan would work, and Jesse would start to be more aware of her if she made herself a little more noticeable.

35. “Evie? Taxi; now!!” Gabriella yelled as the car pulled up and she opened the door. “Can’t I just—” “NO!!!” Evie sighed. “Fine... I’ll be with you in a minute.”

36. “Evelyn Brooke, get into this taxi right now or I shan’t ever help you with your Jesse issues again!!” Gabby demanded, and Evie came hurrying down the steps. “Shush!!” she whispered frantically. “He’ll hear you!” “No he won’t; he’s gone to a lecture.” “Oh. Well, speaking of lectures, I could do with a few hours of studying...” “You spent all this morning studying. Now stop making excuses,” Gabby said firmly.

37. “Come on,” Gabriella said excitedly once they had arrived and were inside the shop. “Let’s find you something really nice to wear.”

38. Evie looked uncertain. “Um... Gabby?... I’m really not so sure about this. I mean, I have plenty of nice clothes at home anyway...” “Oh, nonsense,” Gabriella said, waving her hand dismissively. “We have to get you something new; something Jesse’s never seen before. Otherwise he won’t be blown away. Now stop complaining and come on.”

39. Gabriella dragged her friend over to the clothes racks and started piling various outfits into her arms. Evie stood looking uncomfortable, waiting for Gabriella to finish. “Hmm... Try those on first,” Gabby murmured. “I have to try them on? Now? Here?” Evie asked worriedly.

40. “Yes,” Gabriella answered firmly. “How are we supposed to know which is the perfect dress unless you try them on first? Now get in that changing room.” Evie sighed and stepped into the cubicle. “You’d better know what you’re doing,” she muttered, giving her friend a glare before closing the curtain. Gabby just smiled and continued searching through the outfits.

41. When Evie stepped out a few moments later, she didn’t look at all convinced. “Gabby, I think this is a top and not a dress...” she mumbled.

42. “Evie, don’t be ridiculous. Of course it’s a dress. Now do some spins so I can see it from all angles.”

43. As Evie twisted and turned, trying to feel comfortable in the dress, Gabriella studied her critically. “Hmm... It’s good, but it’s not quite right... Try the others.” “But...” “No buts. Change. Now.” Evie sighed again. “Fine... Where’s the next one?” she asked, defeated.

44. It felt like hours to Evie as she tried on dress after dress and outfit after outfit, trying to look “confident and sassy”, as Gabby put it, each and every time. But it was a lot harder than Gabby made out, and Evie was feeling more than a little foolish. Especially when Gabriella kept pulling faces of disapproval as she scrutinised each one.

45. “No... No... No...” Gabby murmured thoughtfully after each one. “I just can’t find the right one yet...”

46. Evie threw up her arms in frustration. “Please can we go home if you don’t like any of the outfits here?”

47. “I just want to find the perfect outfit,” Gabby replied defensively, spreading her hands. “And no, we can’t go home yet. I know for a fact that we’ll find something; I’ve never been defeated on a shopping trip before. Not in my entire life, so I’m not giving up now. And neither are you. Just... Think of Jesse’s face when he sees you all pretty and dressy.”

48. Evie muttered something under her breath about Gabby being a slave driver, but she took the next outfit handed to her and headed back inside the changing rooms resignedly.

49. The next outfit consisted of a rather low-cut top and tight trousers, and she came out of the changing rooms fully expecting to hear another disappointed comment from Gabby. But instead Evie heard her friend gasp. “That’s... That’s it!!” Gabby cried excitedly. “You look just perfect in that. He’s going to faint when he sees you!! Quick; go buy it and get it home before someone else steals it.”

50. Evie blinked and glanced from Gabby, down to her clothes and back up to Gabby again. “Are you sure? I mean, isn’t the top a little... Erm... revealing?” “Nonsense!” Gabby answered, waving a hand dismissively. “You just aren’t used to it because you spend your life in high-necked t-shirts. Trust me. Don’t I know my fashion?” “Well-” “Of course I do. Go. Buy. Now.” “Yes ma’am,” Evie sighed, heading for the checkouts.

51. Thankfully, the clothes weren’t too expensive. Although she received a lot of grants and bursaries on account of her high grades, Evie still liked to be careful with her money. Still, she was certain that even if the outfit had cost a fortune, Gabby wouldn’t have taken no for an answer.

52. Later that day, after Gabby and Evie had gotten back to the dorm, Evie stood looking uncertainly at herself in the mirror. “But... Why do I have to change my hair? And my glasses... What’s wrong with my glasses?” she huffed indignantly. Gabby had insisted on giving her a complete makeover to go with the new outfit, despite Evie’s protestations.

53. “Look, you can’t get all dressed up and then not wear any make-up or not style your hair,” Gabby said airily, skilfully ignoring Evie’s question about her glasses. . “Just trust me. You want Jesse to faint at the sight of the new you, right?” “Oh, I wouldn’t like for him to faint; I mean, he might hurt himself--” “You know what I mean.” “Well... I suppose so...”

54. After about an hour of brushing, combing, curling and styling, Gabby had given Evie a completely new hairstyle. Peering nervously into the mirror, Evie hardly recognised herself. She’d never really bothered with styling her hair much; she’d always simply brushed it and pulled it into either a ponytail or a plait. This was...different, at least, but if Gabby thought Jesse would like it, Evie was prepared to go along with it for a little while.

55. Once she’d changed into the new clothes and had changed her old glasses for some she’d borrowed from another of the girls in the dorm, Evie turned to Gabby and spread her arms. “Well? How do I look?” she asked anxiously.

56. “Perfect,” Gabby grinned excitedly. “Jesse’s going to be blown away! Stage 1 is now complete.” Evie frowned doubtfully. “And what’s stage 2?” “An evening at the Campus Lounge, obviously.” Evie sighed. “Obviously,” she mumbled, but Gabby just laughed and began planning the night ahead.

57. After listening to Gabriella’s plan of action, Evie bumped into Zara in the corridor after her friend had come back from a lecture. “So what do you think of the new me?” Evie asked Zara apprehensively. “Well, I can tell Gabriella’s been corrupting you,” Zara smirked, and Evie sighed. “Come on, Zara, be serious... I really want to know what you think,” Evie pleaded. She knew she could count on Zara to be honest.

58. “Evie... I don’t get why you’re letting her dress you up all of a sudden,” Zara answered, trying to explain herself. “If you really want Jesse to notice you more, then just be yourself; he’s not worth it if you have to completely change who you are for him.” “I’ve been myself ever since we were toddlers, Zara,” Evie pointed out. “And it’s gotten me nowhere. Besides, is it really so bad to get dressed up for the boy you like?”

59. “Of course not,” Zara replied, looking worried. “But I just think...” “Look, let’s just go and have a nice evening out and see what happens; maybe this is going to be the best thing I’ve ever done. And if not, I’ll just be back where I started, right? What’s the worst that can happen?” Zara simply nodded pensively. “All right then... If you’re sure...”

60. “Dude.... You’re playing it wrong.” “I am not, Taylor. Shut up and learn from the master.” “Nah... You’re supposed to go left there.” “Am NOT!!”

61. “Erm... Hi guys...” Evie said timidly as she walked over to Taylor and Jesse later that day. Taylor turned to face her. “Hi Ev– Hey, there,” he murmured appreciatively, his tone changing as he saw Evie’s new appearance. “What’s up?” “Oh, erm...” Evie stammered, not used to Taylor taking an interest in her. It made her blush, even though she had no feelings for him whatsoever other than as a friend. “Erm... Gabby was saying we should all... Go out tonight.”

62. “Great idea; what time and place?” “Um... Well, we were thinking the Campus Lounge... M- maybe at about... 9 o clock?” Evie suggested nervously, trying to remember the phrases Gabby had encouraged her to use. “Yeah, I know it. Sound cool to you Jesse?” Taylor called. “Hmm? Oh, yeah... Cool,” Jesse murmured, too engrossed in his game to have been concentrating on the conversation.

63. “We’ll see you later then,” Taylor grinned at Evie, and she blushed again, laughing nervously.“Oh, yes... Yes, okay then... Later.” She tried a smile but knew it would look shaky. She glanced quickly at Jesse, but it was clear he wasn’t about to turn around. “B-bye,” she mumbled, and turned to walk away.

64. “Dude... You just missed one hell of a treat,” Taylor murmured to Jesse as he watched Evie walking away. “Hmmm? What was that?” Jesse replied, saving the game and turning off the console. “Her name’s Evie Brooke and she’s looking amazing.” “Evie?” Jesse frowned. He thought he’d heard her voice, but he’d barely paid attention to the conversation. He turned to call out to her, but he almost choked and his words caught in his throat at what he saw.

65. “THAT’S EVIE?!!” Jesse squeaked as he saw her walking off. “Evie? As in, our Evie? Really?!” “Yeah, dude. That’s Evie all right.

66. “But... But... That’s Evie! Evie!!” Jesse spluttered, and Taylor grinned. “Looking pretty gorgeous, isn’t she?” he winked.

67. “If you carry on like that, I’ll thump you,” Jesse murmured good-naturedly as he turned away, and Taylor laughed. “Relax, dude; I’m staying faithful to Gabby. Well, for this week, anyway...”Jesse didn’t answer, his mouth in a tight line as he walked away.

68. Evie willed her heart to stop pounding as she stood in a corner and pretended to look interested in the notice board, but it was no use. She had been hoping for Jesse to at least say something to her before they went out tonight; she probably wouldn’t get another chance to see him before then as he had a lecture that afternoon. Hearing the boys talking animatedly to each other, she risked a glance in their direction.

69. A slow smile spread across her face. Jesse had been staring at her, but when she’d turned around he’d quickly looked away. She felt like jumping for joy. Maybe Gabriella was right after all; maybe her new look was having an effect on Jesse...

70. As the taxi pulled up outside the Campus Lounge that evening to drop off the five friends, Evie found herself actually looking forward to it. Maybe some of Gabby’s enthusiasm had rubbed off on her.

71. But as soon as she got inside and saw that Jesse and Taylor had gone straight to the bar rather than sitting down with the girls, she started to panic.

72. “What if he doesn’t want to talk to me... What if he knows what I’m doing and he’s not interested? What if I’m making a fool of myself? What if...”

73. “Evie, calm down and relax,” Gabby said firmly. “But—” “No buts. Stop panicking.” Gabby thought for a moment. “Look, if Zara and I get up and leave you on your own for a bit, Jesse will have to come and talk to you. It worked for me, with Taylor.”

74. “That’s a crazy idea!!” Zara exclaimed. “We can’t leave her on her own like this; she might start hyperventilating or something. And besides, she needs our support.”

75. “I’m not talking about leaving her alone all night,” Gabriella retorted, narrowing her eyes at Zara. “I just mean for a little while. Trust me, Jesse will come over and talk to her straight away. I mean, he’s her best friend. He’s not just going to leave her alone, is he?”

76. “That’s true... Maybe you’re right,” Evie murmured, trying to control her breathing and not noticing Zara’s look of disbelief. “It might work... But don’t be too long, okay?” she added hurriedly. She was willing to give this a go, even though she was mildly terrified, but she wanted to know her friends would still be around to rescue her if things turned out badly.

77. “I can’t believe you’re agreeing to this stupid plan,” Zara muttered, glaring at Gabriella, but then she sighed. “Fine. We’ll be close by, if you need us.”

78. A short while later, over at the bar, Jesse was leaning towards Taylor a little unsteadily, having already had a little too much to drink. “So... So you know Evie... Well, of course you know Evie. But... She’s not Evie anymore, you know? I mean, she’s Evie, but she’s not Evie... You know what I mean?”

79. “Erm... Not really, Jesse... Run that by me again?” Taylor grinned.

80. A large grin slowly spread over Jesse’s face too. “You think I’m drunk, don’t you? Well I’m not. I’ve only had throo... Twee... Three drinks!” he slurred. “Or maybe four, or five... I don’t think that’s bad... Do... Do you? I mean, who’s to say... Who’s to say I can’t have 6 drinks on a night out? Hmm? Who?”

81. He paused for a moment and then leaned forwards again. “I think I might be a bit drunk,” he added.

82. Meanwhile, across the room, Zara sighed in annoyance. At first she’d been annoyed at the idea of having to spend most of the night in the company of Gabriella whilst Evie and Jesse were talking, but then Gabriella had gone off with Taylor, and Zara had been glad... Until they’d started kissing and flirting right in front of her. She rolled her eyes and moved away, wishing she had someone else to talk to.

83. “Hi; you’re from the same dorm as me, right?” Zara turned at the sound of a male voice and recognised one of the guys she’d seen in their dorm a few times. She gave him a nod and a small smile. “Yeah; I’m Zara. You’re.... Vince?” she frowned, trying to remember his name. He shrugged. “Vance, actually; Vance Miller. But don’t worry, everyone gets my name wrong; I won’t take it personally,” he grinned.

84. “So are you having a good night?” Vance asked in a friendly tone of voice. Zara rolled her eyes and smiled again. “Oh yeah, it’s great,” she muttered sarcastically. “I only came for my best friend Evie’s sake; she’s the one sitting in the corner looking nervous. Unfortunately her other best friend is here; she’s the one currently playing tonsil tennis with Taylor over there.”

85. Vance grinned and nodded knowingly. “Gabriella Jones, am I right? Her and Taylor are practically celebrities around campus. She seems like quite a girl...” Zara pulled a face. “Yeah, if by that you mean spoilt, obnoxious and selfish.” Vance laughed. “I take it you two don’t get on then?” “Definitely not,” Zara shuddered. “I only put up with her for Evie’s sake.”

86. “Hmm,” Vance murmured thoughtfully. “Well, we can’t have a nice girl like you forced to hang around with a girl like her... Maybe I can provide you with some better company for the evening?” Zara grinned. “Oh really? Like who?” she asked wryly. “Well I was sort of thinking me, if I’m honest,” Vance laughed.

87. Zara narrowed her eyes, smiling slightly. “If you’re trying to flirt with me, I should warn you I’m not interested in dating anyone... I’m not exactly the dating type. And besides, I just met you!”

88. Vance held up his hands defensively. “Hey, no flirting; I promise,” he grinned. “I just thought maybe you’d like some company... I’m here alone, and you’re looking for a reason to stay out of Gabriella’s way... I just thought we could, you know... Talk.”

89. Zara gave him an apprehensive look. “Talk? Really?” “Really.”

90. “Hey, if you don’t like me, I swear I won’t stop you from calling a taxi home,” Vance winked, and Zara sighed. “All right. But only if you promise not to flirt.” “Promise.”

91. When Gabby and Zara left her alone, Evie sat fidgeting and trying to calm down. She had felt a little more confident with her best friends beside her, but now she was alone it was a different story. Suddenly frustrated at her own shyness, she took a deep breath and then exhaled slowly. “Stop being such a baby and go and talk to him,” she muttered to herself under her breath, and then stood up to walk over to the bar.

92. “Jesse? Hi,” Evie murmured nervously when she walked up to him. “H-how are you?” “Evie!!” Jesse exclaimed, grinning widely. “Hey. I’m goooood.... How are you? Enjoying the party?” he asked her, seemingly unaware that there wasn’t actually a party going on. “Um... Yes, it’s great,” Evie blushed. Then her self-loathing kicked in again and she stood up a little straighter, trying to adopt a more confident pose.

93. “So... Do you like my new hairstyle?” she asked him boldly, trying to ignore the butterflies fluttering in her stomach. “And the new outfit? I know it’s not normally the sort of thing I’d wear, but Gabby took me shopping and I actually quite enjoyed it; I mean, it’s different but it’s good different, if that makes any sense....” She trailed off, realising she was babbling, and smiled nervously at Jesse. “What do you think?”

94. The butterflies in Evie’s stomach suddenly started to turn into knots when she saw Jesse look at her with disapproval. “No, I hate it,” he frowned. “It’s not you anymore; you barely look like yourself.”

95. Her stomach was practically dropping through the floor now. “W-what?” she stammered. “Why don’t you like it?” She wasn’t entirely sure she wanted to hear the answer; just hearing Jesse talking to her like this was bad enough. He’d never ever been rude to her before, and she didn’t understand why he was now.

96. He pulled a face and narrowed his eyes at her. “Let’s just say I can tell it was Gabriella who took you shopping,” he retorted. “You look just like her.”

97. At the tone of his voice, Evie felt a little of her former anger sparking up again, and she put her hands on her hips. “And what’s that supposed to mean?” she demanded hotly.

98. “Well if you must know, you look like a tart,” Jesse snapped. “A silly, vain little tart.”

99. Shocked and saddened by his sudden offensiveness, Evie stared at Jesse for a moment in silence. “You... You really think that?” she whispered eventually. “Why are you being so rude?”

100. “I’m not being rude,” Jesse insisted without noticing Evie’s hurt expression. “I’m just telling you the truth; you’re making a fool of yourself.”

101. Feeling her cheeks burning up, Evie glared at him. “I don’t want to talk to you anymore if you’re going to act this way,” she cried, but Jesse just sneered at her.

102. “Fine,” he muttered, folding his arms. “Then don’t. Go home. I don’t want to talk to you either if you’re going to start dressing this way.”

103. Evie looked away. “Don’t worry, I’m going,” she snapped, holding up a hand. She couldn’t bear to hear anymore.

104. Turning around without saying goodbye, she walked to the exit with tears burning in her eyes. She couldn’t believe the conversation had just taken place. She’d never fought with Jesse in her life before, and she’d never heard him speak in any other way than politely either. She had no idea what had suddenly made him change, but all she wanted to do now was get out of this place and go home.

105. As Evie waited for a taxi to come and pick her up, she knew she should probably find Gabby and Zara and let them know what had happened, but she couldn’t face being around Jesse any longer. As she re-played the conversation in her mind, the tears began to roll down her cheeks, and she cried all the way home. She had hoped in some way that Jesse would run after her and apologise, but he hadn’t.

106. When the taxi pulled up outside the dorm, she paid as quickly as possible and then ran up the steps and through the doors.

107. The other residents of the dorm who were still awake stared at her as she went past, but she didn’t stop until she’d made it to the bathroom, locking herself inside where she wouldn’t be bothered.

108. As she slumped to the floor, sitting with her back to the wall and her head in her hands, she re-lived the evening, sobbing softly. It had all been a huge mistake. She should have trusted her instinct, and Zara’s advice, that this was not what Jesse would want. She should have been firmer with Gabby, and then none of this would ever have happened. And now she had probably ruined her friendship with Jesse for good.

109. Pulling herself shakily to her feet, Evie stared at her reflection in the mirror. Jesse was right; she barely even recognised herself anymore. Suddenly she wanted to be her old self again; the real Evie. She quickly ran to her bedroom, grabbed her old clothes and then jumped into the shower, washing and brushing at her hair until she’d got it back to the way she’d always had it.

110. When she’d finished in the shower and got back into her usual clothes, pulling her hair into the familiar plait and putting on her own glasses, she at least felt a little better, although her eyes were still puffy and red from crying and she knew she wouldn’t stop until morning. She wiped at her eyes and then quickly left the bathroom, going back to her room and getting into bed before anyone could stop her. She didn’t sleep much that night.

111. Early the next morning, a concerned Zara and an apologetic Gabby had knocked without stopping on Evie’s door until she’d let them in, and then they had dragged her into the dining room for a talk. The previous night, they had worked out what had happened by Jesse’s behaviour, and had come home shortly after Evie to find her already in bed. “Evie... Things could have gone worse,” Gabby said, trying to be optimistic but earning a glare from Zara for her troubles.

112. “How could things have gone worse?!” Zara demanded. “And all of this is your fault anyway you little twit; if you hadn’t poked your nose in none of this would have happened!”

113. “Well you didn’t exactly make any suggestions as to how to help her,” Gabby retorted. “And I was just doing what I knew had worked for me and Taylor.”

114. “Oh yeah, because you and Taylor have a perfect relationship. If that’s the word to describe it,” Zara snorted derisively. Evie sighed and lifted her head from the table. “You two... Please, don’t fight again,” she said wearily. “I don’t want to have to deal with that today.”

115. She felt her lower lip tremble slightly as tears threatened to spill down her cheeks again. “I... I need to figure out how I can show my face around him again... I just... I don’t understand why he was acting so mean to me. Jesse’s never mean.”

116. “Believe me, I’ll make him regret it for the rest of his life,” Zara replied fiercely. “I’ll show him just how much of a complete idiot he was to you last night, no matter what it takes.”

117. Evie smiled a little at that. “Thank you, Zara,” she murmured gratefully. “But... You’re not going to be too mean to him, are you?” she asked anxiously. Zara was better at sports than most boys Evie knew, and could probably leave Jesse with some serious injuries if she wanted to.

118. Zara laughed and waved a hand dismissively. “Don’t worry; I won’t hurt him. I just want him to understand exactly how he’s made you feel.” Gabriella turned to Zara. “And make sure he takes back what he said about the outfit, too. It was gorgeous.” Zara rolled her eyes. “Whatever.”

119. When Gabby and Zara had succeeded in cheering Evie up a little, she headed out into the hallway with them, grateful that Jesse was nowhere to be seen. “You know, I could do with a distraction and I have a huge essay due in this week,” Evie mused. “I’m going to the library to study for a few hours; do either of you want to come?” “Sure,” Gabby nodded. “No thanks,” Zara smiled. “I need to do... A thing,” she added cryptically, and Evie frowned at her friend’s secrecy but nodded.

120. As Evie and Gabby left for the library, Zara headed into the lounge and smiled at who she found there. “Need some company?” she winked.

121. Vance grinned up at her from the armchair he was sitting in. “Oh, so you’re the one flirting with me now, are you?” he asked, wiggling his eyebrows. “Thought you weren’t the flirting type?”

122. “Don’t get your hopes up,” Zara smiled, taking a seat on the sofa. “So, how are you?” She and Vance had spent most of the previous evening talking to each other, until Zara had left with Gabby to go after Evie, and she had actually discovered that she had a lot in common with Vance. They were both into sports, both enjoyed teasing Gabriella and both were extremely adept at handing out sarcastic comments.

123. “My day got a whole lot brighter when you walked into the room, sunshine,” Vance grinned maddeningly, and Zara sighed with mock exasperation. Vance certainly loved to push his luck with her ‘no flirting’ rule, and while she found it amusing, she didn’t want him to get his hopes up too much. Nothing would ever happen between them; she was determined.

124. “You need some new pick-up lines,” she told him, glancing away. “The ones you keep using are old.” Vance gave her a look of fake concern. “Is my handsome and rugged charm not working on you?” “Not a bit.”

125. “Hmph,” he murmured, and then smiled slowly. “Guess I’ll just have to keep trying.” “Please don’t.” “Aw, come on; you know you love it,” Vance pouted, and Zara sighed.

126. Then she laughed helplessly, and Vance laughed too. She really had no idea how to convince him that they could only ever be friends, but until she could, his attempts at wooing her would certainly amuse her for quite a while.

127. At the library, Evie finally found herself able to concentrate on her work rather than her issues with Jesse. She managed to spend a good two hours revising, and Gabriella even helped her to memorise the facts at first, until she got restless.

128. When Gabby said something about going to talk to ‘the cute boy who just walked into the room’, Evie murmured in acknowledgement and returned to her book. She was used to Gabby flirting with boys all the time; it was just her nature.

129. Evie just wished Gabby would make it clear to the poor boys she picked out that she already had a boyfriend. It wasn’t really fair on them when Gabby lost interest in them a few days later.

130. After finally managing to drag Gabby away from the young boy at the library (Evie had asked what his name was, but Gabby hadn’t remembered), the girls headed home. Evie was silent for most of the journey back; she knew Jesse would have just gotten back from a lecture and she wasn’t looking forward to bumping into him. Yet at the same time, she missed his friendship terribly and all she wanted was for them to be talking again.

131. But when she actually got inside and came face to face with him, all she could think of was the way he had looked at her and the way he had spoken the previous night. It was enough to put all ideas of talking to him again out of her head, and she hurried past him without saying a word.

132. Jesse watched sadly as the girls walked past him without speaking. He knew he’d behaved terribly the night before, and he felt awful about it. He didn’t even know himself why he had acted in such a way; he could only put it down to having too much to drink. Evie was his best friend and he wanted to apologise to her more than anything, but she hadn’t spoken to him since running out on him... She must hate him now, he realised.

133. He tried to brighten up a little as he wandered into the dining room and saw one of the girls who lived in the dorm, Angela, walking towards him. “Angela,” he called to her with a small smile. “How are you?”

134. “Hi Jesse. I’m fine; how are you?” Angela asked politely, realising Jesse looked a little down. “Oh, I’m... Fine,” he mumbled, not wanting to talk about what had happened with Evie to anyone else. “Listen Angela, I wanted to thank you for helping me finish that assignment today. You really helped me out.”

135. “I did?” Angela asked, sounding flattered. As a result of him and Evie not speaking, Jesse had asked Angela, who was in his classes, to help him finish the assignment Evie had helped him to start. He had managed to hand it in with plenty of time to spare, and was feeling confident about getting a high score.

136. “Yeah; it made no sense to me until you explained it,” Jesse smiled. “Actually, I wanted to ask you a favour... Do you think you could sort of spare a couple of hours a week or something, just to run through with me what we did in class? I’d be really grateful; you have a great way of explaining things,” Jesse told her.

137. “Sure,” Angela smiled. “I could do that. What time is best for you?” “Really?” Jesse smiled back. “Thanks so much, Angela! And any time is good for me. Except for, you know, lectures,” he added. “How about tonight?”

138. “That’s fine by me,” Angela smiled. “Great!” Jesse answered brightly, not realising Evie had entered the room behind him and was now listening with growing dread. “I’ll see you tonight then! I’ll meet you at your room, at about 7 ish?” “It’s a date,” Angela laughed.

139. Evie clapped her hands to her mouth, trying not to gasp as she watched Jesse and Angela talk. She had spent a few minutes deliberating in her room before finally deciding to make the first move and go to see Jesse, when she had heard him in the dining room and gone in to find him. What she had seen, however, was not what she had expected, and yet it was so obvious that it was going to happen. She had destroyed any chance of a future with Jesse, and now... It’s a date...

140. Well, that’s it for chapter 1; thanks SO much for reading guys!! Hope you enjoyed this; it’s taken me sooooo long to actually get it out and for those who were waiting for it, I sincerely apologise. Hopefully I can get the next chapter out much quicker. Until then, thanks again and I’d love to hear any comments, good or bad, you’d like to give me! Bye for now :)