The soft music was still playing at the background when Reed finished his dialogue for the drama play. He glanced at the director who gave him a 'good enough' impression. But told him to practice the next part since he gave them a 15 minutes break.

Reed grunted and walked down the stage towards his usual spot where he rest. He sat down on the lounge and didn't realize there was already someone beside him..

"A little closer, preppie, and I'll bite." Ivy said with a smirk as the school's well known heart breaker sat down beside her. She had a script on one hand and the other was fingering the silver necklace dangling around her neck. It was simple without any charms but it brought out the unusual purple flecks in her eyes.

Reed didn't scoot away, instead he leaned back against the couch, trying to make himself comfortable. He didn't care if she'll actually bite, he even had the urge to move closer just to see if she actually would.

"Don't worry, I won't bite back unless you want me to." the corner of his lips curled up in a crooked smile.

(REN! XD Let's chat )

"Don't tempt me. I'm rabid and I don't think you'd like it when I get into your head." She let out a low laugh and her fingers slid down to her back pocket and she arched her back so she could reach a packet of cigarettes. She held it up and threw it out of the window.

"I took that from some douche who blew smoke into my face." She wrinkled her nose. "I hate smoking, do you?" Her eyes fell on him.

(lmao Meg, chat where? here?)

Reed's eyebrows went up but he still kept his amused smile. He crossed his arms in front of his chest while watching her, noticing her exotic eyes.

"I think you know about that. You see sweetheart, you won't keep that pack if you really hate it just because you want to use that sarcasm."

(When you click forum, you're brought to the home page, right? Scroll to the bottom and you'll find the chat box. XDDDDDD)

"Don't call me sweetheart, lover boy. I'm almost falling for you." She trickled in an extra drip of sarcasm there and she flipped her hair back so that the tips hit the guy square int he face. There was something about Reed that made her want to rip him to shreds and kiss him in the process.

It was annoying.

Reed felt her hair hit his cheek and he rubbed it. He couldn't believe this girl just did that to him. But that just made him smiled wider.

"Too bad, I thought you were the hard type of girl to get. You know they say that the higher the apple is above the tree, the harder it would fall."

"At least I know you're the one picking the rotten apples down the bottom, Cross." Ivy said lightly. she was enjoying the banter despite herself though she kept a straight face on that only showed a hint of amusement. Just to tick him off, she crossed her boot clad feet and propped them over his lap.

"True. But not every apple would turns out rotten.." Reed raised a perfect eyebrow at her leg but didn't protest. Then he draped his arms on the head couch, acting like a boss.

"Which apple are you Rodriguez?"

"The one you can't have, Cross." Ivy winked, crossing her arms over her chest to mirror her feet and she had that smug look on her face that would've made anybody want to give up but still try to win her over. She always had that affect on people. The more she tried to be mean, the more people wanted her to accept them.

She didn't know that though and she blamed it all on looks.

"That's not fair." Reed frowned at her slightly then he looked down at her legs on his lap before he grabbed her arm and pulled her to his lap.

"Stay still." he whispered, hiding his face when he leaned closer but he was looking at the girls that just came through the big door, probably searching for him.

"All is fair in..." Ivy tried to hide her surprise when she caught the group of girls that were coming their way. Part irritation and part something else made her do what she was about to do.

"Here ladies!" She shouted as she pushed herself off of him and she held a hand out while the other was pointing at Reed. "If you want a taste of Cross, he's hiding like a coward."

Reed stared at her wide eyes but he didn't move from the couch when the girls trying to tug him towards a room where many sparkly and glittery things are.

"No. The director gave me 15 mins break to practice my scenario." He said to the girls then he hushed them away before he glared at Ivy.

"Hey," She shrugged so that the spaghetti sleeves of her ripped shirt fell over her shoulder. "A girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do. And in this case..." She smirked as she pushed further back against the cushions with that smug look back in her face.

"I had to teach you a lesson. I wasn't born to be a human shield, Reed, nor will I ever be. You got that?" She was actually serious this time and the situation stung more than it should.

Reed pursed his lips, his eyes squinted at her but he was slightly distracted when he saw her bare shoulder. He forced himself to look away.

"All I want is for you to stay on my lap for like a minute. They obviously won't attack you." he muttered as he leaned down with his hand slipped behind her to pull his papers that he dropped.

"Yeah, but what's the fun in that? A little action wouldn't hurt. I might even get a chance to 'accidentally' break that perfect nose of yours." Ivy said in turn and her body tensed when she suddenly felt his hand on her back. She tried not to show it though and she brushed off her bangs from her eyes with a frown.

Reed got his paper but he didn't pulled back his hand. He rested it on the couch head beside her head. He notice how close they were to the fact that he could see her eyes clearly.

"Well, too bad you also missed the chance to be close to me sweetheart." he smirked.

"I'd never dream of it." Irritation seeped into her voice and Ivy narrowed her eyes at the boy who was a year older than her. She reached over him for a cushion and she slammed it not too lightly on his face and with a shout she scrambled to get up from the couch, only to get entangled with her own feet and fall back down again.

"Sh-t!" She held her hands up in case he thought about hitting her back.

(Just like old times XD)

Reed quickly turned his head around so she won't hurt his face since his manager strictly said to pay attention towards it. He snatched the cushion from her and watch her fell back on the couch.

"What the hell are you doing?" he laughed so hard and no one ever heard him laugh so much like that. Usually he laugh because he need to act happy. But this time he sounds so honest, he even need to lie down beside her on the lounge, letting his head leaned against her legs when he clutched his stomach from laughing too much.

( yeah)

"You have issues." Ivy said brokenly as she tried to adjust to the sudden surprise she was feeling. In the one year that she's been here, she's never seen the guy actually laugh like that. Her eyes grew wide for like a second when Reed leaned dangerously close towards her legs and she jerked her knee up in instinct.

"Whoops." The corner of her lips turned up into a smirk.

Reed fall on the couch just in front her leg. He looked up with an eyebrow raised, clearly amused when she didn't want him to touch her.

"You're ridiculous." he said with a slight British accent then he gave her his trade mark smile but his eyes glinted mischievously, edging to tease her even more.

"Ridiculously out of your league you mean." Ivy put on her dark mellow voice and her she looked at him through half closed eyes to expose her expertly put on mascara. She was starting to really hate this guy but she itched to get even for some weird reason.

Reed rolled his eyes playfully at her and he rested his folded arms on her knees that were between them, separating Ivy with him. "You don't need acting hard to get because you already got me Ivy." he said with a little sarcasm and trailed off.

He looked down at the script and notice the same dialogues. "Are you my next partner?" his eyebrows went up in disbelief.

"You love me, Damon, you're just too much of a coward to admit it." Ivory quoted from the script, leaning forward in the suede and rough voice that was part of her character. She grabbed the script room his hand and threw it over her shoulder.

"If what they said about you was true, Cross, then you don't need a script." She smirked.

"Who said about that?.." Reed frowned but he nearly get into the character when he gave her his sad smile. He sighed mentally and gave in.

"Feel it here Elena. There's no words could describe it but we have to be discreet." he put her hand against his chest but he didn't even need to act when his heart beating hard against it ribs cage.

He quickly pulled back when he stared at her too long than he should.