Lightweight. | ✔

Chapter Eight.

Focus Lyla. I scolded myself and stared at my canvas.

It was an illustration of a red-hair female on a portrait that Mr. Dale had tapped to the white board. It's actually an in-class assignment worth twenty percent of my semester grade. However, I can't seem to shape her lips correctly and I had to start over like two times already. Maybe if you just stop thinking about Kyle you could focus.

I groaned aloud and sat back on my stool. I was happy no one was at class yet to see me in such agony. I have been avoiding Kyle the pass two days and I can tell he was beyond pissed. But can you blame me? We kissed! Not hug but kissed. I kissed my best friend and now I was scared beyond measure. What if he has second thoughts? Did he even have first thoughts? What's going to happen to us now? My mind was completely bombarded with all these questions constantly and it was beyond stressful. I placed my brush down and rubbed my sweaty palms on my jeans jumper.

Was I ready to put myself in that position again? Am I ready for a relationship?

I swallowed nervously. Jared made me scared out of my wits of becoming so vulnerable to a guy. And I knew Kyle was nothing like him. However, I couldn't help but feel reluctant to go back into that frame of mind. Once I'm there...It's very hard for me to come back out.

A blur of colour appeared before me, and I quickly blinked it into focus. It was a girl.

"Wow, you're a really great painter." She complimented.

I stared at her dumbstruck. Was she really talking to me?

I studied her appearance cautiously and realized that I couldn't recognize her. I don't believe I've ever seen her here before. She wore light blue high waist jeans and a crop top that looks like she splashed paint all over it. She seems to be about my height and had strawberry blonde hair and bright blue eyes. Her small lips pulled into a warm smile as she looks at me expectantly. It's then I recognized that I haven't responded.

"Oh! Uh, yeah thanks, I guess." I itched my hair feeling extremely awkward.

She quirked one of her perfectly done brows. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm just surprised you're talking to me that's all." I admitted, glancing to my feet. Damn, I need to re-do my toe nails-

"Why would I not talk to you?" she asked, and I snapped my eyes to her again. She had a sincere look of confusion across her face and suddenly everything clicked into place.

"You're new, aren't you?"

She placed her bag on the drawing table in front mines and sat on the stool there. She smiled brightly. "Yup! I'm Alicia Beckham." She introduced.

My heart plummeted. "Beckham?"

She rolled her eyes seemingly to pick up, what I was hinting at. "Yes, Jackson is my brother. I was living in the city with my father, but some stuff happened, and I was forced to move here. I'm not too happy about it, but I'd rather just keep a low profile and get through senior year." She explains calmly. I raised my brows in surprise at how kind she seems to be. The complete opposite of her dickhead brother. I wouldn't mind getting to know her, however a part of me feels like Jackson will eventually fill her in on the running's of this place and she'll forget me in no time.

"So, what's your name?" she inquired, just as the morning bell rang. I opened my mouth to answer when an extremely familiar voice beat me to it.

"LYLA." He stated.

"Kyle." I murmured, immediately glancing at my work table. My heart started beating quickly just by his proximity. And judging from his posture, he was definitely going to address that the fact that I've been-