Summary: Lila is reading a scary story when her friend Neal comes along and scares her. He tries to comfort her, and Lila starts to wonder if maybe he could be more than a friend…

NOTE: this is actually going to be part of a future story of mine. I guess this is actually kind of a spoiler. Oh well. This takes place at a boarding school, and they are in the dormitory commons or something like that. Okay. Enjoy!

A loud pounding filled the room. Then again, maybe only she heard it; her heart couldn't be that loud. She knew that she was breathing rapidly and that she would start to see things in the shadows. Books never scared her; at one time, they had been her only friends.

"Hey," a voice said. She screamed and fell out of her chair.

"Don't eat me!" she wailed, holding the book over her head.

"Jeez, Lila, calm down," the male voice said soothingly. "It's just Neal. I'm not going to hurt you or eat you or anything. What are you reading?"

"A book," she said as she hauled herself back into the chair. When Neal glanced at her out of his soft brown eyes, she blushed and realized how stupid she had sounded. "It's really scary. There's this cult thing and they're cannibals and I swear one of them sounds just like Markus."

"I'm quite sure he isn't Markus," Neal said brightly. He sat on the flat arm of her chair and read one paragraph from her book. "Ew," he remarked.

"Yes. There was a really creepy part that I read last night at midnight and I got so scared that I hardly slept at all. It's funny; I've read so many books that they hardly ever scare me. I'm the girl who read Dracula as a bedtime story!" Lila cried. A look of horror came over Neal's face as she began to weep.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"It's really scary," she sobbed. Neal frowned and slid down next to her in the chair. It was a big chair, so they weren't too squashed. Neal wrapped his arms around her thin shoulders and rocked her back and forth as she cried.

"Shhh. It's okay," he said softly. He stroked her blonde hair and pushed it away from her damp face. The frightened girl laid her head against the hollow of his neck. "It's only a book. I'm here; you don't need to be afraid."

"Mmmm…" she mumbled against the green flannel of his shirt. Neal was so much nicer than anyone seemed to think. Why hadn't she seen it before? And he was so handsome, with his beautiful russet hair and leaf-brown eyes. Did he think she was pretty? She thought that she was very normal looking and classic, with her light blonde hair and sky-blue eyes.

Neal held her and rocked her like a child until the last of her tears had cried into salty trails down her cheeks. Only then did he release her.

Immediately, she missed his warmth and the feel of his arms around her. A strange feeling came over her. Was this love, or something less complex?

"Thank you," she murmured. Before she could stop herself, she kissed him on his cheek. He turned a pleasant pink color. "I feel much better now."

"Good," he said, sounding unsure of his words. "Er, goodnight then." He moved as if to leave, but Lila threw her arms around his waist.

"But there are only two more chapters!" she cried. "I have to finish the book or I will forevermore believe that all of my fellow human beings want to eat me. Please stay?"

"Um…okay," he said, sounding a little nervous.

Lila grinned at him and looked so much happier than he had expected she would. In fact, she looked absolutely ecstatic. Was it possible that she might like him as more than a friend? Could she ever feel for him as he did for her?

Throwing caution—and all discouraging thoughts—to the wind, he pressed his lips to hers and let his eyes close. If he was surprised by how she had smiled at him, he was even more shocked when she kissed him back. After only a few seconds, they simultaneously pulled apart and grinned identical idiotic grins.

"You'd better hold me tightly so I don't get scared," Lila giggled. Obligingly, Neal put his arms around her waist; she leaned against him and he rested his chin on the top of her head. Lila read very quickly and had soon finished the book. She threw it hard against the far wall. "For the poor sap you finds it," she cackled.

"My, you are wicked," Neal remarked.

"I am indeed," she said. "Neal, darling, I've got to go to bed now."

"Okay," he assented. "Me too."

They kissed goodnight and parted.

"Lila," Neal called suddenly. She paused and turned. "I love you."

"I love you too," she said. With last smiles, they finally parted, Lila to her room and Neal to his.