“See! THAT Look in your eyes. It's quite validating.”

I smiled and shrugged.

“It gives me a rush and I don't have to worry about you grabbing my ass or taking things the wrong way. But yes, you being in love with me would ruin everything. You've been my friend since we were kids on the elementary soccer field. You're the one guy that doesn't treat me like a potential mate, and I cherish that sense of comfortability. I've tried to make friends with other guys, but there's always the tension of whether or not they'll ask me out, or if I'll get interested enough to ask him out. It's all too nerve wracking and I'd hate it if that kind of will-we-or-won't-we-start-dating tension ever cropped up between us."

Nodding, I replied, “I totally agree.”

“So you're not in love with me," Alice said, more statement of confirmation than a question.

I nodded.

Alice not-so-subtly flicked her eyes to Belle.

“I'm not in Love with ANY of the BTC," I stated firmly.

Alice mused on that for a second before shrugging.

“If you say so.”

I shook my head and gestured toward the school.

“C'mon, let's get to class."

Sam and I shared our first and second periods, so we always walked together from one to the other. Sam was busy talking to the teacher before class (she was a pretty driven student), so there wasn't time for us to talk before the period started, but as soon as we walked out the door she wrapped her arms around mine, leaned in close, and started whispering just loud enough for me to hear while we kept walking to our next class.

“Are you or are you not in love with one of the BTC girls and saving yourself for her?"

"Ah, hell," was my only response. Her accent somehow made her sound pretty angry.

“So Zofi and I think it's either Belle or Neevie. Belle because you two have always been close, and Neevie because it's clear you've always been super attracted to each other, you think she's the most gorgeous thing you've ever seen, and if it wasn't for The Rule you two would've hooked up already."

“I'm not in love with either of them. Belle’s like my little sister and that's never gonna happen. And yes, Neevie is super hot, but I‘m not in love with her."

“Then which one of us? Me? Zofi?"

“No, no, none of you,” I cut her off before she kept naming names. "I'm not in love with any of you. Lust, certainly. But not love.”

“Then why didn't you fuck Holly?"

I winced at her saying the f-word aloud, spotted an out of the way corner, and pulled Sam towards it. She still clung to my arm closer than any non-dating couple would, so we got a few stares, but we paid them no mind before I got my back against a wall. Surrounded on three sides, I felt a little more comfortable having this conversation. At least our second period wasn't far away.

“Why didn't you fuck Holly?" Sam repeated.

"I still don't really know," I said, a little exasperated. "I'm starting to wish I did just so I wouldn't have to deal with all these questions about why I didn't. Yes, she's really sexy and we had a great time and under normal circumstances I would have plowed the hell out of her. But I couldn't shake the feeling that if I did that, I'd...

I'd..."

"You'd be giving your virginity to someone you didn't really love," Sam finished for me. "Hence all the questions about which one of us you're in love with."