HOW TO LOVE . CALEB

[JENNA RIANNE TAYLOR]

<sup>There she was, yet again, in Caleb Herrington's bed.

If someone were to approach and ask any member of Harbor Academy's student population to describe Jenna Taylor in five words "tease" and "good girl" would almost be certain to surface. The thing about Jenna was that she wasn't just that goody goody cheerleader, but she didn't do enough to make her cross the line into the non-good girl realm of the high school social scene. Though if they had known her hidden agenda with Harbor's token bad boy, they'd say different. It was more than just fooling around with Caleb though, Jenna actually felt something for the blonde senior. He was ridiculously good looking, that was a given, and there was always the physical attraction card that Jenna could pull. But this was different. Jenna had never been one to open up so easily, both emotionally and from the physical standpoint, and yet with Caleb it seemed like such a simple thing to do. It felt natural, or right in a sense. Onlookers would easily think Jenna was going crazy; if she was going to open up to anyone, why Caleb? Caleb was known for entrancing girls and leaving them, he was the player, the heartbreaker, but something in Jenna was willing to gamble that if it meant being the object of Caleb's affection, if even for a bit. Okay, now Jenna was starting to understand why girls swooned over the smooth-talking boy. As cliche as it sounded, he was irresistible in a way. Damn his charming personality.

Obviously this wasn't the first time she found herself lying next to Caleb. Aside from maybe the few times that Jenna would talk to him after class or show brief bits of affection in the hall when passing him, no one really knew much about what had been going on with the two of them. The reality was that Jenna and Caleb often got together to "study", yet the two of them would end up making out and getting carried away. Sometimes they didn't even sugar coat it by planning to study or anything like that, they would just simply go out or spend time together. Jenna genuinely liked Caleb's company, it was sort of adventurous being around him. Though Jenna wasn't raised in the nicest neighborhood, her edges softened greatly over the years and it was almost like she had always been showered with compassion. Caleb also made Jenna feel sexy, and wanted, so why not? They'd fooled around on multiple occasions, surprisingly none of them resulting in full-on sex. Caleb had been the only other person, other than Luke of course, that knew that Jenna wasn't a virgin. She had made sure that Caleb knew that she wouldn't get involved with all of that unless she was in a steady relationship, which he seemed to understand, and still stick around, surprisingly.

Jenna lifted her head and lingered her eyes on Caleb for a moment. "Hey," She finally said after a long moment of silence. She let out a small chuckle at her voice filling the beforehand quite room. She ran a hand through her brunette, messy hair. Usually Jenna was huge on conversation, but what was there to say at this point? She knew things weren't awkward between them, but maybe she wanted something more. Something more stable. But with Caleb that was almost like asking a kindergardener to take a nap, or so Jenna assumed.</sup>

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[CALEB RYAN HERRINGTON]

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Scarlett…… he thought as his back was flat on the bed, hands behind his head with his arms stretched out. Scarlet was the one on his mind at the present time during the silence. Was it wrong? Probably not seeing as how it was the one girl Caleb actually came to….love? At least he thought he did, fate however took that chance in letting him find out if it was the real thing or not. Scarlet passed away about two years ago in New York, Caleb old home before moving to California right before his junior year started. He decided to move because he couldn’t stand being in the same places he was with her, and constantly being reminded that she was never coming back.

People back home claimed Scarlet was a good influence on Caleb, she had good grades, a good head on her shoulders, and came from a good family, but they could never understand why she went for him when she could have had anyone else. Sometimes it struck Caleb as odd too but he never dared questioned it, he just let it be. She died the night before their anniversary around late spring getting hit by a car that was speeding away from the cops, dying a few minutes later. Just thinking about it, over and over, made Caleb’s blood boil. He continuously asked the cops the name of the driver at the police station the next day causing a scene, but seeing just how crazy Caleb was; the cops didn’t disclose that information and it was a good thing they didn’t.

At times Caleb got a little tired of the ‘bad boy’ persona, but at the same time it was how he mostly grew up, you either put up or shut up, and Caleb never shut up. This immediately caused girls to swoon over him, and he never denied the attention, he just denied any hopes of a relationship with any of the girls. After doing that from time to time, the word begins to spread and people look at you differently, some with disgust, others with envy, and some with hate. It was those judgmental people that made Caleb not want to change because he never really cared for acceptance from his peers. If he had it, great, if not, the world keeps spinning and that was that.

Jenna, miss Jenna Taylor. One of the few girls Caleb could actually have a regular conversation with without her using the word ‘like’ 20 times in one sentence or constantly talking about her appearance. Since day one of meeting Jenna, Caleb noted that her attitude or personality with him never changed, even if she did hear about his heartbreaker ways and just how much of a ‘dog’ he was. She accepted him for the person he was and his interests, even the naughty ones. And in return he didn’t treat her like every other girl who he shoo’ed away after they were done hooking up or ignored at school because he didn’t want anything more from them. She accepted him, and he accepted her. He heard her speak gently, her words trailing to his ear as he turned his head to the side and said “ ‘hey’ is for horses” joking of course with a sly smirk. He rested on his side facing her placing his hand on her waist “but what can I do for you?” he said smoothly looking at her with his frost blue eyes…..

[JENNA RIANNE TAYLOR]

<sup>Jenna knew enough about Caleb's past, but not every small detail. She could remember when they first met in class, and had shared a few things about where they were from because Caleb was new to the area. She knew that he used to live in New York, like she did, and that he used to (and quite possibly still does) do street fighting. What she didn't know, though, was Caleb's past with females. Jenna had never heard him utter a word about any exes, which would be impossible for someone like Caleb not to have. Although sure, he wasn't particularly one that came off as someone who got involved in many relationships, but he had to have had at least a few girls he tried it out on in the past. Who knew.

Would it be bad though, if Jenna didn't really care about the other girls?
They were in the past, of course, for a reason. And obviously Caleb didn't bring them up for a reason, which Jenna was perfectly content with.

Jenna's eyes fell over Caleb, resting comfortably on his bicep muscles for a minute before following it up to the hand behind his head, making eye contact with him for a moment there. God, he was so gorgeous it was unfair. Maybe the whole "physical attraction" aspect played a larger role than Jenna was willing to admit, but she definitely couldn't help it. It seemed like most any girl at Harbor couldn't either, so she wasn't alone. But she did she Caleb differently than just that. He deserved more respect than just someone girls drooled over, so Jenna gave him the respect he deserved.

If she had learned one thing during the time spent with Caleb thus far, Jenna learned that Caleb didn't do the whole awkward thing. He was an excellent icebreaker, which worked out perfectly because Jenna was the exact same way. She giggled at his respond as her smile settled in feeling his hand resting on her waist. His touch drove her crazy, in the best way. It was almost like she needed it at this point. "Give me another kiss?" She asked, tilting her head in response to his question. She then laughed again, moving to be a little closer to Caleb on the bed.</sup>

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[CALEB RYAN HERRINGTON]

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Detailing his past was something Caleb was always hesitant to do. He mainly talked about the small stuff, him getting into trouble, him deciding to move to have a clean slate, etc… But being an orphan for a few years and living from foster home to foster home was something he didn’t really share. I mean how would the privileged kids at school see him if they knew that he wasn’t raised by his biological parents or close relatives but instead complete strangers every few months or years? He hated people’s pity so to avoid it he just never talked about family, let alone exes. His reputation in California built up to a player’s status and he didn’t feel like proving to others otherwise.

When he was in a relationship however, he did end up being faithful because for once, he had someone who was there for him for a good amount of time who he started to care about and who cared about him as well and he couldn’t imagine ruining that. But, after the incident Caleb was a complete mess and he couldn’t even begin to process how Scarlett would see him now, maybe he was, in the end, a dog. Maybe I didn’t deserve her he thought as his eyes stayed parallel to the ceiling. Beating himself up was another thing Caleb did most of the time, if something didn’t go right he would immediately think it was because he did something or was involved somehow. It kind of happens when you realize at a young age that the people who were biologically programmed to love you, your parents……didn’t. Sleeping around was fun and all, but after the girl of the day left his apartment, Caleb was alone.

Alone was a feeling he’d been used to for most of his life. Alcohol was a way Caleb coped with it, by numbing the pain. He wasn’t an alcoholic, but he always had at least one bottle in his apartment, and when he really wanted the full treatment, he would add marijuana to the party favors and just listen to music letting the drugs take over any bit of emotion he was feeling. But when Jenna was around, he never tried to do either. Sure it was bad enough that the ‘good girl’ from Harbour was rolling around with him, but he didn’t want to see her get used to those evil remedies. All the thinking ceased when Jenna began talking and moving her hands from his bicep muscle to his hand.

No one could every deny Jenna of her beauty, but her heart seemed to be bigger than Caleb’s. Looking into her eyes, it was if Caleb could read her innocent soul, wondering if she could read his. His hand managed to stay on her waist as they both made eye contact with each other, and as quiet as it got, things never got awkward, either one of them would start talking or they would end up making out again. He laughed a little at her giggle and smirked when she politely asked for another kiss; he tilted his head the opposite way leaning in closer and closer to her lips before quietly saying “say please” as his eyes looked at her while he teased, and a few seconds later, he fully leaned in placing the hand that was on her waist to her neck, pressing his lips to hers, kissing her again, lightly leaning over her on his bed, tonight he wouldn’t be lonely….

[JENNA RIANNE TAYLOR]

<sup>Jenna wasn't exactly sure how long all of this had been going on between her and Caleb, but she certainly wasn't complaining. It was kinda funny how Caleb was kind of bringing out the side of her that no one had ever seen before, except Luke of course but that was a whole other story for a different time. She liked Caleb though, and regardless of what anyone said about him it would probably stay that way.

Her mind drifted off into thought about them together, officially, and how it would be different than how things were now. For one, they would be exposed to the whole student body of Harbour which wasn't exactly something Jenna wanted to deal with. People were so judgmental and Caleb was far from being a member of the "popular" clique. He was a bad boy, a player, a heart breaker. Why would Jenna want anything to do with that? And that's exactly what she'd hear, so maybe it wasn't a good idea to think about it being official. But then again Jenna would be lying if she said she didn't want to be the only girl in Caleb's life, because she most certainly did. Caleb had sort of an aura about him that drew most girls in, and Jenna was definitely no exception to that.

Things felt natural with Caleb though, they fell into place quite nicely. Jenna felt at peace with him, like she could really be herself. Jenna was never really one to go out and try and impress guys anyways, they either liked her or they didn't and from what she could read, Caleb seemed like he liked her alright. Jenna loved the attention, anyway.

Jenna heard Caleb speak up again and a smile spread across her face. He was so attractive, Jenna couldn't help but be in somewhat of a trance. Then he kissed her, like he had so many times before, yet still it drove Jenna crazy. And Jenna kissed him back, of course, as she always did. Eventually she pulled away, tilting her head over Caleb's. "You're hot," She pointed out playfully, smirking down at him. She placed a hand on his chest and looked him deep in the eye.</sup>

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[CALEB RYAN HERRINGTON]

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Caleb’s memory was never that great so remembering when he and Jenna started to really hang out, one on one, seemed like a while ago to him. He always remembered how extremely nice she was to him on his first day, something he thought was cute, but perhaps it was her game for the new guys, especially the ‘bad boy’ new guys to give her easy access for some play later. Whatever it was, it surely worked for Caleb, and he had no intention of complaining. But then again, Caleb never really saw Jenna with other guys unless they were in their little ‘cliques’ where it was a group of girls and guys. No threats there.

But people mostly knew Jenna as a tease, so maybe she would just flirt with guys and leave them high and dry, no play in between. It still struck Caleb as odd that she spent a lot of her time with him. They weren’t together, but if people knew about their rendezvous out of school, they would probably assume they were together, and boy would the talking begin. Not much from his friends, but he figured her ‘girlfriends’ would call her crazy and air him out like a wet mattress to try to convince her to reconsider her choice, that’s how it was for Scarlett, and she didn’t listen to any of them and stood by Caleb’s side, surprisingly. Caleb knew females to listen to each other and take the advice given no matter what, would Jenna be the same way?

Wait, why was he thinking about his? especially while he was kissing her. He slowly pulled away and opened his eyes to look at her as he place both of his hands on each side of her waist, gently rubbing against her skin. It was a shame that Jenna didn’t want to go further, but Caleb would feel like a complete jerk if he tried to push her and upset her to a point where she would start treating him like everybody else. As hard as it was, especially with how they fooled around, Caleb did his best to respect Jenna’s wishes. But did her wishes exceed more than just a friendship between the two?

She really likes you man were the words that trailed in Caleb’s mind from the chat with Luke. It was obvious to Caleb that to hang out constantly, people had to like each other, but Luke meant more than that, and it sent Caleb on a whirlwind of thoughts. These thoughts were interrupted by Jenna’s words. Caleb couldn’t help but smirk, he loved compliments “well, if I’m hot then you’re clearly on fire” he said biting his lip; it was true; Jenna had to be one of the most attractive girls at school. Caleb wasn’t oblivious to how she felt, but he did his best to try to ignore the signals because he didn’t want anyone to end up hurt. But at the same time, he didn’t want Jenna to get bored and start hanging out with someone else, looks like Mr. Herrington was starting to feel something more as well……

[JENNA RIANNE TAYLOR]

<sup>Though Jenna wasn't that arrogant, stuck up bitch, she inwardly had came to the understanding that many, if not all, girls at Harbor would kill to be in her shoes. Jenna worked extremely hard for what she had, but from the outside looking in, it all seemed effortless. Girls would kill to have Jenna's outright bubbly personality, calming nature, beauty, and in this case, be lying in bed next to Caleb Herrington. If the two progressed their relationship into something more, it was easy that they'd be the most talked about couple in the halls of Harbor Academy. Jenna was a good girl, Caleb was a bad boy; Jenna was a part of the popular crowd, Caleb was well=known for different reasons. It would definitely be a scandal, but did Jenna mind that? Not at all.

Of course the more realistic side of her understood that being with Caleb wouldn't be easy; People would tear them down like nothing else. But wasn't it possible just to go with what your heart said from time to time? Besides, what if Caleb wanted to see other girls. They weren't official or anything, so technically it wouldn't be cheating, but Jenna didn't even like the thought of that. She didn't want anyone else except for Caleb, and she surely hoped he didn't want anyone else except for her... but was that too much to ask?

There she was, thinking about what if's again. It seemed like Jenna was doing that a lot regarding what her and Caleb would be. If people knew how much time Jenna not only spend with Caleb, but even so much as thinking about Caleb, people would think she'd gone completely bonkers. Jenna knew Caleb's reputation, and Caleb knew Jenna's.. then why was she in the situation she was in now?

Jenna liked Caleb, a lot, and it would be nice just to get that off her chest for once. She'd told Luke, but that was about the only time that she had came out and just said it like that. Luke seemed to know a lot of things about her that she didn't tell anyone else. Not many people had that relationship with their exes. Jenna figured she had to say something to Caleb, just to make it known perhaps. "So, how long are we just going to mess around before something turns into something?" Jenna finally spoke, biting her bottom lip. For the first time in a long time, Jenna was slightly nervous of what had just came out of her mouth.</sup>

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[CALEB RYAN HERRINGTON]

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[For the purpose of speeding up the plot and not wasting time, we are ending the thread above and beginning the next one where Caleb and Jenna will talk about their....situation]

The cat was out of the bag, and that was just the understatement of the century. Caleb was something he hasn’t been in a while, nervous. He wasn’t sure what to expect when Jenna would knock on that door, and even worse, when she walked in and sat down wanting an answer from him, an answer he wanted to be in sync with hers, but had demons in his closet that he could just not let loose. He admitted he was wrong for being purposefully oblivious to the signs and what people told him, but he thought he was doing his best to protect Jenna, from a man that didn’t deserve more than what he already had. Ever since he moved and attended a different school, Caleb saw himself changing in a slightly positive way, but his hobbies remained the same still giving him a title he’s had all throughout high school ‘token bad boy’.

He could imagine the looks on people’s faces if they ever actually saw his permanent record, they would probably be a lot more cautious around him, because the truth was, he was a lot crazier in his younger years; reason being was because he knew he would never serve real time in a prison if he was under 18 unless he killed someone, which he never did. Juvi was all he’d ever face, and it wasn’t all that bad. It was probably just a tickle compared to what he’d really face in prison. But being around the O.C. it definitely changed his perspective on a few things, especially the people. But one thing Caleb applauded Jenna for was her courage.

She actually stepped up to him without being afraid to say anything and everything that was on her mind, whether it was bashing him or telling him how she really feels. When it came down to feelings and emotions, Caleb didn’t like dealing with it, which is why he never dated since his ex, and never imagined him being able to do so anytime soon. He never forgot the first day he met Jenna, of course he did want to sleep with her as soon as possible but Jenna actually respected herself enough not to be the usual loose girl that slept around with every guy she pleased. Because the fact of the matter was, it was a double standard, guys could do it and it’s ok, but when girls did it, the guys’ interest was sure to decrease drastically. It’s just the way it worked.

Caleb honestly preferred spending time with Jenna as opposed to undressing a random girl from school and doing much more things than just making out. He enjoyed the conversation, he enjoyed the gentleness between the two, and he obviously enjoyed making out with her, even if there was a limit. Can I seriously make her happy though he thought to himself, not sure of the answer, he wanted to try, but failing was something he always knew, and was good at. He leaned his hands against the counter as he rubbed his face. I need a drink he thought as he opened his cupboard and pulled out a bottle of Jack Daniels and poured some in a cup, threw a few ice cubes, and topped it with some coke.

He shook the glass a little to mix it and took one chug as he leaned his lower body against the counter looking at the door, knowing Jenna would knock on it any minute, and he would have to make a choice….

[JENNA RIANNE TAYLOR]

<sup>It was one thing to assume something, but it was a completely different thing to hear it out in the open. Caleb liked her, and he had just openly admitted that in the public chat only hours ago. Jenna couldn't help but to relate this feeling back to middle school, when she had heard that the boy that she had a crush on had a crush on her back... where did they go from here? Of course this was on a much bigger scale than middle school, and they both were two completely different people. It was sort of Romeo and Juliet in a way, but that was even too corny for Jenna's liking to say, and she read Nicholas Sparks books.

She agreed to meet Caleb at his house to sort of talk things over face-to-face. Quite honestly, Jenna wasn't sure if she really wanted to face all of this at once, but it needed to be done so she simply agreed. What was she going to say though? Jenna had said, or better yet typed, everything that was on her mind. She had told Caleb he needed to get over his pride, she'd said she liked him, she'd said she didn't care that they were in different social cliques... all of that pretty much summed it up. Now what did she have left to say to Caleb once she'd came to his door? This would be the challenging part.

Jenna parked her car in the driveway of Caleb's apartment complex, allowing herself to sit there for a moment to a) get her thoughts together and b) check her makeup in the mirror. It didn't matter how much Caleb liked spending time with Jenna and enjoyed her company, if she didn't have that number one physical factor who knew where things would go. Of course she would never vocalize that, but was a thought in the back of her mind.

Finally, Jenna turned the white bmw off and stepped out of the car, tucking a brunette piece of hair behind her ear before it fell right back in front of it again. Stubborn. For the first time in a long time, Jenna was nervous. She was nervous of how Caleb would react in person, mainly, but other than that she was nervous about how this would all turn out. Would she leave Caleb's house as an off-the-market girl? Or would they just settle things and keep it private. Jenna wasn't sure, and that was what scared her the most.

She climbed the stairs to his apartment, knocking on the door before being greeted by Caleb, handsome as ever. Jenna didn't know what to do or say at that point, and her first instinct was to lean in and kiss him, passionately, without a second thought. That was a way to get her feelings across, she thought.</sup>

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[CALEB RYAN HERRINGTON]

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Caleb wasn’t completely against relationships, but his luck in the past made him think twice about it. It was seriously like déjà vu. He was the bad boy of the school and for some reason, the sweetest and one of the most popular girls just started talking to him, well it was probably because of his looks but Caleb didn’t reject her. However, she refused to just be someone else on his bed whether it involved sex or not. She actually made him meet her at public places where she would see people from school and she acted as if nothing was wrong.

Caleb found it entertaining when she would do so, and the looks her friends had on their faces was priceless, and in the beginning that’s why he did it. But as things progressed he got to know just her, without touching, kissing, or anything physical, just words. It was new to Caleb, but he liked new refreshing things. Like Jenna, she pretty much laid it all out later on, and he honestly had no idea she was as into him as she said. For all he knew, she just wanted a friend from a different clique, broaden her horizons. And then they went out for a year, the longest relationship ever had in his entire eighteen years of living and in a split second, it was all gone.

The day after her incident, Caleb had been calling and texting her and got no reply, he thought something was wrong and headed to her house to find a cop car parked and he asked her family, who wasn’t fond of him what happened and got his answer, hit and run causing her to die minutes later. Caleb was afraid of dating Jenna for this particular reason, he didn’t want any chance of history repeating itself. Sure it was a stupid thing to fear to most people but from someone who actually lived through something like that, it wasn’t fun at all.

But he didn’t want to lose Jenna and feared that if he kept pushing her away, he would. So he decided that it was just best to not mention his past, but try something new with Jenna. This thought ending when he heard the door knock and he lifted his body a little quickly off the counter. He took a deep breath and walked over to the door. He would first apologize for being a dick and an idiot so when he opened the door and saw her walk in he started saying ‘I’m s-“but his apology got cut short as Jenna leaned in to kiss him, more passionate than ever.

This single kiss erased every worry and every thought as he slowly and gently pulled her in to close the door and wrapped his arms around her tightly returning the kiss with just as much passion never wanting to let go. No kiss with any other female at Harbour could compare with Jenna’s. A few seconds later he slowly pulled away looking down at her tucking some hair behind her ear and lifted his lips to her forehead gently kissing her and wrapped his arms around her quietly saying “I’m sorry…..”

[JENNA RIANNE TAYLOR]

<sup>Being happy with Caleb was worth so much more than just forcing herself to be happy without him, just because he was outside of her high school clique of friends. Jenna wasn't exactly that kind of girl anyway. Of course the whole popularity took its toll on her, but Jenna had always been that same girl that came from a not so wealthy, single mother, five children family... so who was she to judge? Especially in this situation, when she really liked Caleb a lot. What was she supposed to do? Shun him because of his reputation or rating on the teenage totem pole? It wasn't fair, and Jenna wasn't about to let this slip out of her hands because of some stupid social ranking. Caleb could really be what Jenna had been waiting for thus far in life, but she wouldn't find that out unless she gave it all a chance.

Caleb's lips were smooth and his kiss was passionate and meaningful as ever. It was incredible how he felt the same about her. Though it should probably be the other way around, Jenna really doubted that Caleb wanted anything with Jenna more than just a possible friendship. Not that Caleb was the kind of guy to do this, but she also assumed it had something to do with working toward a 'challenge'. Yes, Jenna had claimed to be a virgin, and whether that statement was true or false, she wasn't known for sleeping around anyhow. So guys at Harbour often saw this as a challenge, maybe if they worked at it they could get her in bed or something. It was pathetic and Jenna refused to give in. But Caleb didn't seem like that was his intention, and Jenna respected that a lot.

Once Caleb broke away, Jenna observed his face and listened to him apologize. It was crazy how this was all happening and all so soon, but Jenna definitely didn't want to protest it. She was happy and that was all that mattered. Her lips curved into a small smile before returning to his again, failing to speak up. She knew what she wanted to say, but for that moment she just wanted to kiss Caleb.

"Ask me to be your girlfriend." She finally whispered after pulling away only inches from his lips. There it was, the moment of truth.</sup>

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[CALEB RYAN HERRINGTON]

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A few times when Caleb hung out with Jenna, he would always jump back to the first time they hung out. Sure he had other intentions instead of just asking her to ‘help him’ with some studying and what not but he soon figured out that Ms. Taylor, as much of a tease as she was, definitely did not fool around past the point where she was uncomfortable. As much as Caleb teased in the beginning and skillfully tried to put out his best moves, Jenna would never give in. At first, Caleb did get a little annoyed because Jenna clearly turned him on, but when they stopped making out, they would start talking, talking about different things ranging from music to school, to interests, etc…. However, one thing Caleb never brought up was his past, and although Jenna asked him a few times, his answers were always short and anything but sweet, Caleb wanted to forget his past, but his past wasn’t ready to leave him just yet. Caleb was surprised though that Jenna, being on the popular clique, wasn’t showered with money and rich parents who owned a big mansion, in fact it was the opposite, but she at least had her real mother by her side.

Getting to know Jenna personally, instead of just her panty size, made Caleb start to genuinely like her. But his feelings were put on hold due to his ex gf. Every time he was with Jenna, he reminded himself to not get so close, but as much as he tried to push away, Jenna would pull him back in, with her genuine personality, her entrancing scent, and her overall confidence and trust in Caleb, something people rarely gave him, which is why he treated Jenna with the utmost respect and kindness than he did his other flames. Now things seemed to fast forward and Jenna was pretty much calling Caleb out for being a punk and not asking her out because she liked him. Words Caleb doubted would ever really come out of the brunette girl’s mouth.

As Caleb apologized, being head to head with Jenna, he looked into her eyes and could tell that this wasn’t just a foolish decision she’d made a few hours ago, she looked at Caleb as if, he could be someone special to her. When she kissed him again he smiled, obviously concluding that she did, and he placed his hands on the small of her neck gently and kissed her soft lips gently before pulling away again. Caleb smirked as Jenna was the one who told him to ask her out, typical Jenna thing to do. “well I don’t feel pressured at all now” he said joking before kissing her head gently and rested his arms on her waist looking at her getting a little serious. “Would you like to be my girlfriend, Jenna Taylor?” he asked obviously knowing the answer, but he did so that it could be official, and before Jenna would ask him out as well…….

[JENNA RIANNE TAYLOR]

<sup>It was actually pretty rare that Jenna let someone into her life as quick as she let Caleb. She had trust issues, that was evident. But it seemed as if none of that seemed to matter with Caleb, which was the total opposite from the outside looking in. All of her friends would roll their eyes and tell Jenna how crazy she was, but they didn't matter. If Jenna was a stuck up snob that thrived off popularity and popularity alone then maybe it would get to her, but she worked far too hard to let a simple high school label define her. She would do what she damn well pleased, regardless of what people thought. It was only fair and she decided that she only owed it to herself.

Caleb sort of brought out a different side of Jenna. A side of Jenna that was definitely unlike her normal self. When she was around Caleb it wasn't always about the physical, but it was definitely brought out a lot more than Jenna was used to. She liked it though. Never before did she really get the chance to be sexy and feel wanted but Caleb made her feel that way. It's what every seventeen year old girl deserved from time to time, right? As sociable as Jenna was, there were times when she'd force herself to stay in, only for Caleb to call her back out. It actually made her happy, comfortable even.

Jenna laughed as Caleb made his ever-sarcastic comment. She loved his humor. Nearly everything about Caleb, Jenna was so taken by. If she was looking at this from the outside in it would have probably made her sick to her stomach, but there was no way she could help how she felt. She liked Caleb, a lot at that, so why did it matter? Then he asked her and a bright smile formed on Jenna's lips. As if she didn't think he would ask her out. But there it was. "Yessss," Jenna drew out before letting out a small laugh and leaning in to kiss Caleb briefly. "Finally. Yes. Absolutely." She laughed again, wrapping her arms loosely around his neck.</sup>

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[CALEB RYAN HERRINGTON]

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Opening up to people on a personal level was never easy for Caleb. He didn’t exactly have trust issues, he just was used to either people leaving him, or him leaving people behind, therefore making him care less about people in general, but regardless of Caleb’s short temper or stupid mistakes, Jenna never left. It was refreshing for Caleb to have that, at least with another female; luke and him were good friends and even though they did have their fare share of women, they always made time to hang solo and just talk about what’s been going on with them lately. And now here Jenna was, wanting more than just a friendship with Caleb, which Caleb knew that even if he asked her for some time to think about it, she’d probably get offended and distance herself or perhaps find a new boy toy who could immediately give her what she was looking for, something Caleb didn’t want to allow to happen.

So there it was, the official exchange of words to make Caleb and Jenna official. As soon as he finished his question, he saw the bright smile form on Jenna’s lips, not being able to really believe she was that happy to be asked out by him of all people. He didn’t have a diamond necklace in his pocket to persuade her, or planned out a romantic evening for them both before he planned on asking them out, it was rather unexpected, sort of, and simple. Perhaps, that’s why Caleb appreciated Jenna, because she wasn’t the type of girl to expect such crazy things from a guy she knew to not be all flashy about materialistic things. Another kiss came from Jenna and Caleb laughed a little at her excitement. Finally she said as if she’d been waiting forever, making Caleb feel even more like a douche bag, but despite his stubbornness, Jenna was now officially his girlfriend. “you are too adorable” he said with a smirk as he tucked the stubborn strand of hair behind her ear making sure it stayed tucked then returned eye contact with her resting his arms around her waist.

Hhhmmm, so what now, girlfriend? Caleb asked with a smirk looking at Jenna as he leaned against the counter having her body stand against his. A few thoughts came across his mind, but he knew Jenna wouldn’t rush things, and he learned to be ok with that. Should we talk about the rules of the relationship? The blue eyed boy said slightly joking, although they did have to get a few things across seeing as how their lifestyles were oddly different and they would be spending a lot more time together….

[JENNA RIANNE TAYLOR]

<sup>Words could not describe how Jenna felt in that moment. While she definitely wasn't a serial dater, Jenna had her fair share of relationships in the past. Nothing felt more right than this with Caleb though, no other relationship in her past could hold a light to this. She was excited and somewhat nervous. Although Jenna continued to tell Caleb that his social stance didn't matter to her, she couldn't help but think about how all of her friends would react to the news. Would they be excited? Would they support her? Something told Jenna that she needed to brace herself for criticism in the near future, but she didn't really care to think too much on that. She was happy, and that was all that really mattered.

It wasn't like Jenna was like the other girls in the popular clique. She didn't come from money by any means and nothing was ever handed to her like how it was handed to the majority of her friends, but that's what set her aside. She didn't need anything to catch anyone's attention, she prided herself on her personality being the attention grabber. She hoped Caleb saw that in her, but the again something told her that Caleb wouldn't exactly fall for the high maintenance type of girl, no matter how hot she was. "Thank you" Jenna giggled quietly, taking the compliment that Caleb had given to her.

Hearing him call her his girlfriend was definitely a new thing, and Jenna would be lying if she said she didn't enjoy every minute of it. She liked being his girlfriend, it made things so much more exclusive. She smirked, "Sure, if you want," Jenna shrugged, smiling up at Caleb. "Even though I think we know what gets on each other's nerves by now." Jenna chuckled softly, moving a strand of hair out of her face.

Jenna and Caleb hadn't known each other for ever, but they did know each other long enough to where Jenna could tell when she was pushing Caleb's buttons. Although it didn't happen often, she could still tell. What other rules were there, really?</sup>

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