Caesars Palace

Ashlee cringed, was this something the boys had to deal with often? Connor and Seth fighting over their hook ups. But maybe she could at least wait for Evelyn. She really hoped whatever her and Jake were talking about wouldn't take forever! For the sake of her own mental psyche.

***

Jake just shrugged, he felt like he really didn't owe her an explanation for his behavior but some part of him just wanted to shout to her everything he felt. "I'm alright as I always am."

"You are jealous!" Seth declared, springing onto a couch and pointing down at Connor dramatically. "JEALOUS 'cuz yer ugleh!"

Luke shrugged off his jacket and set it down on the couch before picking up a cushion and lobbing it at Seth. It ht the blond's head and he wobbled and stumbled off the couch.

"MAN DOWN! Fuck you, Blondie!" Seth raged, picking himself up. He shook his head and focused his eyes on Ashlee, who was across the room. "Heyy, you're hawt, Miss Kipling!"

***

"You never are," Evelyn muttered. His tone indicated he wasn't willing to diverge anything. She shivered as a gust of wind blew and her bandage prickled as her head began to sting. She reached up and scratched at the gauze absently, trying to work out just what the hell to do from here. She decided to take a guess. A bold risk, but if it got her anywhere, it'd be worth it.

"I don't get you. Is this my fault? Because I'm just doing what you want me to do," she said somewhat bitterly, leaning back against the building wall and crossing her arms over her chest to keep the cold from seeping under her jacket as she turned annoyed eyes to him. She wasn't dressed for the outdoors. Butthis was pretty much the only place they could talk. She guessed he was probably sharing a room with one of the boys, so that was out. Her suite was empty, unless Rose had returned, but somehow, Evelyn didn't feel comfortable inviting him over there while she was alone. Her brain was already sending out warning signals along with her beaten heart.

Ashlee narrowed her eyes at Seth, and decided to humor him a bit. "Yeah you're hot for a fairy wannabe too."

***

"You got that right, Its cause I'm bi polar." Jake replied sarcastically. He rubbed his arm absently he could feel himself getting cold, leather was never really good at keeping one warm but whatever.

Evelyn shot him a confused look. "What're you talking about? You clearly indicated you wanted nothing to do with me. And you still don't. That's not bipolar."

"I wish I could make it as easy as you do, just to throw someone to the side and pretend they don't exist. Its okay though, because you have someone else there for you. I mean does he know?" Jake said looking down at her. "Does he know you just go back and forth between us? I mean at least I know I'm over Rachel, but I doubt when you tell me you're over James since you always seem to be running from one to the other."

Evelyn stared at him, feeling like she'd just been punched and still had to recover. She gaped and floundered for a moment before snapping furiously as anger pooled in her stomach, "Running from one to another, huh? What exactly are you basing this on, Mr. Judgmental?"

"Does it even matter? I lose! I always lose!" He yelled at her, feeling his voice falter. "I know we can't be together and I know that you still have feelings for him no matter how much you deny it! I don't wanna be the other guy! I can't be left again like that, its why I'm pushing you away! Its why I'm being this way!" Jake's voice came out sort of hoarse, had he really been yelling that much again?

For a second, Evelyn was completely baffled. He always lost? He didn't want to be left again?

And then it struck her and sucked in a harsh breath, suddenly no longer able to feel the cold because every part of her was horribly chilled.

She simply stared up at him, mouth slightly open in shock. She didn't know what to say. He was being honest, probably the most honest he'd been in a long while. And it had probably cost him a lot ot say that.

She could tell him about the love potion. This thought occurred to Evelyn as a solid explanation for why she and James were over. The love potion had made him fall for Alexis, and had snapped him out of whatever the hell he'd been caught in with Evelyn.

But then she realized Jake might not appreciate finding out that a damned love potion had been influencing his best friend for more than a month, making him, in essence, Rose's slave.

So that was out. She'd tell Jake later. Or maybe never. He was already pissed enough.

She looked down at her feet. Her bare legs were starting to get chilled but somehow she didn't feel them right now. Punchign Jake was probably the wrong reaction here, but it was either that or ...or what?

"I don't know if you know," she said to the pavement below their feet, her voice unsteady. "I went with James to the formal. It was only because Alexis turned him down and I've already rejected him enough times. I wanted to....I wanted to do some good for once, instead of always being the bane of everyone's existence." She swallowed a painful lump in her throat. "You have no idea how badly I've been messing up this ye - last year. I'm not going to go into detail.. It was all in the past, new year and all that. I just...you have to understand I just felt like everything I said or did rebounded negatively on people I cared about. I couldn't seem to take a single step without worrying about the consequences. Hell, I signed up for Ashlee's damn photoshoot and ended up paired with the last person I wanted anything to do with. I already had a date to the formal at that point, but then I felt horrible for James being rejected so coldly by Alexis. You know how she can be."

Evelyn lifted her gaze up to Jake. "So I figured I owed him something for everything i put him through. You have no idea, Jake, what it was like in highschool. Now that I look back on it, I wonder why I was....so distant from him all the time. Because James is actually a nice guy. I guess I just...something was just not right, with the way he treated me like I was some dainty prize. It was never right between us, so I never let it go anywhere. And so I felt bad now, because, uh, Alexis rejecting James was also kind of my fault." She felt sick to her stomach now, repeating all this. "So I decided to give my former formal date a new partner, Georgiana." Evelyn brightened a little at this, and forced a smile as she looked away from Jake. "And I went with James. And....well....we both regretted it. I don't think he expected me to be such a sucky date. I don't think I did either. I mean, hell, other girls at the Plaza were ogling my date and I....I was," Evelyn gave a short bitter laugh, "Swapping sob stories with Connor, getting progressively drunk at the bar, while James was left alone at the table. It freaked my friends out, because they know I love dances, I'd been looking forward to the formal for MONTHS. And now that it was here, and I had a great date, all I wanted to do was go back home."

She turned her head and tilted her chin up to meet Jake's eyes. "And that, that was all your fault. Because if you hadn't tried to use me as your stupid Rachel replacement, I wouldn't have had to talk to you outside the dorms and Ryder wouldn't have knifed you. You wouldn't have been alone on formal night and that wouldn't have been eating away at me all night. The alternative would have been that I would have actually had fun at the dance with a date I actually wanted to go with." She turned her head to the long driveway from the main street. Lights twinkled all around them and it got progressively colder.

"You weren't my Rachel replacement! I mean you stand here confusing me on how you feel, I mean first you hate me and you want nothing to do with me. So then I try and stay distant from you. But then you come running back to me, and staying with me all night, talking about how you wanted to be with me the night of formal instead of that stupid dance. Its not your fault Ryder stabbed me, hell if it didn't happen that night it would have happened another time. I'm grateful you were there I probably would have died! Its just..." Jake didn't know why he was just spilling everything like this. But he hated it because he knew once he started he simply couldn't just stop.

"Rachel was cold and distant. I spilled my heart to her, and she would just ignore me and then she up and leaves me for another guy cause apparently I'm not good enough. I'm a criminal, and have a temper. Shitty friends and a drinking problem, and probably a bit psychotic. To everyone I'm just damaged. I'm too easily influenced by what others can say to me. And its just... I know my feelings for you were different, why would I wanna use you as Rachel replacement? She broke my heart! But you're not proving to be any different." Jake kicked the ground in front of him running his hands through his hair.

He lowered his voice he felt like all of Las Vegas could hear him, but it just ate away at him he closed his eyes tightly they stung what the hell? Why? "Please I know you've had a crappy year, and I've had one too. Its just... I don't want to be that again. I'm mean to you because I want to move on, I don't want to be caught in some stupid love triangle. I hate being this way, I don't want you to chose James over me. Because as much as I'd like to think there's a chance there isn't. I know you're a good person and what you did for James was great even though it ended up being me you spent the night with its just... I can't handle this its tearing me apart."

"I haven't been confusing," Evelyn said, trying to keep her anger out of her voice. "I told you plan and simple. I don't want to be your damn second try. And I mean that. I was willing to stay away and I still am. I want to move on but I can't if you act like this. And I'd appreciate it if you quit assuming I have a thing for James. It's great knowing how much my word means."

"You don't get it do you? You're not my second try with Rachel or whatever! I hate her. I wanted a shot with you, Evelyn. To get to know you and be with you! Not use you as a Rachel fill in. I wish you'd quit assuming that. And if you're so hell bent on moving on why does it matter if I'm angry or whatever? How does that prevent you from moving on to the next pretty boy to bat blue eyes at you?" Jake asked angrily.

Evelyn flinched and looked away hastily, closing her eyes to keep them from tearing up. She tried to think of an answer, but really, nothing came to mind. He ahd a point. What was wrong with her?!

"I don't know," she said weakly, feeling cornered. She opened her eyes and dabbed at them with the tips of her fingers. The cross ring she wore made it kind of hard. She wiped off a few stray tears and then repeated herself in a slightly stronger voice, still not looking at him. "I don't know. I really don't. It just...I don't want you to be miserable, I guess?" she muttered to her feet, confused at herself.

Jake let out a tired sigh, he really wasn't sure what to say or do anymore. But being miserable was always apart of this stupid cycle.

"Well I just gotta learn to handle it better, it sucks. Being miserable is apart of this stupid cycle." He told her.

"Well," Evelyn said, flustered as she peered up at him. It wasn't liek they could jsut leave it liek this and go on being awkard around each other as they had been for way too long. "We can fix this," she said, somewhat pleadingly. "I-I mean, we don't have to be all awkward strangers around each other. We...we can be friends. Can't we?"

Jake had thought about that once or twice. He did like hanging around her, and they were funny too. Plus besides Lola, after Rachel, Jake didn't really keep any girl friends around simply out of fear for falling for one of them while rebounding.

Sure maybe sometime later he could see him and Evelyn being friends. But now everything just seemed so raw or tough, "I mean I hate to admit this but you'd be a pretty entertaining friend to have around." He cracked a weak smile, although as a friend, "Although this means we can't make out anymore and I'm really gonna miss that."

Evelyn was rendered speechless by this. "You..." She straightened up, smacking his chest, and spluttered red-faced, "Y-you are....ugh!" She glared at him. "I'm still keeping all rights to concuss you whenever I see fit."

She honestly hadn't ever considered the possibility of being friends with him. She didn't know if it would work out. Around Jake, she was always afraid because she let her guard down too easily and it left her vulnerable.

"Oh come on you know that was funny! Besides I don't think you know this but your culture invented French kissing, and I just come from a line of fiery, passionate men. Who are good at swinging their hips. Tu armorr." He purred. Then shook his hips, and winced. "Right the Shakira hops are out of commission. Due to Latin Bear needing to be re-stuffed." He grinned.

Evelyn had to stifle her first real laugh. "As a show of meeting me halfway on this whole friendship thing, can we get you patched up first, Shakiro?" she quipped.

"Shakiro! Shakiro!" Jake did a little dance move and flinched again. "Yeah I guess, although I'm sure all the nurse bears will enjoy takin' care of the rugged and sexy Shakiro." Jake waggled his eyebrows.

"The bloodstained, sweat-drenched Shakiro," Evelyn corrected him. She batted her lashes and placed a hand to her gauze-covered forehead, pretending to be overcome. "Oh yes, real turn-on!"

Jake slung an arm around Evelyn, "I can see it now! Mothers lock up your Barbies! Shakiro is here! It would be so bad ass it would be a tan brown color, and wear a leather jacket and ride a motorcycle. Plus you seem turned on, so I'm sure it will sell." He nudged her.

"The metallic stench of blood all over your jacket is working wonders for my brain cells," Evelyn replied, quirking an eyebrow up at him and trying to ignore the nervous flutter in her stomach. This friends thing was going to take time. "I can feel them all dying one by one! What's your secret to being so utterly repulsive?"

"Oh well people have been asking me for years how I keep such a fabulous figure." Jake said effeminately.

"First, you wake up and down yourself some garlic. Then you make sure to have yourself some breakfast. Most important meal you know. Have some blood and a few rusted nails... you know the usual." Jake said waving his hand.

"Then remember this because its important, just slick your hair back with some grease, preferably bacon. It has that nice sheen. And lastly roll around in some mud. Does wonders for the skin! And then put on some wrinkly clothes and viola!" Jake pulled from Evelyn and posed.

"You have Jake a la dirt ball." He grinned.

Evelyn had her hands over her mouth, feeling slightly nauseous. After a moment, she said, "For some unfathomable reason, I can see you doing all of that." She lowered her hands adn then rememebred they were supposed to be getting him patched up. "Ah hell, we have ot catch a cab. If you hadn't been such a diva, you'd be all stitched up already!" she said accusingly, jabbing his chest with a nail.

"When you've been in this game for so long, you rightfully earn your diva crown! Girl I am FIERCE!" Jake z-snapped, announcing in his drag queen voice causing a few people walking to give him odd looks.


Jake shrugged this off and put his fingers in his mouth letting out a shrill whistle, and hailing a cab.

"Your chariot awaits." He said opening the door for her.