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A/N: I'm updating three times today so I can be done with this book. I hope you enjoy it! :D

Also thank you for making Disarming Dakota #2 on the teen fiction "What's Hot" list!!! YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW MUCH THIS MEANS TO ME. I've been freaking out since yesterday. I literally grabbed my dog and ran around my house yelling like the socially awkward girl that I am. It would've been longer than a minute if he wasn't so heavy.

Here's part one of the three updates. Please vote and comment :)

- - - -

About ten minutes had passed since Finn's car drove away from my house. I'd taken a seat on the front porch, not quite ready to go back inside. Not quite ready to do anything at all besides look at my options. There was no way I could go to Ronnie, ask for her friendship and then turn around and ask her to take back her ex.

It was clear that she still had feelings for him, but she was strong enough to leave. I was a bit envious of that quality in her. She didn't like taking crap from anyone. She was strong enough to leave a bad situation. I, on the other hand, was always enticed by a dangerous fire.

"Hey." I hadn't noticed the front door had opened. I glanced to my left and spotted Hunter poking his head out. "Are you okay? You've been out here for a while."

"I just needed some space to think." Pushing strains of my hair behind my ear, I looked away. After learning about Finn being a part of Segg, I couldn't trust who else could also be involved. It seemed like anyone connected to the sport teams at our school was a possible suspect. For all I knew, Hunter could be in Segg as well. Even though he was only ever kind to me, I still couldn't help but feel cautious around him now on the porch.

"I'll be back inside in a second." I sighed, tugging at the fabric of my black dress. "I need some more time."

He took the seat next to me on the steps. "Getting a visit from Finn is never a good thing to most. I'm assuming that he talked to you about Segg."

I shot a look in his direction. "You're a part of Segg." It wasn't a question at this point.

"Not necessarily." My eyes narrowed at his bruised and battered knuckles. He quickly stuffed them into his pockets when he saw me staring. "I'm aware of the group, but I'm not tempted to join them. I think praying on the weak makes you appear to be insecure. A coward, if anything. There's nothing powerful about attack the less fortunate."

I recalled the first day I had met Hunter. He had told me how he was tired of the kind of people he hung out with. He was tired of the boring cycle. I wondered back to that hour before we'd left for that party. Would I have ever befriend Beth if I never went that night? Would I have been so tempted to peruse Dakota? Where would've I been in life if I hadn't attended that party at all? Where would I be if I never left Maine?

I quickly decided that my life was better off the way it was now. Despite the obstacles I had faced-including the fake friends and the unnecessary drama that polluted my daily routine-I wouldn't want to go back and change a thing. During the entire time of my existence, I was only ever floating in life, letting the tidal waves of bad news crash into me without much care. I would've never imagined that someone like Dakota would be the one to pull me back ashore.

I turned to Hunter. "I couldn't agree more with you. It is cowardly. If you don't like someone, then confront them face to face."

"They're too stupid to see that though."

I flattened my hands on my lap, distracting myself by pulling at the hems. "I know there's a chance that you aren't a part of Segg...but right now, I can't really take anyone's words as true."

He laughed to himself.

"What's so funny?"

He laughed even more. "You."

I squinted at him, bemused. "I don't understand what you mean."

"I find it funny that you're only now starting to not trust people. I know about a fraction of what happened in Maine. I would've expected you to be more standoffish and closed off. You're quite the opposite though."

"I am now." I stated. "But I wasn't so open when I first came here."

"Oh, really? Is that what you think?" He smirked. "Tell me then. What is it that made you change? And don't give me that 'I fell in love so now my barriers are gone' answer. Because I know you're not in love."

I puffed out a breath. "I am."

"No, you're not." He rolled his eyes. "You hardly know Dakota. I feel like he knows more about your past than you know about his. I bet I know more about him than you do. I will put money down right now, right here, just to prove I do."

I crossed my arms over my chest. "Matter of fact, I know a lot about his past."

"Alright. Then I'm assuming you know why he has all those tattoos."

"He has them for a reason."

"But do you know why? It's not like the guy woke up one morning with the sudden impulse to get inked up." He didn't pause to let me speak. "When Dakota was about seven years old, he got in a car accident. His dad was the driver and he was intoxicated. The crash caused him to have scars. He had a few surgeries after that crash that left even more scars. Loads of kids would tease him about it, day in and day out. He was the only person on our Lacrosse team who would try his hardest to cover his skin at practice and at games. When he felt like he was old enough, Dion was the one who let him get the tattoos."

Hunter craned his neck forward. "Did you know that?"

"No, I didn't."

"Do you at least know why his dad has been in jail for the past three years? Or why Maven and Dakota used to be best friends but now can't stand to be in the same room together?" He didn't wait for me to respond. "That's exactly what I meant. You don't know him, Silvia. You don't know what he's capable of."

"I may not know about his past like the back of my hand, but I do know who he is today," I answered feebly. "And simply because you know that doesn't mean I'll trust you, either."

"I don't blame you. I didn't come out here to tell you to trust me. Who you do or don't trust is all up to you." He stated. "But I do ask you to be cautious on who you do decided to trust. From what your dad has told us, I know this isn't similar to what happened in Maine a few months ago. No one's slashing your tires and no one has forced you to get a restraining order against them, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't take this matter seriously."

I inched away from him. "How do you know that?"

"Your father told me about what happened in Maine. He told Maven and I not too long before your arrival. Your dad wanted us to not give you a hard time after what you already went through. You know, with the way your school basically did nothing to stop the bullying. I get why you had to leave."

I bit the inside of my cheek, remembering the nightmare that was my life a few months ago. The bullying wasn't so bad. The slut shaming was manageable. It was when people started making death threats, slashing my mom's car tires, and throwing rocks into our house. That was when things went from bad to awful. None of it was true, but they found me to be the easiest target to pin it to. Rumors spread like wildfire.

"Maven went against the idea of you moving in with us, and I guess for the longest time he thought you weren't coming." Hunter went on to say. "I wouldn't be surprised if he had some kind of prank for you."

I sighed. "Do you know who might be trying to do a Segg prank on me?"

"You don't want to know who I think it is."

"No, tell me. Who is it?"

He drew in a long breath, staring out toward the streets. "Either Maven...or Dakota."

I got up from my spot on the steps. "I don't want to hear it."

Hunter grabbed my wrist. "Hear me out first."

Slowly, I returned back to my sitting position. "Talk."

"Think about it first. I'm sure you already know that his sister and his mother was a victim of a Segg prank. For God sake, it was an Ellington that caused their family to lose all their riches back during the Gold rush. Why wouldn't he want to go against you after what's happened in the past? He has a motive to hurt you and also the perfect opportunity since you two are close."

"I've had enough people say he's behind it-"

"Wait. I'm not the first person who suggested Dakota is behind this? What the hell, Silvia? Isn't that a big enough sign on its own?"

I was moments away from telling him that I knew Dakota well enough, but my words were interrupted by the familiar white Audi that pulled up. Siobhan exited out of the passenger seat, carrying a bottle of red wine in one hand. Pierson trailed after her, keeping his face down on the ground and staying behind his mother. It was a little weird seeing him wear a baseball cap. He pushed it lower when I got up from my seat and headed toward them.

"I hope we've made it on time." Siobhan smiled and pulled me into a hug.

"You're right on time. Everyone's already inside. We're just waiting for a few more people." I returned the smile. She walked past me to say hello to Hunter and to enter the house. Pierson stayed in front of me with his head still facing the grass. "Hey."

Pierson grumbled something incoherent while staring at my feet.

"Huh? I didn't catch that."

"I said I got you your birthday gift. I know it's early, but I wanted to give it to you now." He reached into his back pocket. Hunter snickered to himself when Pierson retrieved a velvet jewelry box.

"Of course." Hunter grumbled and went inside of the house. Siobhan had left only moments before him. With the two of them gone, I faced Pierson again. His eyes were still glued to the ground. What was up with him? I flicked at the rim of his hat, causing it to fall back, revealing the multi-color bruise on his right cheek and the black eye.

A hand flew to my mouth. "What happened?"

He tugged his hat back down. "Do you want your gift, or not?"

"Answer my question."

"What do you think happened, Silvia? I didn't wake up this way." He sneered and forced the box into my hands. "Now, please. Take the gift."

He didn't answer my question in the way I wanted him to. Nonetheless, I opened the gift anyway. It was a ring with a pair of hands holding a heart with a crown above the heart. There was a diamond in the middle, shimmering bright under the November sun. I recognized my birthstone in the center.

"It's called a Claddagh ring. I had it costumed for you," Pierson informed. He had a matching ring on his own finger, minus the diamond and birthstone. "It's a traditional Irish ring. It symbolizes love, friendship, and loyalty."

I was a bit speechless. Partly because it was the same exact gift Angel gave to Buffy from Buffy the Vampire slayer. They were in a relationship though. And it didn't seem odd to give such a meaningful ring to Buffy. She loved Angel-

Stop comparing your life to Buffy, Silvia. You are not Buffy.

I handed the ring and the jewelry box back to Pierson. "I can't accept this."

The corner of his busted lips twisted downward. He was in too much pain to make a frown, but I could see the start of one. "I want you to take it, Silvia. I went through a hell of a lot trouble just to pay for it."

There wasn't a way I could win with him. He was stubborn with his statement. I thanked him. I tried to give him a hug, but he only winced away from me. "Too soon."

"Sorry." I grinned and we headed toward the house. "Everyone's not here yet. We're still waiting for the Iverson's and Faye's family."

He nodded. "Who else is here?"

"Well, my dad, Evelyn, Hunter and the spawn of Satan...and Dakota." He hesitated a step away from the front door. I could sense a profanity, ready to spew at me. I raised my hand up at him. "I don't want to hear whatever nasty remark you have toward him. My patience is wearing thin and I can only take so much assholery today before blowing a fuse."

Pierson murmured something, but I was quick to shut him up. "Thanksgiving is the one time in the entire year where I could stuff my face and slip into a peaceful food-coma. No one will mess this up for me. Not you, not Maven, and definitely not Xander. You better not start any arguments or fights."

"Yes ma'am." He saluted. "I won't start anything if I don't get provoked."

I narrowed my eyes at him.

"Fine." He sighed. "I'll try my hardest to not start any problems."

. . .

The dinner wasn't as chaotic as I thought it would be. I did have to moderate the conversations a few times, but that was a bit expected. My shoulders didn't relax until Xander's family and Faye's family left. I had my eyes follow Xander's every move, making sure that he didn't sneak off and head to my bedroom. I wasn't planning on getting my laptop stolen.

I didn't get much time to speak with Dakota after the dinner was all over. With my father's permission, he let Dakota drive me to Ronnie's apartment complex. Dakota offered to go in with me, but I declined. This was something I needed to do on my own.

It was hard to find parking in the apartment complex so he eventually parked on the street. She was at home with her two younger siblings. Hopefully. She could also be at her part-time job. But since I wanted this to be a surprise, I didn't text her. Knowing Ronnie, she wouldn't reply to any of my texts if I sent any.

Finding the building she lived in wasn't hard. After I pinpointed it, I knocked an appropriate amount of times on the door. It didn't take long for someone to come to door. The chain was still hooked on when Ronnie unlocked the door, cracking it open.

She slammed it shut right away. "No one's home."

"Ronnie." I sighed. "I just saw you."

"Go away, Silvia."

"No. I'm not leaving. I want to talk."

"I can't talk. I'm too busy being a love-sick friend who believes my boyfriend before I believe my own best friend...Oh, wait. No, that's you."

"C'mon Ronnie. I really do want to talk."

"Last time we talked you didn't want to listen," she said from behind the door. "I don't want to talk to you."

"I'm sorry." I shouted. "I shouldn't have jump to that conclusion. I was wrong."

The door opened again. "Say that again."

"Say what again?"

"Say that you were wrong." Her face poked out.

"I was wrong."

"Say you were wrong. That I was right, and that I'm not a two-faced friend." She added. "Also, say that you're an idiot."

"Ronnie! I'm not saying that!"

"I'm hurt, Silvia. You need to regain my trust. Now go on and say it."

I groaned. "I was wrong. You were right. You're not a two-faced friend. I'm in idiot."

"Perfect!" She beamed and pulled out her phone. "Now I want you to say it into the camera. I need to capture this moment. Say it with more pep though."

I slapped her hand away and frowned. "I'm not doing that."

She shrugged. "It was worth a shot asking."

The door closed again and she unhooked the chain, then opened it wide enough for me to step inside. I walked past the coffee table and sat down on the couch.

"My little sister is asleep so don't talk too loud." Ronnie said and walked to the kitchen, returning with two bottles of water. "We're the only one's home."

She set the water bottles on the coffee table. "I'm glad you came to your senses sooner than later. It's pretty hard to get a refund most of things I got for your birthday."

"I don't want to hear what it is!" I plugged my ears. "Dakota already showed me one of my gifts. I don't want to see what you've got me. I can wait till my birthday."

She slowly took the seat beside me. "He already gave you your gift? Ahead of time? That's a little weird. The only reason I would give someone an early birthday gift is if I know I won't see them for a while."

I shook my head and picked up the water bottle, twisting the top. "No, he's not going anywhere. It's because I kept asking about it."

"Okay. If that's what you say." She took a sip, eyeing me the entire time. "What was it exactly that made you realize I wasn't lying?"

"I learned a few rules about Segg leaders."

She shook her head, lowering her bottle. "I don't want to hear anything about Segg or Segg leaders. I told Heath I want out of that plan of yours. I don't want to be involved in this anymore. I was quite content with how my life was before this all started."

"I wish I had the option to walk away from this."

"If you want me to, I could speak to Finn."

"No. It's okay. If you start talking to him, he'll only get the wrong idea. He'll think you're taking him back."

"He's real cute if he thinks I'd take him back. Besides, it's not like I can."

"Why do you say that?"

Almost as if it was on cue, one of the bedroom doors opened and closed. A shadow was cast along the walls, getting closer to where we were in the living room. "Hey, do you know where I left my toothbrush?"

Twisting my body around to face the hallway, I saw something I wasn't expecting. Heath tried to duck away, but I'd already seen him. He was stripped down to nothing but a towel around his waist.

I cocked a brow at Ronnie, who was now shirking back in her seat, avoiding eye contact. "You said your sister was asleep. That's not your sister."

Heath gave me a little wave. "Hey, Silvia. I didn't know you were here."

"I didn't know you were here either." I cleared my throat. "When did you and Heath become an item? And why was I not notified about this?"

"We're not an item." Ronnie corrected me. "He came over to study."

I scoffed. "He's here to study with a towel on? He doesn't even go to the same school as us. Tell me how that even makes sense?"

"No, she's telling the truth." Heath defended her. "We were studying for Sex Ed. I think I finally know how to put the condom on my banana."

Ronnie slapped her hand to her forehead. "Ohmigod, Heath. Do you have to say that? Really? Right now?"

"It wasn't like she was going to believe your studying lie anyway." He rolled his eyes and walked over to the kitchen. "Be glad that I even had the decency to put on a towel."

Ronnie only continued to sigh into her hands. "I'm so sorry about him."

"No, it's okay." I closed the water bottle and got up on to my feet. "I think that's my cue to leave."

"You don't have to go."

"No, I think I should." I said, walking toward the door. I told them goodbye and headed down the stairs, laughing to myself at the fact that Heath and Ronnie were together.

"How did it go?" Dakota asked when I got inside of his car.

"It went really well actually. Heath was there."

"Heath? That's interesting." He mused. "Are you ready to leave?"

"Yeah." I patted my pockets. "Wait, no I think I left my phone."

"Maybe you left it in the car."

I looked around and touched the floor of the car, but I came up empty handed. Grabbing the handle of the glove compartment, I yanked it open and searched it just in case I threw it in there before leaving. Papers fell out, landing on my lap. I would've shoved them back into the glove compartment if it weren't for the words written on the very top.

"Transfer papers to...Boulder Valley High? Why do you have these?"

Dakota gulped, flashing his eyes between me and the papers. "Put those back where you found them."

"You're transferring to Boulder Valley High." My voice cracked in realization. "Is...is this why you gave me my birthday present early? How long have you been planning on leaving?"

"A little over two weeks." He pulled out of his parking spot. "I was going to tell you."

"When? On the day before winter break?" I knew I was right from the way he nervously threw me a look. I flung the papers at him. "Oh, wow. You were going to wait until the last moment! That's real brave of you. You didn't even ask me to see how I felt about it."

"Last time I checked the transfer forms don't ask me to get consent from my girlfriend." He grumbled. "Silvia, I'm going to a different school. Not a different country."

"You could've at least told me in advance." Dakota attempted to redeem himself, but I told him to stop trying and that I wanted him to drive me home. There was no way he could redeem himself after this. As his car came alongside my house, I threw the door open.

"Silvia."

"What?" I shouted.

"I think...it would be best if we stopped seeing each other."

His expressions told me a completely different story. He looked almost pained at the idea, frowning to himself.

I gripped the door handle. "If that's what you want."

Slowly, but surely, he nodded his head.

Before I had slammed it shut, I could've sworn that I heard him whisper a "sorry."

But for what?

__________

Song for the chapter: Oh Well by Fiona Apple

Lyrics:

❝What wasted unconditional love

On somebody

Who doesn't believe in the stuff.❞

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