Unwanted

Description: At the end of Homecoming night, Faith is faced with a dilemma. Three gorgeous guys are in love with her, but she has to pick one of them. Damian Adams. Jackson Fisher. Sanford Michaels. All three of them have their pro's, but they also have their con's. Damian lied, Jackson is never in sight, and Sanford's girlfriend could ruin her. Grace Lee Kim is not going to let Faith get away with Sanford being in love with her. Instead of her life getting easier in Haneel, it's getting worse. Her old life is starting to catch up with her and the guys in her life aren't making it any easier. With her old life and new life merging together, how is Faith going to handle it?

Chapter 1: Are you crazy?! "I pick...none of you," I said confidently. "You three are being really immature and one of you is a big fat jerk who deserves to die."Everyone in the audience gasped. I could tell from their expressions that they were expecting me to pick Damian. In a perfect world, maybe I would have, but nothing is ever perfect. I grabbed the microphone. "Everyone, please enjoy the rest of your night and thank you for the crown."My peers clapped politely as I got off the stage, leaving the three dumbstruck boys on stage. The DJ played John Mayer's "Dreaming with a Broken Heart", thinking that he was funny as the guys slowly descended the stairs of the stage. I could hear Grace yelling Sanford's ear off about how stupid he was to do something like that in front of everyone. I heard a loud smack! and smiled to myself. I walked to Blake, who escorted me outside and to my car. "Thanks for coming, Blake. I owe you big time," I said to him as we walked to the car. "I couldn't have dealt with all of this drama without you." "No prob. It was entertaining. Really," he grinned. "Well, it's only 9:30, what do you want to do?" "Hmmm...let's get out of here. I can't go home because all three of them know where I live. I just want to forget about them," I sighed. "Well, let's go back to New Lain. Let me cook you some dinner. I make amazing spaghetti," he said suggestively. "Oh my god, I love Italian food!" I gushed. "Well, hop in and ler's go!"Blake revved the engine and we zoomed out of the school parking lot. We cruised down the deserted freeway and blasted Ne-Yo's new CD "The Year of the Gentleman". I whooped and hollered loudly, feeling my adrenaline pulsing through my veins. Freedom. I bobbed my head to the beat and danced maniacally in my seat. I felt like I could finally let loose after a month of trying to be perfect for my perfect boyfriend. Blake pulled into his driveway. The lights weren't on when we first walked into his house. Blake flipped the switch and the room was flooded with light. Blake's house was like a picture out of the Home & Garden magazine. Every table adorned a bouquet of freshly picked flowers. The color scheme gave the house a warm feeling. He had wooden floors the shore in the light. "Kitchen's right through here," Blake motioned toward a doorway.We ventured further into his house and I was atacked by the cutest puppy on earth. I picked the angel up and cuddled with it. "Blake! Your puppy is so adorable! What's it's name?" I asked, not letting the puppy go. "Her name is Biscuit. she's a teacup maltese, just got her last week," Blake told me as he boiled water. "I'm kidnapping Biscuit," I said. "She's so precious! Say 'bye-bye', Biscuit." I made a show of walking out. I slowly turned the doorknob when Biscuit started whimpering. "Face it Faith, Biscuit wants to stay here," Blake laughed at me as I re-entered the kitchen. I stuck my tongue out at him. "You'll see. By the time I leave Biscuit will like me better." "Whatever you say Faith. Feel free to walk around. It'll take about an hour and a half or so," Blake insisted.I walked around his house, still caressing Biscuit, and it was beautiful. All the rooms complimented each other. Blake's home felt so comfortable. I explored upstairs and found what I guessed was Blake's room. His bed was unmade and clothes were all over the place. Papers were scattered on his cherry wood desk. On his wall was Yale paraphernalia. On his dresser were various pictures of himself with his buddies. I recognized most of them, but there was one particualr person that caught my eye. Him. It was a picture of him with his arm around Blake. They looked genuinely happy and innocent. The sight of him made my skin boil, but it also made my knees shake. I quickly looked away and tried to calm my breathing. I walked into his bathroom, set Biscuit down, and doused my face with cold water. He was such a bastard. I HATE him. He had already graduated and was at Harvard by the time I entered high school. I patted my face dry and picked up Biscuit again. I walked down the stairs and sat on the couch. "Blake, I'm hungry!" I whined. "Faith, shut up," he chuckled. "Blaaaaaaaaaaaaaake!" I whined again. He threw a bag of chips at me. "Eat and be merry." "Bless you!" I teased. "I'm going to change out of this. Kat's on her way over with clothes for you," Blake said. "How did she know I was here?" I asked. "Your phone rang when you were upstairs and I answered it. I told her to come over for food," he explained. He disappeared up the stairs and the doorbell rang. Biscuit started barking and I walked to the door. I opened it cautiously and saw Kat on the other side. "Faith! Blake told me everything. I freaking admire you even more!" Kat beamed. "Well, I'm sure everyone at Hell High thinks I'm an idiot..." I sighed. "Oh well, hey, think I could sleep over tonight? We could call Vanessa and Charlie and make it a sleep over." "Great idea! I'll call them right now." Kat took out her iPhone and called them both.I texted my mom, telling her that Homecoming was fun and that I was spending the night at Kat's because she had boy problems. "Vanessa is on her way to Blockbuster right now to rent "The Other Boleyn Girl", "A Walk to Remember", and "27 Dresses". Charlie is raiding Ralph's as we speak. We'll hit Starbucks and Krispy Kreme after we eat," Kat said. "Kat, you guys are awesome." I embraced her tightly. "Thanks for the clothes." Twenty minutes later, Kat, Blake, and I were enjoying Blake's spaghetti. Kat and I departed soon after and thanked Blake. "Are you SURE I can't keep Biscuit?" I pleaded. "I'm sure. But, you can visit her any time you want." Blake promised. "Yay! Oh, and thanks for tonight Blake. Again, I owe you big," I said as Kat and I got in my car.I'm beginning to think that being single for once could be very interesting and enjoyable...



Chapter 2: Bounce Back
It was around 11:30 when we all met up at Kat's house with our supplies. "Ladies, which movie first?" Vanessa asked, laying down the three DVD cases. "Can we watch 'The Other Boleyn Girl'?" I asked. "Actually, I'd rather hear about Homecoming," Charlie said. "Ditto!" Vanessa squealed. "C'mon Faith, you HAVE to tell us." "I really don't want to talk about it," I sighed. I grabbed a handful of pretzels and shoved them in my mouth. "Faith, you have to! We're best friends! Please tell us!" Kat pleaded.I absent mindedly stuffed more pretzels in my mouth and stared into the distance. I was brought back to reality when my phone chirped. "Faith, it's Reese," Kat said, handing me my phone. "Hello?" I answered. "Faith, I lo--"I quickly shut my phone and groaned. I buried my face in a nearby cushion and shrieked. "Hey, what's wrong babe? Why'd you hang up on Reese?" Charlie asked. "Because it wasn't Reese," I said in a monotone voice. "it was Damian on Reese's phone. I'd know his voice anywhere." "Wow...that's pretty slimy. Do they know that you're here?" Charlie asked. "I didn't tell them I was coming here. Hopefully my mom didn't say anything," I shrugged. "Back to the matter at hand..." Vanessa said. "What happened?" I sighed. "Well, long story short, Jackson, Damian, and Sanford came up onto the stage and professed their feelings for me. They gave me an ultimatum and I picked neither of them. Then I left with Blake." "Wow. Faith, you sure know how to cause drama," Kat teased. I threw a throw pillow at her." Oh shut up. At least I can get guys to fight over me." Kat glared at me playfully. "Whatever! Just tell us, what now?"I hadn't really thought about that. Monday morning I would have to go to back to Hell High. I would have to face the whole student body, knowing that I turned down two of the most sought after guys. Would the shun me? Adore me? I scolded myself. Don't care what other people think, Faith. You are you. "Whatever I guess. I'll chill here tomorrow then go back to Haneel after I have lunch with Brian." "Why Brian of all people?" Vanessa chocked her head to the side. "I don't know. I just feel like it," I told them. "Hand me my phone, I'm going to ask him to meet me at Chez Mignonne tomorrow afternoon." Faith: Busy tomorrow? Brian: Depends. What do you want? Faith: A chance to talk. Just us. You up for it? Brian: Where at? Faith: Chez Cutie Brian: Haha. You remember :] Brian: What time? Faith: 12:30ish? Brian: What will you be wearing? Faith: A tiara. Like last time :] Brian: I guess I have to go buy a graduation cap "So, is he going to meet you?" Charlie asked when I put my phone aside. I nodded. "Mmhmm." "My god, I hate you so much right now," Charlie sighed. "Why?" I asked. "You just turned down three gorgeous guys AND have a date with you ex, but I can't even get Neilson Fang to get coffee with me." "Baby, that's because Neilson has sworn off girls since I dumped him in 7th grade," I said. "What about Lance Landry? He's cute!" "Yeah...he's CUUUUUUUUUUTE!" Vanessa trilled.We spent the rest of the night talking about guys. We ended up not watching any of the DVDs, pigging out on junk food that we would regret the next day. and making up dances to numerous songs. It was pure fun, until I received a phone call at 4 A.M. "Who the hell would call you at 4 in the morning?" Vanessa complained groggily.We had fallen asleep after our sugar rush high. "I don't want to know," I groaned into the floor. "Someone answer it!" Vanessa threw my phone at me. "You answer it! It's your phone!" "Faith, stop the chirping!" Charlie whined. "ANSWER THE DAMN PHONE!" Kat snapped. I flipped open the phone. "Who the hell are you and what the fuck do you want?" "Faith, it's me," a velvety voice said. "Freddie, why the hell are you calling me at 4 in the morning?" I groaned. "I just wanted to tell you that Sanford--" I ended the call and groaned into the floor again. "Why won't they leave me alone?!" I whined. "Who was it?" Charlie asked. "Sanford's best friend, Freddie," I replied irritably. "Thanks so much for agreeing to a sleepover at the last minute. You guys are awesome Love you to death."They all piled on top of me and we had a huge group hug. Our friendship was the most important thing to me. No matter what, they would always be there for me------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ The next day I woke up with a killer headache. After the rude wake-up call from Freddie, we decided to watch all three movies in a row. We ended up falling asleep ten minutes into the second movie, which was roughly around six. I was rudely awakened, once again, by my phone at the unruly time of 11:45. I checked the caller ID and pressed "ignore". It was Klarissa, probably calling to talk me into taking Damian back. "Holy crap!" I exclaimed. Vanessa woke up and rubbed her eyes. "What?" "I have forty-five minutes until I have to meet Brian!" I shouted. "Fuck," she cursed. She woke up Charlie and Kat while I paced back and forth. "Okay, stay calm. We'll just hit Starbucks and go to Charlie's house. You both have skinny asses so it shouldn't be a problem," Kat suggested. "Yeah. C'mon. Let's get in my car."The four of us piled into my Acura and I drove to a Starbucks with a drive-thru. We ordered four piping hot grande Vanilla lattes and I drove to Charlie's. We arrived at Charlie's house around 12 and started panicking. "Charlie, go through your closet and pick out three different outfits. Kat and I will put ringlets in her hair," Vanessa instructed.Twenty minutes later I was miraculously ready for lunch with Brian. My hair was down and I was wearing a Ralph Lauren lime green cotton mini polo dress with put white converse. I hugged the three of them and thanked them for everything. I got in the car and put my Homecoming queen tiara on. Chez Mignonne was just a couple miles away from Charlie's house. I arrived two minutes early and looked for the graduation cap, but he spotted me first. "Hey Faith! I've missed you!" Brian exclaimed as her enveloped me in a humungous hug. He was about 5'7", an inch taller than before, with a Matt LeBlanc kind of haircut. He had cut off his skaterboy locks, which I used to love. He was wearing Calvin Klein straight jeans, a white v-neck t-shirt that I bought him a couple months ago, and colorful Nikes. His toned and tanned body had always dazzled me. The lines of his defined abs showed through his tissue thin shirt. Why did I let go of him in the first place? "Brian, it's been a while. How are you?" I asked, trying to look away from his torso and to his face. His gorgeous face. "Good, good. Ready to go in?" He held the door open for me and we were quickly seated by and all too eager waitress. "What's good here?" Brian asked her. "Uhm...everything?" she answered, a little flustered that Brian had addressed her. It took all of my strength to not laugh at her. Brian always had that first impression on girls. He was stunning, but once you got to know him, he was a little kid trapped in a teenager's body. "I'll have the filet mignon," I said, hoping to ease her. "A-a-a-and you?" she stammered. "Steak. Medium rare," Brian ordered. "Oh, and water for both." "Coming right up. I'll bring you a fresh basket of breadsticks," she promised. She walked away quickly and Brian sighed. "So, what did you want to talk about?" he asked. "First of all, I just want to say that I'm finally single. I haven't been this way in a while," I told him. He seemed to straighten up. "Oh, how sad." I laughed nervously. "Kinda, not really. You see, the thing is...I don't know if this is how I want to be." "Wait, what happened to Damian and Sanford?" he questioned. "History. Done. Out of my life," I said confidently. "Wow, quite the heartbreaker, I see," he chuckled. "Yes, I know. I've been thinking...would you consider taking me back?" I asked, looking at my hands. Brian was silent. After a while he said, "I love you Faith, yes." My head shot up. "Really?! Yay!" "You're such a spaz," Brian laughed. Our food was delivered and we talked about everything. I told him about last night and he told me about school. Their Homecoming was last weekend, and he went with his best friend, Trinity. He promised that they went strictly as friends and ended up leaving at separate times. Trinity leaving early with her ex turned boyfriend again and Brian going out with the water polo guys to Denny's after the dance. We paid and walked out holding hands. "Well, I have to go. I have water polo practice at three," Brian said. "I'll call you or something when I'm down, mmkay?" "Sure," I kissed his lips lightly. "Have fun at practice, babe."He walked me to my car and we kissed again. I got in my car and drove off. I took my sweet time getting home, excited that I was with someone who accepted everything about me. He didn't care about what happened two years ago. He loved me for me and that's all that I ever wanted. I started reminiscing, thinking back to the first day I met Brian. I had dropped my pencil in the hallway and he happened to be passing by. Our paths hadn't crossed before then, him being in CP classes and me being the overachiever. At that moment, I knew he would be special. And now, I was, once again, with that guy, the special one. Screw Damian. Who gives a fuck about Jackson. Shit. Sanford. Amazing Sanford with the cute eyes and the preppy name. My first love in Haneel. I tried to push all thoughts of Sanford out of my mind. I was a one-guy girl. Brian all the way. Sanford was off-limits...for now.


Chapter 3: Welcoming Committee
I was too scared to go home, but I couldn't be seen in broad daylight either. I sighed and drove to the nearest Verizon store. I had to get a new phone and phone number. I browsed through the store's selection and picked the enV2. I went up to the counter and purchased my phone, requesting that the lady at the counter transfer all of my old information to my new phone. She did it without hesitation or question. I swiped my card and walked out of the store. The first thing I did was mass text Blake, Brian, Kat, Vanessa Charlie, Mom, Dad, and Reese informing them about my new number and asking them not to give out my number without my consent. I pocketed my new phone and sighed. Life was so much better without having a liar for a boyfriend. I drove to Chevron and filled up my tank and drove home. I peeked in through the peep hole to make sure that no one was in there and I walked in. "Kay? Is that you?" I heard my mother ask from the kitchen. "Yeah. Is anyone here?" I asked nervously. "If by 'anyone', you mean a guy, no," she answered as she walked into the living room "Good" I sighed as I flopped onto the couch. "Baby, what's the matter?" my mom joined me on the couch and hugged me around my shoulders. "Tell Mommy." I laughed. "Damian asked me out on a dare, Jackson was willing to dump his girlfriend for me, and Grace knows that I moved here because something scandalous happened." "Oh baby. It'll be alright. Being single isn't that bad, you'll see," she assured me. "You'll find the right guy. Eventually." "I'm back with Brian," I told her. Her face lit up instantly. "That's wonderful honey! He's a great guy. I knew you'd get back together. He's always been my favorite of your boyfriends." I leaned my forehead against her shoulder. "Brian IS great, mom. He accepts me for who am, no matter how stupid I may have acted in the past." My mom enveloped me in a huge hug. "It was only a matter of time sweetie. You deserve a good guy." "Thanks Mom. Oh, and please don't give my number out," I pleaded. "Sure thing, Kay. My lips are sealed." The next day at school was…different. I walked out of the girls' locker room uneasily. The dance/drill girls were so supportive, telling me that we were a family and their arms were always open. I walked to my locker and stopped dead in my tracks. In front of my locker were oodles of red-stained white roses. Taped to my locker were two dozen balloons. The longest balloon had a note attached to it. I took the paper off and opened it. I love you. You know I do. Please give me another chance. I screwed up once, but I promise it won't happen again. -Damian Adams <3I rolled my eyes. Whatever. I opened my locker and stuffed the piece of paper in the locker. I picked up all of the flowers and balloons and stuffed them in my brand new Lexus. It was pretty spacious so everything fit. I locked the doors and walked back into the school. I walked into my chemistry class and found another surprise. There was a humungous teddy bear on my desk as well as a box of Ferrero Rocher chocolates. "Faith, you are my IDOL!" a girl I've never met said to me as I sat down in my usually spot. "I admire you so much!" another girl squealed. "Be my girlfriend! I love you!" a guy shouted from the hallway.Has everyone in my school gone mad?! I ignored that last comment and looked for a card. I found one, but all it said was "I'm sorry." I didn't want to waste my time trying to figure out who left this for me, s I just listened to the teacher and took notes. Halfway through class my People's Liberation jeans vibrated once. I discreetly took my phone out of my pocket when the teacher was writing something on the whiteboard and flipped it open. It was a new text message. Brian: Hey babe. I miss you Faith: I miss you too! Brian: So I was thinking. How about I skip water polo and come over there for dinner with your parents? Faith: I don't want you to ditch practice! You'll be kicked off of the team! Brian: Relax baby! I'm just kidding! It was cancelled because they're draining the pool. Faith: Okay cool. Come ASAP. Brian: Of course of course. See you around 4!The bell suddenly rang and I grabbed the bear and chocolates and went to French class. I got to the doorway and stopped. "Holy crap," I muttered under my breath.On my usual desk were more of those red-stained white flowers and another balloon. Attached to the balloon was another piece of paper. Faith, please meet me after school on the football field. I love you. -Your sweater vest man My heart skipped a beat. Goddammit. Why did Sanford always make my stomach flutter? I crumpled the paper and stuffed it in my backpack. "Faith?" a voice called from the doorway. I looked at the doorway and saw Damian. "What the hell do you want?" He sighed. "I want you back. I know that not telling you was stupid and I regret that I didn't tell you in the beginning." "Well good!" I snapped. "I hope you feel crappy. Je t'emmerde!" "Faith Kay Anderson!" my teacher exclaimed. "Watch your language!" "Merde," I mumbled. "Damian, go to class." "Faith, pourquoi avez-vous dit cela?" Mademoiselle Simpson asked. "Just…because. I'm sorry. I won't cuss in class anymore," I apologized. "Faith, I want you to go to see the school psychologist. We're working on the difference between c'est and Il est. I suspect that you already know this based on or conversations. I'm writing you a pass." Mademoiselle Simpson wrote on something on her personal stationary and called the psychologist. "I called Tasha, she's waiting."I groaned as I walked out of the classroom. Tasha's office was on the second level of the school so I walked toward the stairs. Why were guys such assholes? One minute, they're completely into you and the next, you find out that they were lying to you all along. As I approached the stairs I got a text from an unsaved number. Unknown: Hello again my little whore :] Faith: Who's this? How did you get my number? Unknown: I'm appalled. It's me, Hunter! I stole Brian's phone and got your # Faith: What the hell do you want? Unknown: Chill! I just wanted to let you know that Peter Smith is back from boarding school. Him and Blake were re-united today. It wasn't as cute as when Blake met up with you-know-who, but still. Faith: What's Peter doing back? Unknown: He was good so his dad brought him back. He's looking for you ;] Faith: Crap… Unknown: Re-united and it feels SO good, huh Faith? Unknown: Bye love!HOLY CRAP! What was Peter Smith doing back? Mother fuck…shit shit shit shit! Holy crap. He's supposed to be at boarding school until college! Holy shit!!! My heart started racing and I broke out in a cold sweat. I sat down on the stairs. I couldn't breathe. I grasped the banister to prevent myself from falling down. I felt like an elephant juggling a hippo, panda, and lion was sitting on my chest. I started taking in less and less air. Then everything went black and I rolled down the stairs.------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ When I finally came to, Tasha was hovering over me, alongside my parents and Reese. "What's going on?" I asked groggily. "Oh, honey!" my mom cried as she threw herself on me. "Stephanie, let Kay breathe!" my father scolded. "How are you feeling sweetie?" "Like someone's squeezing my heart," I said weakly. "What happened to me?" "Well, I came looking for you after about ten minutes" Tasha explained. "And I saw you lying at the foot of the stairs with your eyes closed. The school nurse is out sick, so I brought you into here and called your parents." "How long was I out?" I whispered. "For about four hours. You missed a lot of class," my father pointed out. "We'll go buy you some lunch. Be back soon." My family walked out the door and I tried to sit up. I winced in pain and lied back down. "So Faith, how are you feeling?" Tasha asked. "Crappy," I sighed. "Why's that?" "I can't tell you. It'll ruin everything, "I said to her. She scribbled something down. "What CAN you tell me?" I sighed. "I can tell you that he's back." "I see." Scribble scribble. "Let's call him 'X'. So, how does X's return make you feel?" "Scared, uncomfortable, nervous, and confused," I said. Scribble scribble scribble. 'I see. Now, how long has X been gone?" "Uhm, about two to three years," I guessed. Scribble. "Uh-huh…so, your French teacher said that you lashed out at Damian Adams. What is your relationship with this boy?" "He WAS my boyfriend, but I dumped him at Homecoming because he lied to me. He only asked me out because of a dare and I found out from his sister, Klarissa the afternoon before the dance, " I explained. Massive amount of scribbling. "Mmhmm. I see. And how do you feel about that?" "Betrayed, backstabbed, heartbroken, flabbergasted, worthless, unimportant and played," I snarled. "So Faith," scribble scribble. "Were you in love with this boy?" I shrugged. "I don't know. I could've been." "Interesting."Tasha continued to scribble on her notepad. I got bored and started picking at my cuticles. I took slow, deep breaths and tried to remember exactly what happened. I remembered cussing at Damian in French and Mademoiselle Simpson sending me to Tasha. I also remembered receiving a text message from an unsaved number, but I didn't remember who it was. I picked my phone up from the table and scrolled through my inbox. I saw the words "Hunter" and "looking for you". I instantly froze and dropped my phone on my stomach. I had that same pressurized feeling in my chest. My breaths became short and quick. I looked up at Tasha with wide eyes and saw the shock in her face. And then my world went black for the second time today.------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ This time when I woke up I was blinded by a fluorescent light. I squinted my eyes and lifted my arm to protect me from the harsh light. I then noticed a hospital tag and an IV tube attached to my arm. I blinked repeatedly until my vision became clear. I could hear the annoying beeping from the heart monitor to my right. I turned onto my side to face the window. It looked to be about dusk and cars were zooming by. I searched the walls for a clock, but I couldn't find one. I saw a red button on the rail of the bed so I pressed it. I heard a buzzer and waited. After about a minute a nurse, followed by my family, came into the room. "Sweetheart, don't ever scare Daddy like that ever again," my dad said affectionately. "Miss Anderson, are you feeling any pain?" my nurse asked politely. I shook my head. "No thanks. I'm fine." "Okay. Well, Dr. Cunnigham will be with you shortly. I hope you'll be fine without the pain killers."The nurse exited the room quietly and closed the door. "Faith, you scared the shit out of me!" Reese said as she smacked my thigh. "Honey, don't pass out ever again, you hear me?" One minute we're out buying you lunch and the next we're waiting for your recovery," my mom complained. "We've been worried sick for the past six hours!" "It's not like I did it on purpose," I grumbled. "Wait, where's Brian? He said he was driving down here." "He's outside in the waiting room waiting for us to tell him when you wake up," Dad informed me. "He's been pacing in that room since he got here. He has a really bad habit of biting his nails though." I laughed lightly. "Brian always does that especially before a game. I've been trying ot get him to quit for the longest time!" "Well we'll go tell him you're up."My parents and Reese walked outside and Brian instantly appeared. His face was ruddy and his eyes were red and puffy. He practically ran to my bed and kissed me. Hard. My heart rate increased and I started laughing. "What?" Brian asked as he pulled away slightly offended by my spontaneous laughing. "That was just like in 'Twilight' by Stephanie Meyer," I smiled. "Yeah, I guess it was." He scratched the back of his head and sighed. "So, I guess you heard about Peter?" Breathe in, breathe out. "How did you know that?" "It's kinda obvious, Faith. You had two of your famous 'Peter Panic Attacks'." Brian said incredulously. "So, who told you?" Deep, slow breaths. "Hunter." "Fuck," he muttered. "Is that bastard still harassing you?" "He stopped for about a month," I trailed off. "So he started again because Peter came back," he realized. "Asshole!" Breathe, breathe, BREATHE! "Could we like, not mention his name anymore?"I could hear my heartbeat become irregular to my right. "Sir, can you please step outside for a moment?" Dr. Cunningham asked. "I need to speak with Miss Anderson." Brian nodded. "Bye doctor."Brian walked out the door and Dr. Cunnigham stood next to my bed. "So Faith, have you had something like this happen before?" Dr. Cunnigham asked straight away. "Uhm, I have, but not as severe as this. Just for about 20-30 minutes," I replied. "Well, I'll get straight to the point. You just suffered from two major panic attacks. And from the looks of this monitor, you were fighting another one just a moment ago. What triggered these?" Dr. Cunningham asked. "Mainly just memories and shock," I confessed. Dr. Cunningham looked at something on his clipboard. "I don't think it was shock. My results show me that you've been under a lot of stress the past three days. I'm assuming that something has been bothering you." "I guess," I shrugged. "Well, you can tell me if you want, but you don't have to," he encouraged. I blinked silently. "Okay, well, I'm not going to keep you here overnight, but I want to put you on house arrest for the rest of the week. I'm going to prescribe a medicine that will knock you out for an hour. Only take this if you feel under a lot of pressure. Now, it's an injection so it will be effective immediately. Call if you need anything," Dr. Cunnigham explained. I managed to nod. "Thank you Dr. Cunnigham, I appreciate it." "I'll just have your nurse come in and help you check out. You can pick up your medicine at the counter. Be safe, Faith." Dr. Cunnigham smiled and walked out the door.Minutes later, the nurse came back in and swiftly detached all of the wires and tubes from me. She gave me back my clothes and I slipped them on in the little bathroom I had. When I walked out back into my room, my nurse was happily waiting on the one person couch. She escorted me to the front of the hospital where I got my medicine. "Here's a paper that I'd like you to sign. It explains the dangers of using needles, HIV/AIDS, and other potentially dangerous outcomes. I'll also need a parent or guardian signature as well, letting me know that they are also aware," a nice lady told me.I took the provided clipboard to the waiting room and went over the paper with my parents. We signed on the lines and I gave the paper back to the nurse. "It's 8 P.M. Are you hungry?" my mom asked when we were outside. "I'm starving!" I groaned. "Can we go to Rubio's?" "We can go wherever you want, honey," Mom cooed. "Brian, will you be joining us?" "Sure, I'll meet you guys there."He turned and walked to his car while be got into ours. "So, you and Brian are back together again, huh?" Reese smiled slyly. "Yeah…why?" I asked, narrowing my eyes at her. "Just asking Y'know, you and Sanford are a totally cuter couple" she smiled, but sweetly this time. I folded my arms across my chest. "Let me guess, Sanford put you up to this?" Reese scoffed. "More like drove me crazy about it!" "What's THAT supposed to mean?" I scoffed back at her. "I'm sorry," she cried. "It's just that whenever I'm at Anthony's house all Sanford does is follows us around asking me questions about you. It gets SO annoying!" "And my dating with Brian affects this how?" "If you and Sanford started going out, he'd stop bugging me!" she exclaimed. I clicked my tongue. "He has Grace, doesn't he?" "So? He loves YOU, Faith. He can't break up with Grace and you know that. Remember? She knows stuff about you," Reese scolded me. "Reese, Kay can date anyone she wants to" my father chided. "If it just so happens that she wants to date the boy I set her up with to begin with, so be it," my father said from the driver's seat. "Your father, the humble one," my mother said sarcastically as she rolled her eyes. My father laughed. "I'm just saying that I was the one who got Brian to ask you out." "Sure Dad, whatever you say," Reese sighed. "I always liked Brian though." "He's such a gentleman and, my lord, he's cute," my mother added. "And that's the end of discussing my relationships," I said loudly, hoping to shut them up. "Faith Kay Anderson, do not raise your voice at me "my father scolded. "This is a very important matter that we need to discuss." "Why do I need to discuss this with you?!" I yelled. "Because we don't want another foolish mistake!" Dad's voice boomed. "We're discussing this because you obviously can't handle your love life properly by yourself!" I could feel the tears running down my face. "Well, if you think I'm so foolish I might as well not date at all!"The car was at a stop sign close to Rubio's so I got out of the car and slammed the door with all the force I could conjure up. My mom rolled down her window and stuck her head out. "Faith, baby, please get back in the car." "Why should I? So you can keep commenting on my love life?! No thanks," I huffed. "Faith, you need to eat, please get in the car," she pleaded. "I'll eat on my way home," I growled. "How do you think you're getting home, young lady?" Dad asked sternly. I took out my phone and texted Brian to come pick me up. He said he was in the Rubio's parking lot and that he would come and get me. "Brian's taking me home," I said. "We are not done with this conversation, Kay," my father said before driving off. Once they were gone, I finally had a chance to relax. Why did my dad have to bring all of that up?! I knew that once we were all home he would continue discussing my love life. I was then blinded by Brian's headlights and I was happy again. "Thank you so much, Brian." I smiled as I got in the car. "No problem, Faith. So, home?" he asked. "No, I'm going to sleep in the park and rot away," I told him. "I am NOT leaving you to die in the park!" he chuckled. "I'm taking you home."He started driving to my house, but made an unexpected detour. "Where are we going?" I asked, confused. "McDonald's" he smiled. "You need food or else you might faint again." I beamed. "You're always looking out for me. I'm seriously starving, like no joke." He laughed. "Faith, you are so CUTE." "Thank you. Now get the cute girl some food!Brian went through the drive-thru and ordered two double cheeseburgers, one BigMac and a large fries. We got the food and went to my house. We ate on my front porch and talked about the most random things like, why IHOP was called the International House of Pancakes when half of their menu didn't even include pancakes. By the time we finished talking, it was already 9:30. "Holy shit! I have to go home," Brian explained. "Call me as often as possible, Faith!"He kissed my forehead and ran to his car. He waved good-bye and sped off into the distance. I sighed happily and opened the door to my house only to be taken aback by a dark figure. It was the silhouette of a person I knew all too well. "It's not nice to keep an old friend waiting," the figure said.My heart stopped beating.
Chapter 4: Unexpected
I had broken into a cold sweat. "Awww, that's no way to treat me, now is it?" he smiled dangerously, yet suggestively at the same time. I could feel him getting closer and closer. I finally gathered up the strength to turn on the light and I saw his face. I secretly checked him out. Chiseled perfection. Perfect hair, as always, and the body of a god. His stunning good looks amazed me all the time. His muscles were more defined than they were since the last time I saw him. He just stood there, letting me look at him with wide eyes and a gaping mouth. To someone else, he was perfect in every way, but I knew that he was just the devil in the body of perfection. "How did you get in my house?" I squeaked. "Doesn't matter. I didn't come here to talk. I'm just a delivery boy for my brother," he said, smiling at me like it was perfectly fine for him to be standing there. "Peter, get the hell out of my house!" I yell-sobbed. My heart came back to life, but I still couldn't move or breathe. "Relax, Faith! Like I said, I'm only a messenger," Peter said innocently. "Here." He handed me a blue envelope with my name scrawled on it in a familiar script. I snatched it out of his hands, eager to get him out of my house as quickly as possible. "Goodnight, Faith," he singsonged as he exited my house gaily. I was left standing there with an important decision to be made: open the envelope or throw it in the fire place and let it burn. I stared at my name for a minute and decided to go to my room. My family came home and they didn't bother me. I had a sleepless night. All I did was sit on my bed and stare at the blue envelope. I knew that this decision required lots of thought. I spent the whole night wondering whether or not I should open the envelope. It bothered me that I was taking so long to decide. My brain was telling me to burn it. My brain knew that if I opened up the envelope, nothing good would come out of it, but my heart was telling me something else. My heart yearned for his words, to know how he was, if he thought about me, if he missed me, or if he even remembered me at all. After two years, he still had a place in my heart. No matter what I did to try to get rid of his presence in my heart, nothing would work. Knowing that Peter was back was bad enough, but from this little note, I knew that he was back too. He made me depressed, but euphoric. He could calm me with just a few simple words, but his actions filled me with rage. I loved him like no other, but I had this urge to stab him in the heart repeatedly until the last drop of blood had escaped his body. I wanted to beat him up and make him understand what I had gone through these past years and to feel what I felt after my world came crashing down. One stupid mistake that he convinced me to do. He brought out the best of me. That was the only reason that I was attracted to him after that one mistake. No matter what, I was always trying to be at my best when he was around. I would sit up straighter, laugh a little louder, act a little cooler. I don't know how that worked out, but he made me feel alive. To make matters worse, he was an influential person. He ruined my life but I would gladly bring him back into it in a heartbeat. The next morning, I have up on the letter and trudged down the stairs. It was around five in the morning and nobody was awake. Mom could go to work whenever she wanted and Dad's first appointment was at noon. I decided to make breakfast for my family, hoping that it would take my mind off of the letter. I pulled out seven eggs, milk, oil, pancake mix, cheese, bacon, ham, green onions, and two frying pans. I cooked the bacon and ham in one pan and pancakes in another. The pancake mix made around eight pancakes. I set those aside and started beating the eggs. I poured those eggs into a huge pan. I quickly chopped the bacon, diced the ham, and put them on top of the eggs. The kitchen was filled with mouthwatering aromas. I sprinkled a layer of cheese on the meat and closed the omelet. It took a couple of minutes to cook it and then breakfast was almost complete. It was now 6 A.M. and I only had half an hour before they all woke up. I started the coffee machine and set the table for four. I placed two pancakes on each plate and one-fourth of my massive omelet. I then set a glass and a mug for each person. I poured orange juice in the glass and coffee in the mugs. I waited eagerly in my chair for my family to come downstairs. The first to come down was my father. He came down from his room in his raggy plaid bathrobe and a terrible case of bedhead. "Faith, why do I smell food?" he asked groggily. "I made everyone breakfast!" I smiled cheerfully. He looked at the table and then at me. "Why, thanks Kay! That was awfully nice of you." Yeah, whatever. He took his place at the table and sipped his coffee. Five minutes later, Reese and my mom came down. "Wow, Faith! You made us breakfast?!" Reese exclaimed in her usual perky voice. "Yup!" I grinned. "How nice," my mom smiled. They took their seats and everyone dug in. If you were to peek in through our windows, you'd see a loving family, which we were to some extent. If I've learned anything from these past two years, looks can be deceiving. "That was so good," Reese gushed as she swallowed the last of her orange juice. My father poured more coffee. "Not that we don't appreciate it, but why did you do all of this?" I shrugged. "I needed to relax so I cooked." "Well, since you made breakfast, I'll wash the dishes," Reese offered. "Okay pumpkin," my mother said as she stood. "I'm sorry, but I have to go get ready for work. I have a meeting with some execs and I can't be late." My mother rushed upstairs to get ready leaving my dad, Reese, and me downstairs in an awkward silence. "Well, I'm going out for a walk. Faith, would you like to come along? They say that walking is good for clearing one's head. Anthony's parents have offered to take Reese to school so there's no reason to refuse," my father pointed out. "I'd love to Dad, but I've got to get to school," I declined. "I need to get my assignments, but raincheck?" He nodded. "Sure thing, Kay." He went back upstairs to change into his jogging suit and then it was just me and Reese. I helped her clear the table in silence. It was a tense silence, but that's how it usually was when nobody else was around. "So, how are you and Anthony?" I asked, trying to get rid of the tension that was increasing by the second. Reese shrugged. "We're fine." "How long have you been together?" "Two months, approximately," she said as she cleared a plate of its grimy contents. I sat on the counted next to the sink. "You kiss yet?" A bright pink blush spread across her face. "Maybe." "Awww!" I cooed. "That's so sweet. How was it? I remember my first kiss. It was nothing short of incredible." She turned twenty shades pinker. "Really…nice." "Are you KIDDING me? Nice? A kiss from a boy that looks like THAT is bound to be more than 'nice'", I scoffed. "Okay. It was TOTALLY earth-shattering!" Reese squealed excitedly, accidentally dropping the spatula. "OMG, it felt so magical, like, no joke." I smiled brightly. "Go get changed really fast. I'm driving you to school. Text Anthony. I was ALL of the details!" "Okay!" she replied cheerfully. She raced up the stairs and I rinsed the rest of the dishes. When I finished, I went upstairs mainly to check on Reese, but also to change. After giving her a five minute warning, I went into my room. I put on black short shorts and a white v-neck shirt. I put on my favorite Rainbows and brushed my hair into a messy bun. By the time I bounded down the stairs, Reese was patiently sitting on the couch, engrossed in her text messaging. "Ready to go?" I asked. "Sure."We got into the Acura and I made Reese tell me everything. She told me that it had happened about two weeks ago at YogurtLand. She had gotten a brain freeze and he told her he had a way to warm her up. She said he tasted like mango frozen yogurt and mocha rice balls. When he pulled away, she said that he admitted that he'd wanted to do that for the longest time, but he was too nervous. I dropped Reese off at the curb and sighed. Young love. It was so beautiful, yet it made one blind and oblivious to the obvious. After I dropped Reese off at school, I drove to my own. School had started ten minutes ago, so I went to the office and handed my doctor's note to the principal's secretary, seeing that the principal was at a district meeting until noon. She wished me a speedy recovery and allowed me to go to my classes to pick up my work, but instructed me to not disturb the classes. I thanked her politely and made my way to my classes. I told every teacher the condensed version of what happened, let them know that I'd be out for the rest of the week, and thanked them for understanding. By the time I went through all of my classes, I had gathered a two inch thick stack of papers. Before I went to my car, I stopped by my locker to retrieve the necessary text books. When I opened my locker a pink slip of paper was taped to the inside. I took it off and recognized the sort of choppy script. I instantly knew it was from Grace. I told you to stay away from Sanford, but you're so stubborn. If you think your life is hell now, wait until you see what else Hunter and I have planned for you. -Grace Lee KimFor the second time in less than twenty-four hours my heart stopped beating for a split second. Grace was conspiring with Hunter? How did she know about him? What was she talking about when she mentioned Sanford? I tore a piece of paper out of my notebook, wrote Grace a quick note telling her to meet me at my house after school, and shoved the note into her nearby locker. I quickly rushed to my car with the papers and textbooks in my hands. There, leaning against my car, was Sanford Michaels. My automatic response was to leap into his arms, but I controlled myself. "Hello Faith," Sanford greeted me casually. "Hi Sanford," I barely whispered. I could feel my throat closing up.He walked up to me and brushed my bangs out of my eyes. "You look beautiful," he breathed in my ear.I could feel my heart rate increasing. Wow, Sanford was super gorgeous. I pushed him away gently. "Do you need something?" I managed to get out. "Yes," he said looking deeply into my eyes. "I need you."My heart flipped. My knees were weak. I could feel hot tears making their way down my cheeks. I swallowed hard, willing myself to stop crying and to get in the car and drive away. "No, you don't." "Stop. I know how I feel, Faith. I love you. I love you more than I love myself. Without you, my life is incomplete. I've never felt this way about anyone, ever. I will do anything and everything just to have you in my arms for a minute. I've been waiting all of my life for someone like you to come and grace me with your presence. Grace Kim and I are over. I love you so much, it's driving me insane. All day and all night I think of you. I'm frustrating myself so much because of you. I love you, but you won't even give me the time of day. You've been avoiding me since Homecoming. I want, no, I NEED you in my life. But if you can tell me that you have absolutely no feelings for me, then I'll stop chasing you for good. I'll stay out of your life forever. It will be like we never met. It's all or nothing. You can either have me in your life, knowing that I love you and I'm fighting for you or I'll completely disappear. I'll even switch schools if that's what it takes. If I don't have you in my life, I'll die. So, Faith Kay Anderson, how do you feel about me?"


Chapter 5: If only…
I was literally frozen. I was overwhelmed with a dozen emotions at once. I knew that Sanford loved me; he told me before. It was just month ago when he told me those three words. The three words every girl wants to hear. I really, truly loved Sanford. He was constantly on my mind ever since I met him. He was an amazing guy who had just admitted how much he loved me. He wanted me to tell him that I loved him too, I could see it in his eyes. His pleading, puppy-like eyes. There was a stream of tears flowing down my cheeks. He was just standing there, waiting for me to say something. I knew what I had to do and I knew the consequences. "Sanford," I whispered. "I love you, too."Sanford's face lit up and he embraced me tightly. His body was pressed against mine so hard that the belt he was wearing was pinching my skin. He didn't even try to kiss me, which I really wanted him to do, he just held me close. I never wanted him to let me go, but he did anyway. He pressed his forehead against mine, intertwined our fingers, and smiled down at me like a little boy on Christmas morning who opened the best present in the world. "Faith, thank you," he said. "So, what now? I have a boyfriend y'know," I told him, bringing him back to reality. "I know that, but can't you break up with him?" he pleaded. "Sanford, I can't be with you right now, you know that already," I reminded him. "Why not? I thought you loved me, we can take on Grace if that's what you're worried about. I won't let her touch you," he promised. "It's not that simple, Sanford. Grace is making my life a living hell. She's trying to destroy my life. I've already gone through that once, I don't want to endure it again," I confessed. "Faith, I don't get what you mean. What do you mean 'second'?" he asked, confused.That was when I told Sanford about my horrible past. I started from the beginning and kept talking until he knew the whole story. I told him how my life was before the incident. I told him how my life was right after the incident happened and I told him how I was rebuilding my life here. I basically told him my whole life story. His facial expressions changed various times throughout my story. We probably stood there for half an hour while I explained to him what happened and answered his questions. By the time I finished telling him everything, he was shocked. "And now Grace and Hunter are working together to sabotage you?" he asked. I nodded. "Yeah. I got a note from Grace just now, threatening me that she was going to make my life hell."Sanford took me in his arms once more and I sobbed uncontrollably into his shoulder. I just let it all out. The last time I cried like this was two months ago. It was when I was in park after I went to Starbucks. I cried over Peter and the letter. I cried over Brian. I cried over Jackson. I cried over Sanford. I cried over Blake. I cried over Him. I cried over Damian and Kathleen. Most importantly, I cried over my stupidity. If only I had better judgment. The incident would have never happened if I had better judgment. If only I watched what I said. Grace would never have figured out that there was some scandalous reason for my sudden move if I watched what I said. If only I wasn't so superficial. I never would have fallen for Damian and his good looks and titles if I looked past the exterior. If only I didn't get in the car with Grace. Grace would never have thought of me as a potential threat to her social throne or boy toy if I just stayed at home instead of going out with her. If only I didn't have a temper. I never would have hooked up with Jackson and complicated things even more if I knew how to control my anger. If only I wasn't jealous. Kathleen would have never thought I was anything more than a project to Damian if I didn't act jealous. If only I paid close attention. I would have seen Grace plotting my takedown if I was alert. If only I wasn't so naïve. My naïveté was the reason that I didn't notice that Damian didn't really love me from the beginning. If only I didn't listen to gossip. Klarissa never would have told me that Damian asked me out on a dare and I would be oblivious. If only I wasn't oblivious to my surroundings. I would have noticed that Grace had started talking to Hunter. If only I was more persistent. My parents would have never talked me into moving to Haneel and I never would have to face destruction for the second time. If only I knew how to keep secrets. My parents would have never found out about the incident if I kept my business to myself. If only I was more committed to the dance/drill team. I never would have been so caught up in boys if I threw myself into dancing. If only I didn't care what other people thought of me. I never would have agreed to move and I never would have been determined to prove to Grace that the school wasn't pitying me. If only I was careful. I never would have been involved in the incident. If only I didn't fall in love so easily. I never would have fallen in love with him and my life would be perfectly normal. If only I could control my feelings. I never would have fallen for three guys, I never would have bitched back at Grace, I never would have gotten in Kathleen's way because I wanted Damian, and I never would have gotten mad at Sanford for hooking up with Grace, provoking him to try and make it up to me. If only I wasn't human. I would be mistake-free if I wasn't human. "Everything's going to be just fine. I still feel the same way about you. I might even love you more. You've been through so much all by yourself. I'm here for you, I promise. Nothing can change my feelings for you, Faith. I'll help you through anything and everything so that we can have a chance to be together," Sanford promised. "I love you."Sanford kissed my forehead and wiped away my tears. He bent down even lower and kissed my lips softly. I was so overwhelmed with all of my troubles that I grabbed his shirt and pressed up against him before he was able to pull away. There was a sense of alarm and shock in his lips for a brief moment, but he finally responded the way I wanted him to. I willed him to kiss me harder. I wanted to forget everything and focus on this moment. Right here, right now. I opened my mouth to his and our bodies meshed together. I finally reached the state of nirvana that I wanted to be in and I broke away instantly. "Whoa," Sanford breathed. I was breathing heavily and sighed happily. "That was…invigorating." "I've never been kissed that way before," Sanford admitted sheepishly. I blushed and bent down to pick up the papers and textbooks I had dropped. "I really should go. Hold up, why aren't you in class?" He shrugged. "I didn't feel like going. Here, let me help you with that.Sanford helped me place the books and papers in the backseat of my car, kissed my wet cheek, and watched me drive off into the distance. When I got home it was already 10 A.M. My father had left a note for me saying that he had to go to work early to prepare. I was alone in my house, which was a really bad position for me to be in. I walked into my room and picked up the envelope with trembling hands. I stared at my name on the front of the envelope just like I did last night. I remembered the last time he wrote me a letter. It was about the incident. Just then, the memories of the incident hit me, hard. It all started with me going to his house. I was wearing a flouncy white miniskirt I had bought at H&M the day before and a black cami from aerie. It was during spring break and Peter had picked me up to go to see him. Peter was like his delivery boy and lackey. He was sitting on the porch, waiting for Peter to arrive with me. I remember the anticipation I felt while I was in the passenger seat, excited to see him for after two months. I remember jumping out of the car and into his arms. He told me that he missed me. He had returned from boarding school for the break and… I shook my head and scolded myself. "No, I'm not going to think about him anymore."I said aloud. I tore the envelope and its contents into miniscule pieces. I clutched the little pieces in my hand and ran down the stairs. I hurried toward our fireplace and started it. I tossed the shredded pieces of paper into the flames and watched them disintegrate into ashes. A wave of relief washed over me. I put out the fire and let out a satisfied sigh. I settled down on the couch. My phone vibrated in my pocket and I took it out. I had a new text message. I opened my phone and it was from a restricted number. Restricted: Hey baby ;] Faith: Uhm…who’s this? Restricted: C'mon, you know who I am. Restricted: Here's a clue: I know what you were wearing last night and I'm back from boarding school for good, bitch.It was Peter Smith, my own personal stalker and the devil's spawn. Faith: How did you get this number, Peter?I really hated electronics. They could never really convey the proper emotions. Restricted: My brother's good pal, Blake. I stole his phone. Faith: What do you want? Why aren't you in boarding school? Restricted: Check your email, babycakes. Restricted: I'm back from boarding school for good, remember? My dad thought it was best that I come home.I shut my phone. I tried calming myself, willing my body not to go upstairs and retrieve the needle that the doctor gave to me last night. I retrieved my laptop from my room and checked my email, just like Peter instructed me. At the top of my inbox was an email from Peter titled "Dirty 13". Curiosity got the better of me and I clicked on the message to open it. Inside there was a link, so I clicked on it. I instantly regretted it. It was a video of the incident. This video spread like wildfire once it hit the internet. It was forwarded to so many times that it eventually got to every person at New Lain High, even the loser outcasts. It had ruined my life for the past two years. This video was like my wake up call. I knew I couldn't let this happen again. What I didn't know was why Peter's dad let him come home. I answered my own question instantly. It wasn't Peter's fault that my life was ruined in the past. It was all my doing. But Peter didn't have to spread the word to every person under the age of 20. What he did was wrong, crude, and not to mention gross! I hastily closed my laptop and tried to cry again, but I couldn't. I didn't have the will to cry. I was all cried out from when I was with Sanford. I grabbed a water bottle out of the fridge, chugged it, and threw it into the pile of recyclables. I took my keys off of the kitchen counter and ran to the garage. I jumped into my car and sped down the street to Chevron. I filled up my tank and drove to New Lain. I didn't care if my best friends were in class, I would drag them out with some excuse. I needed to talk to them and they needed to listen to what I had to say. It was lunchtime when I arrived at New Lain. I asked the secretary for a visitor's pass. She greeted me and told me that it was nice to see me again. I thanked her and walked to the table where my friends were at. They were surprised to see me. "Faith! What're you doing here?" Kat asked as she hugged me. "Where's Peter?" I asked through clenched teeth. "That's an odd question. He's not here today," Charlie notified me. "Good," I sighed as I sat down in an empty spot. "I have major major major news." "What?" Vanessa asked.I told them everything at happened. Yesterday's Peter Panic Attacks. Grace's note. Grace and Hunter's collaboration. Sanford's confession. My breakdown. Peter's text messages. Peter's email. Everything. "Holy," Vanessa exclaimed. "Fucking," Charlie continued. "SHIT!" Kat finished. "Yeah, I know," I sighed. "Where's my boyfriend? I want to talk to him." "We don't know," they answered in unison.I could hear people whispering at me as they realized who I was. "He's in the library studying with Trinity," a guy's voice answered from behind.The four of us turned around and saw Blake standing behind us with his hands shoved into the pockets of his letterman's jacket. "Oh, thanks Blake," I forced myself to smile up at him. "So, what're you doing here, Faith?" Blake asked me as he towered over the four of us. "Just some school drama," Charlie lied. "No biggie, right Faith?" "Yeah, what Charlie said," I assured him. Vanessa stood up quickly. "Well, we're going to go see Brian now. Toodles."The four of us stood up from the table and walked out of the cafeteria. We walked down the halls toward the library. We passed by a few teachers who greeted me cheerfully and I said a polite hello to all of them. We got to the library and looked from Brian and Trinity. We found them in the corner with textbooks in their laps and flashcards in their hands. My friends and I walked over to them and I cleared my throat. Brian looked up and smiled. "Hey baby. What's wrong? Why aren't you at home resting?"I said nothing. I just fell into his arms and sobbed into his chest. Trinity, Vanessa, Charlie, and Kat surrounded us and enveloped us in a huge group hug. I felt so guilty. Just an hour ago I was crying into Sanford's shoulder and now I was using Brian as another support. When was I going to learn to stop manipulating people's emotions? I felt so safe between my friends and my boyfriend. I could sense their love for me, but I still felt guilty. There was only one person that I wished was there with me. The source of my undying love and devotion. I knew in my heart that no matter what guy I convinced myself to love, Sanford would always be the one my heart ached for. I loved Brian four months ago and if I hadn't moved, I probably would still be in love with him now. I realized that moving to Haneel and bumping into Sanford that first day of school had altered my future. I still loved Brian, but it wasn't the right kind of love. It wasn't the type of love that you're supposed to have for a boyfriend. The only one that I loved that much was Sanford Michaels. My love at first sight, even though I didn't realize it until it was too late. When I first met him, all I could think about was his kid-like smile. I remember going back to New Lain to find that Brian no longer cared for me the way I thought he did, or if he did, he didn't act like it. He let Hunter and his stupid, arrogant friends tease me and torture me at Starbucks that night. All I could think about while I was sitting through that ridicule was that I wish Sanford was there. I knew that Sanford would have beaten the crap out of them. I wish that I could go back in time and make sure that I didn't get in Grace's car. I wish that I didn't agree to go out with Damian. I wish that I was so stupid and that I could fix my mistakes before I made them. I released myself from their embrace and sighed. I wiped the tears off of my face and blew my nose with a tissue that was given to me by Trinity. "You guys should get to class, I wouldn't want you to be late because of me," I told them. "You're right, we'll call you later," Vanessa said as the three of them gave me one last hug and left. "I should get going. I have a test in APUSH that I kinda want to get an A in. Bye, Faith. I hope you feel better," Trinity smiled warmly as she patted my back and ran to catch up with my best friends. "Faith, what's wrong?" Brian asked me again as he swept my matter bangs out of my face. "Grace and Hunter are working together. They're trying to get back at me," I sniffled. "Why would they be doing that? You didn't do anything to them, right?" Brian asked. "Hunter's a sadistic son of a bitch and Grace hates me for an infinite list of reasons," I said. "Faith, what are they doing to you?" I was silent. "C'mon babe, tell me," he urged. "They brought Peter down to Haneel. They snuck him into my house. He had a letter for me from his brother," I said in a soft whisper. He sighed heavily and held me an arm's length away by shoulders. "Where is the note? What did it say?" I looked down at my feet. "I burnt it before I came here. I couldn't bear to open it. I just couldn't." Brian's hands were shaking on my shoulders. "When was Peter in your house?" I played with the hem of my t-shirt. "Last night. After you left I went inside and he was just there, waiting." Brian released me from his grasp and threw his APUSH book on the floor. It landed with a loud thud that upset the occupants of the library. He took his hands in mine and looked at me with delicate eyes. "Is that all he's done?" I shook my head. "No, he sent me a link of my video…y'know that video of me…yeah…"The bell rang loudly. The students rushed out of the library to their classes while Brian and I just stood there. I wanted to know what he was thinking about. He was obviously either thinking about Peter, Him, or the incident. He looked like he was deep in thought and I couldn't take the eerie silence. "Aren't you supposed to go to practice?" I asked, breaking the uncomfortable silence. "Yeah, I do, but my car's in the shop," he told me. "The guys probably already left." "I'll drive you if want," I offered. "Thanks, Faith," he half-smiled. "Don't worry about Peter, Hunter, or Grace. As long as I'm alive, I'll protect you." A second wave of guilt rushed through me. Sanford said something similar to that just an hour ago. "Thanks, Brian. I know I can always count on you."I waited for Brian to get his stuff together and call his coach. He told his coach that he was to tutor somebody, which is why he was getting a ride from a friend instead of riding with his team. His coach bought it hook, line, and sinker. We hurried to my car and I sent a quick text to Grace, telling her to meet me at my house tomorrow instead of today. She agreed to meet me on one condition, nobody else could be around. I agreed to her compromise and told her that I'd see her tomorrow. "Where to?" I asked Brian. I had never driven Brian to practice and I hadn't been to one of his games in years. "The Lains," he responded. I nodded. "Cool."The car ride was disturbingly silent. Part of me wanted to confess to Brian what had happened with Sanford, but I knew that Brian was not one to accept cheating or lying. My veins were pulsing. I wanted to tell him the truth, but I couldn't. I didn't have the strength to break his heart a second time, at least, not yet. I really loved Sanford, but I loved Brian too, just in a different way. "Is it okay if I turn the radio on?" Brian asked. "Be my guest," I answered.He turned on the CD player accidentally and "Lips of an Angel" by Hinder started playing. It was our song. We had danced to this song at our school dance. It felt like centuries ago. He told me that he had spent the whole dance working up the nerve to ask me to dance. On our first date, we went on a picnic in the park and he played that song for me on the guitar. It brought back so many memories. Memories that didn't matter anymore because I was head over heels in love with Sanford. "Faith, it's our song," he smiled brightly. "Yeah, I remember," I said as I squeezed his hand lightly. I pulled into The Lains' parking lot and I walked with Brian to the locker room. I turned around to walk back to my car, but I was stopped by someone calling my name from the other side of the pool. It was HIM! At first I couldn't believe my eyes. I thought my mind was playing a sick game on my. I then realized that it was no trick and I sprinted to the exit, being careful not to slip. I could hear him calling my name more urgently, but I kept running. I jumped in my car and got out of the parking lot as fast as my car could go. My blood was coursing through my veins at a rapid pace. My blood pressure was probably through the roof, but I didn't care. I just kept driving. I gunned my engine and sped down the freeway. I didn't know where I was going, but I knew that I wanted to get the hell away from New Lain. Somehow, I ended up in front of Sanford's house, trying to control my breathing. I did some deep breathing exercises that the doctor showed me and brought my heart rate back to normal. It was only 4:00 P.M. I knew that since it was Monday, Sanford wouldn't be working until five. I stepped out my car and gathered up enough strength to knock on his front door. I waited for a couple seconds and Anthony answered the door. "Hi Anthony, is your brother here?" I asked. "Sorry Faith, you just missed him," he apologized. "Oh, well, do you know where he went?" He shook his head. "No, but some tall, blonde guy picked him up. He drove a Chrysler ME412. His name started with an 'H' but I don't remember what it was." I swallowed hard. There was only one person I knew that fit that description. "Hunter?" Anthony hit himself on his forehead with his palm. "Yeah! That guy. Sweet car. Do you know him?" I nodded. "Does Sanford have his phone with him?" "Yeah, he should. Want me to call him?" he offered. "Nah, it's cool. Thanks, Anthony."I walked back into my car and rooted through my glove compartment. I found my phone, scrolled through my contacts, and hit call when I found Sanford's number. As it was ringing, I was nervously drumming my fingers on the steering wheel, silently willing him to answer the phone. "Hello?" he said as he answered his phone after five rings. "Sanford, it's me. Where are you and who are you with?" I asked in a panicked tone. "I'm at YogurtLand with Grace. She sent Hunter to pick me up. Why?" he asked. "THAT'S the Hunter I was talking about this morning!" I warned him. "Are you shitting me?" he asked in disbelief. "I'm stupid. "I really really really need to talk to you. It's about him." "Where are you right now?" he asked me with a serious tone. "I'm sitting in my car in front of your house," I answered as I tried to control my breathing. "I came over to talk to you but Anthony told me that you left with Hunter." "Meet me at Beachworks."The line went dead after he said that and I put m phone back in the glove compartment. I took a couple of deep breaths and buckled my seatbelt. I drove to the mall slowly, trying not to think about what happened at The Lains or why Hunter of had picked Sanford up to meet Grace. I pulled into an open spot and got out cautiously. I walked into the mall and was surprised by a burst of cold air. The cold air felt nice against my hot skin. I made my way to Beahworks and saw Sanford waiting for me at the entrance. "Hey," I greeted him. "Hey yourself," he smiled. "So, what about that one guy? What happened?" "I saw him today. I went to New Lain to see Charlie, Kat, and Vanessa during their lunch break to tell them about the envelope. I met up with Brian and he comforted me, too. I had to give him a ride to water polo practice because he needed a ride and that's what I saw him. He was on the other side of the pool, calling my name like it was perfectly normal for him to act so friendly with me." I confided in Sanford.What I loved about Sanford was that no matter what I told him, he never tried to push me away. He was always there for me and understanding of everything. "What did you do when you saw…y'know?" he asked curiously. I laughed lightly. "I ran as fast as I could and hightailed it out of there." He took my hand in his. "Are you sure it was him? Like, no doubt about it?" I nodded. "I'm pretty damn sure. I'd be able to spot him in a huge crowd of people. Believe me, I would know." Sanford sighed out of habit. "Does Brian know?" I shook my head. "No, Brian was already in the locker room." "Well, do you know why he was there? Was Peter there or something?" "I highly doubt it. I don't know why he was there and I don't think I want to know." Sanford sighed once again. "Well, I don't know what to tell you. Just be on the lookout for him and Peter. Be careful, babe." I hugged him around his waist and leaned my head against his chest." Thanks. You're amazing."We stood like that for a while in front of Beachworks. I knew that what we were doing was wrong, but it felt so right. It was a total cliché, but it was true. I knew that I had to break up with Brian, I realized that now. I loved Brian before, but I didn't feel the same tingly feeling that I felt when I was with Sanford. Whenever I saw Sanford, even from afar, my heart dropped, my stomach was full of weird, overwhelming sensations, and I could feel the heat rush to my face. I was in love with Sanford, but I also knew that I was in love with him. I couldn't tell anybody though, not even Sanford. For some bizarre reason, he would always be in my heart. I lost my virginity to him, which gave him a permanent place in my heart, whether I liked it or not. He used to be my everything. I thought that when he went to college I would forget about him and love somebody else. I never thought about him ever again. I had found Brian and fell in love with him over the course of a year. After moving, I fell in love with Sanford, which brought on a whole new set of problems and complications. A jealous summer hookup turned girlfriend. A brother who was slowly falling in love with my baby sister. A girlfriend turned ex-girlfriend and blamed it on me. "Sanford, where's Grace?"I asked him suddenly. "I sent her home. I told her that I needed to go to work early because the manager wanted to talk to me. She understood and left five minutes before you got here," Sanford informed me. "Well, I should go just in case Grace is hanging around," I said as got out of Sanford's embrace.I walked as quickly as I could to my car. Peter was back and so was his brother. I had no clue why he was back, but he looked so gorgeous today. Even though I hated him, I had to fight the urge to drive back to New Lain and leap into his arms like I did before. I wanted to go to him and love him forever, but I couldn't. I knew that if I did there would be chaos. I couldn't be with Sanford either. Grace had somehow gotten into contact with Hunter and they were plotting the destruction of my life in Haneel. Hunter knew all of my dirty little secrets and Grace had clout, but not for long. I already noticed that there was a massive shift in power. I was quickly becoming the most popular person in Hell High. I had already won Homecoming Queen by a large margin, and people had sympathy for me. They knew that the school's top star in every aspect of high school life had played me and saw it as his fault, not mine. This little tidbit really put my rankings through the roof. I was Hell High's sweetheart and I was going to use that to my advantage and stop Grace and Hunter.
Chapter 6: The Decision
I got in my car and drove home. All I wanted to do was lie in bed, eat a tub of Jamoca Almond Fudge ice cream from Baskin Robbins, and watch sappy love stories. I got home and saw Reese sitting at the kitchen counter. I stepped out of her field of vision and tried to think of how I could get past Reese without her guessing that I was upset, which she had a knack for. I checked my reflection in my compact and saw that all of me looked fine except for my eyes. No matter what, my eyes always told the story, so I decided to avoid looking her in the eyes for a long time. I walked into the kitchen with a smile on my face. "Hi Reese! Whatcha doin'?" I asked happily as I walked over to the freezer. She didn't take her eyes off of her book. "Nothing, just reading To Kill a Mockingbird." "Ohhh, that book was pretty good." I grabbed my ice cream and closed the freezer. "What part are you at?" "Uhmm…the part where Scout finds a piece of gum in the tree, I just got the book today," she answered, looking up at me. "Well, I'll be in my room if you need me, later." I walked as fast as I could without running or looking like I was in a hurry. "Wait, stop!" Reese commanded. "What kind of ice cream is that?" "Uhhh, why?" I could feel the back of my neck get hot. Reese got off of the stool she was sitting on and took the ice cream out of my hands. "This is Jamoca Almond Fudge." "So….?" I said, hoping that she wouldn't catch on. "This is like, your ultimate comfort food. It's all you would eat after…y'know." Reese grabbed my wrist in her free hand and dragged me onto the couch. "Now tell me." "Nothing," I answered too quickly. "I mean, everything's fine. Why would anything be wrong?" Reese glared at me and pulled out her phone. "Oh COME ON. I see it in your eyes. Now tell me, otherwise I'll just call Brian and make him get it out of you." "No, don't do that!" I shrieked as I lunged for her phone. "So, this has to do with Brian, doesn't it?" I sighed heavily. "No." Reese raised one eyebrow. "Then what?" "He's back," I mumbled. "Whoa, rewind. He as in HIM?" she asked in disbelief. "Yuup." I stared at my chipped nail polish on my toes, refusing to look at her. "Are you positive that he's back? Like, totally 100%?" I nodded solemnly. "I went to New Lain today to visit my friends. Brian needed a ride to practice so I offered him a ride. I saw him at The Lains, smirking at me." "Oh my GOD!" Reese exclaimed. "I thought he was at Harvard?" I shrugged and made circles in the air with my toes. "Yeah…that's what I thought too, but he's here." "Why would he be here anyways? It's not even Spring Break," Reese said matter-of-factly. "Maybe for Blake's 18th. It's like, this next weekend or something." I waved my hand in the air. Reese had this look on her face that made her look deep in thought. "Well, let's go upstairs, watch some movies, gorge on junk food, and make everything better. When we got to my room, we browsed through my multifarious collection of DVDs and picked "A Walk to Remember", "No Reservations", "The Notebook", and "Titanic". We ordered Chinese food, secluded ourselves in my room, and tried not to think about him at all. We only emerged from my room if we had to use the bathroom or if we needed to refuel. Although, our parents were the ones who usually came into the room with multiple snacks, both healthy and junk. We taped a "Do Not Disturb" sign on my door and my parents obliged, other than the couple of times when they were re-stocking my room with food. If someone called for us, my parents willingly told them that we were occupied at the moment. We didn't have to explain to our parents what we were doing because they gave us our space. They had learned to give us our space two years ago, when I came to them with my incident problem. They knew better than to interrogate us over every little thing because they knew that we would go to them if it was really serious. They gave us our space, but at times, they grilled us until we told them if they really wanted to know or they thought that they should intervene and they always intervened at the right times. I loved my family with all of my heart. "I love this part!" Reese commented. We were at the part where Noah and Ally just got out off the boat and were arguing in the pouring rain. As I watched Noah pull Ally in for the famous, passionate kiss, I thought of how my love life was so similar to Ally and Noah's. I was with Brian because I couldn't be with Sanford, but Sanford still loved me after all of these months. We had a clandestine rendezvous once in a while, declared our love for each other, and kissed in secret. I knew that I loved Sanford, but I couldn't take the chance of putting my family's life in turmoil again. I certainly didn't want to ruin Sanford's life or reputation, no matter how much said he didn't mind. If Sanford and I became an official couple then Grace and Hunter's wrath would be relentless. If I stayed with Brian, then the truth would eventually be revealed and I would break his heart yet again. So much unwanted pain and sorrow in my life and it was gradually starting to spread to other people. I didn't know if I could handle much more. I knew that I had to make a decision sooner or later.------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Reese and I watched the rest of the movies and ate countless pounds of food. By the time we finished the movies it was around 11:30. We could hear the television downstairs so we knew that both of our parents were still awake. "Are you feeling any better?" Reese asked me. I shrugged. "Somewhat. Watching all of those love stories got me thinking though…" Reese brought her knees to her chest and rested her chin on her knees. "Yeah? What about?" "Just all of the complications in my life," I sighed. "As in…?" she urged. "I think I have to break up with Brian," I confessed to her. Saying it aloud made me want to cry. "So you can finally be with Sanford?" She was leaning forward with an excited gleam in her eyes. I shook my head. "No, I can't. How many times do I have to tell you? It can't happen." She released her legs and sat Indian-style. "No you want to be with him?" "More than anything in the world." "Then why can't you be with him?" "Because I love him," I breathed. Reese was silent for a while. "Yes, I love Sanford," I told her. "that's why I have to break up with Brian and that's why I can't be with him." "What does loving him have to do with you not being with him? Shouldn't you want to be with the person you love?" "I never said that I didn't want to be with him. All I said was that I can't be with him," I corrected her. "Why can't you be with him?" she repeated. I sighed heavily. "Grace and Hunter are working together to make my life a living hell. If Sanford and I become exclusive then they'll attack me even more than they're planning to. I can't risk my reputation for the second time and I can't ruin Sanford's life." Reese looked at me with wide eyes and her mouth slightly open. "Whoa." I tucked an invisible strand of loose hair behind my ear, something I did to hold back my tears. "Reese, I know that you're trying your best to understand, but honestly, it's too complicated. I'm trying my best to explain it in a way that you could comprehend, but it's not working. I love Sanford and I love Brian, but I can't stand all of this heartache. I need to settle my issue with Grace before anything can happen." Reese scooted closer to me and wrapped her arms around my shoulders. "Kay, everything will be just fine. Take as much time as you need to think because if Sanford really loves you as much as he claims he does then he'll wait for however long it takes. You need to make sure that you're alright before you do anything drastic. Faith, you're one of those people who usually put the well-being of others before your own feelings, but in this situation, I want you to put yourself first. Be selfish for once in your life and do what is best for you. I don't want you to make others happy while you're miserable." I held the tears back and took deep breaths. My baby sister was full on the insight that I was seeking to put me on the right track into recovering. "I know that. It's just…I don't want him to waste his time waiting to find out if, one day, I'll be ready. I mean, what if I decide that I don't want to be with him after my thinking period? That means that he wasted so much time waiting for me." "If Sanford really loves you, then he will understand that. All he cares about is your happiness because if you're happy, it makes him happy. You and I both know that Sanford is madly in love with you and has been waiting months for you. He's had to watch you walk around campus with Damian. He's been patiently waiting for you. He's watched you date Damian, have a tiny fling with Jackson, attend Homecoming with Blake, and go back into the arms of your ex-boyfriend Brian. He's seen you at your worst and your best. He accepts you no matter what. He loves you unconditionally and trying to show you that he is willing to wait for you to decide. Faith, just keep that in mind when you're making your decision."I hated to admit it, but Reese was right. No matter what happened, Sanford would stay by my side. He knew all about what happened with him and he still was willing to stay by my side. He was going to wait on the sideline until I decided that I wanted him in my life. It has been three months since I first met Sanford and he was always loyal. He was mute about my relationships and gave me my space when I asked for it. Sanford was devoting all of his life to me. He wanted me to be happy and didn't care how long he had to wait. Something about Sanford drew me to him. I had this gravitational pull towards him. Our hearts were one and I couldn't very well deny that. But before anything could happen, I had to settle the Grace issue and find peace within myself. "Thank you, Reese. You've really helped me feel so much better." I hugged her and kissed the top of her forehead as if she was a little baby and not a knowledgeable 7th grader. "Anything for you, sis," she said through a yawn. I laughed. "C'mon, let's sleep. You can crash in my room tonight."------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ The next morning I woke up at around 10. My body felt so heavy from the excess sleep as I trudged down the stairs. I groaned and held my head as I walked. I was suffering from a sugar withdrawal. I walked into the kitchen and ate a piece of licorice. I leaned against the counter and sighed in content as my tongue detected the sugar contained in this tiny morsel of candy. I looked around the kitchen for more sugar after I finished that piece but I found a note instead. Honey, you need to stay home today. No going out. We need you to pick Reese up from school, but come straight home. You need your rest -Love Mom and DadI smiled at the note. I could tell that my parents were worried about me but were trying to act nonchalant about it. I texted my mom, promising her that I if I went out that I wouldn't talk to anybody or do anything dangerous. She allowed it and I laughed. I managed to travel upstairs and put on clothes. I put on a random red t-shirt and black skinny jeans. I got my keys off of the key tree and walked outside. I stumbled over myself and realized that I still had a pounding headache. I needed more sugar and fast. I drove to a little donut shop and purchased a bag of donut holes, a sugar twist, and an iced coffee. I took my food and sat at an unoccupied table and stared mindlessly out the window. I watched people on their morning jogs and cars rushing in opposite directions. It felt as if I were separated from the world by that thin layer of glass. I viewed our world and saw that sometimes people didn't pay attention to details. How could the joggers not stop and look at the neon colored lost dog flyer? Why did the people driving stare straight ahead at the endless road ahead of them instead of taking in the quaint scenery that Haneel offered? It then hit me that I too wasn't looking at the whole story or paying attention to details. I had always jumped from one guy to the next to escape heartbreak. When things got too complicated or intense, I ran away. I ran because I didn't want to get too close to anybody. I knew this was the real reason why I couldn’t go out with Sanford. Something inside me kept telling me that Sanford was different, that he was the one I was waiting for. My brain wouldn't allow this though. The last time my brain let my heart control me I ruined my life. My brain had already learned its lesson, but my heart kept insisting that this time things would be different. My heart wanted my brain to believe that Sanford and I were meant to be, but my brain kept denying it. My brain kept trying to talk my heart out of loving Sanford, but my heart was being stubborn, insisting that Sanford was my soul mate. I realized that I would never get over him until my heart and brain agreed with each other. On one hand I didn't want to risk getting hurt, but on the other hand, I wanted to try. I sat in the donut shop for hours, listening to my heart and brain debate. The owner of the shop paid no attention to me. Those who passed by glanced at me as I sat there with a blank expression on my face. Customers scrutinized me as they waited for their orders. I was stuck in my own little world acting as the moderator for my heart and brain. My heart was the ultimate optimist yet my brain was the complete opposite. My heart argued that it had never loved like this before, but my brain kept bringing him back into it. My brain kept saying that my life would be horrible when we broke up, but my heart insisted that Sanford and I were perfect together, that we wouldn't break up and stay together forever. My brain called my heart stupid for thinking that and my heart retaliated by calling my brain a dream-killer. As the moderator and owner of bother debaters, my decisions about Sanford kept changing. I wanted both my heart and brain to agree, but I knew that this would never happen anytime soon. Thinking with my heart and thinking with my brain were two completely different things. My heart lived in a fantasy world whereas my brain lived in a somewhat false reality. After my heart and brain finished their debate, I was left with a huge decision to make. My concentration was broken when my phone started chirping and vibrating in my pocket. I was startled and jumped out of my chair. I took my phone out of my pocket and saw Reese's smiling face on my screen. I pressed 'answer' and was attacked by a voice screaming in my ear. "Faith! Where are you?! I've been waiting for you for over HALF AN HOUR!" Reese yelled. My eyes grew wide. "Oh shoot. I totally lost track of time. I'm on my way."I said good-bye to nobody in particular and got in my car. I drove as fast as the speed limit allowed to Reese's school. When I pulled into the parking lot I saw Reese standing near the curb. She was scowling at me with her arms folded across her chest. Her Jansport backpack was on the floor next to her along with one of her text books. Her honey blonde hair was blowing in the light breeze that had just started and she didn't look that happy at all. There was nothing around her except for a couple pieces of trash and everybody was long gone. I parked in an empty spot close by and got out of the car slowly. I walked to where Reese was standing and smiled uneasily. "Hi Reese," I greeted her hesitantly. "Where were you?! I've been waiting her for forever!" she screamed. I was taken aback. My baby sister never yelled at me. "I'm so sorry. I went to that one donut shop down the street and I lost track of time." "What could you possibly be doing in a donut shop of all places?" she asked me. Her eyes weren't as cold as before, they were softer now. There was still a little bit of edge in her voice showing her frustration. "I got caught up. I was thinking about…stuff." I looked at the tree behind her, avoiding her glare at all costs. "Oh," she said, her voice a soft little whisper. "Well, don't do it again." I smiled, glad that Reese was no longer mad at me. "C'mon, let's get out of here. I'll buy you something to eat."Reese nodded and picked up her stuff off of the ground. We walked to the car together with our arms linked. We ended up going to Jack in the Box and ordered tacos and milkshakes. We arrived home at around three and my phone chirped started chirping incessantly. It was a text from Grace. I instructed Reese to go inside and start her homework. She looked at me weirdly and opened her mouth to say something but decided against it. Once Reese was a good distance away, I flipped my phone open. Grace: On my way 2 ur house. U have 10 min. Faith: Thanks, that's all I need.I closed my phone and sat on the porch steps, waiting. My hands started shaking so I sat on them, willing myself to calm down. My body tensed when I saw Grace's car pull up into my driveway. She was wearing sunglasses although the sun wasn't that bright. She stepped out of her car and I examined her outfit. I had an eye for fashion and saw that she was wearing a BCBG Jersey dress that I had seen online with black Marc by Marc Jacobs flats. The dress hit mid thigh and her hair was pushed back with a simple black headband. "Start talking," Grace commanded. "Why the hell are you doing this to me?" I started off. She looked at me in disbelief. "Don't act like you don't know. You stole Sanford from me after I specifically told you to stay away from him. It's bad enough that the new girl landed the most desirable guy in school, but the guy that I liked is just crossing the line. Do you have any idea how much effort I had to put into making myself look decent enough to get Sanford to LOOK at me? Unlike you, who just comes into school wearing a simple outfit consisting of a denim skirt and blue cami and he falls in love with you. You don't deserve him. I put too much effort into getting him to notice me for you to take it all away. Besides, you're not right for each other anyways." I wanted to jump on top of her and slap her repeatedly and stain her to-die-for BCBG dress that I coveted a week ago. "How dare you say that we're not right for each other? We are meant for each other." Grace rolled her eyes and scoffed. "Oh puh-lease! That’s such bull. Sanford was totally about to fall in love for me before you came along. Lucky for me, I can take you down and make you seem repulsive to him. He'll need someone to comfort him and I'll be ready with open arms." I smirked. "Sanford knows everything about me. We have no secrets between us." This caught Grace off-guard. "Well, I could drive you out of this place. With the help of my new best friend that is." "I know that you're conspiring with Hunter, I'm not stupid. What I want to know is WHY he would agree to help you." Grace acted shocked and placed her hand over her heart. "Well if you really weren't stupid, then you would remember Laci." My body grew tense. "Yeah, I thought so. Well, your ten minutes are up. I suggest that you end your little fling with Sanford or else." I opened my mouth to speak, but she cut me off. "Don't even try to deny it. I know all about your secret meetings. I told you to watch out the first day of school, sweetie, but you didn't listen. This is my town, bitch. Get that through your pretty little head. I'll be watching you."Grace winked at me, put her sunglasses back on, and turned on her heel. She sauntered to her car and drove off, leaving me speechless on my porch. How could Grace possibly know about Laci? Even though she was conspiring with Hunter, why would Hunter give that information out? She was part of my incident in a way. As if I didn't feel bad enough. I spent a whole year trying to get her to accept my apology, but then she just gave me the cold shoulder. I only went to school with her for one year. She was a senior and I was a freshman. I tailed her and made a mockery of myself, but not good came out of it. She left for university last year and I hadn't seen her since the last day of school. Laci was Hunter's older sister. I worshipped her and she adored me. She was the one who taught me everything I needed to know to survive high school. It started off with her tutoring eighth grader for volunteer work, but we grew fond of each other. She was a big sister to both Reese and me, and I, oh so stupidly, messed everything up. All because of him. Laci even helped out my best friends. She taught us everything from French kissing to acing a test. She loved me like a sister, but I did her wrong. I allowed myself to cry as I sat on the parch steps. The all too empty sky was a bright blue. The sun gave off just the right amount of warmth and birds sang. My surroundings were so beautiful, but I felt so ugly inside. I hated myself for doing what I did, but I hated the fact that I did something like that to my sister even more. Laci was my nonrelated sister. She was my mentor and ole model. I cried because I realized, for the millionth time, that Laci had more to teach me. I would never learn it. Laci refused to speak to me. Yet another person who made me feel unwanted. I would never forget how piercing her blue eyes looked when she saw e the day after. Her repulsion and hatred for me emitted from her body. I will never forget her last words spoken to me: I thought I meant something to you. I remember that scene as if it happened a minute ago. I had walked into school wearing tan shorts and a plain white t-shirt with flip flops. I felt like every person who saw me was disgusted. The incident had happened the day before and I knew that today would be the last day I would be known as the pure Faith. I hadn't broken up with him just yet, but I was planning on it when he picked me up from school. Everyone was extremely nice to me, as always. I went through the day reciting what I would say to him when I broke up with him later on that day. He picked me up from school that day and told me that Laci had asked him to take me to her house because she wanted to see me. He acted like it was no big deal what had happened yesterday. I felt so guilty whereas he acted like it never even happened. He drove me to Laci's house and I became more apprehensive by the second. She was standing in her driveway with a cardboard box. She was wearing her cheerleading outfit but her expression was far from peppy. I was astonished by her lack of excitement when she saw me and shocked when she didn't hug me back. I had asked her what was wrong and all she did was drop the box at my feet, give me a glare so cold that my whole body froze, and said, "I thought I meant something to you." I tried to ask her what she meant by that, but she just turned her back on me and entered her house. This scene was forever imprinted in my mind, along with all of the ridicule I had received the day after. I sat on my porch for another half hour, thinking about my past life. I controlled my heart rate as best as I could and I bit back the unwanted tears. Crying over spilled milk wasn't going to fix anything or eras he past. I had to pull myself together and focus on my future. I was determined to have Sanford in my future and nobody was going to stop me.