I'm so glad it's officially winter break.

        "You want to get lunch with Jes, Jordan, and me?" Drake asks walking with out the front doors of the school with me.

        "I have a phone break with my friend Nicole in about ten minutes. She said she really needed to talk to me. Why don't you guys come over after you eat? I'm sure I'll be done with my call by then."

        "Sounds like a plan, I'll see you in a little bit." He goes to the plaza and I head in the opposite direction home. Seven minutes later I'm in my room dialing Nicky's number.

        "Hey Nicky is everything okay?"

        "No, everything is definitely not okay Al." She says frantically.

        "What's wrong?" I sit up in bed very interested in what she's about to say.

        "Everything has become completely chaotic in the last few weeks because it's finally settling in for everyone that you're gone. Our group of friends is falling apart. For me things at home are good and same with Liela but Zack and Mark have been having some problems from time to time. Mark and Zack are always going out to parties and getting wasted. Yesterday they called me to pick them up since they were too drunk to drive and you won't believe what I saw Mark doing. He started going on about it not being a big deal and he's done it a few times already-"

        "What did he do?" I cut her off mid-ramble.

        "Hold on I took a picture of it. Al I'm so sorry." Ten seconds later I'm staring at a picture of some girl straddling Mark and making out with him. "Al, are you still there?"

        "He told you this happened a few times" I say trying to hold back the sadness and pain in my voice.

        "Yeah that's what he said. What are you going to do?"

        "I'm going to talk to him and see what else he's been lying to me about. Thanks for telling me Nicky."

        "Of course Al best friends forever remember?"

        "Best friends forever. I'll call you later with the update on Mark and me" I smile softly.

        "Good luck." I feel as if I'm going to throw up but I push thru the feeling and dial his number.

        "Hey babe, how are you?"

        "Are you cheating on me?" My question is met with silence.

        "Babe it was a mistake. I got really drink and it just happened. Ask Zack or Nicky about it if you think I'm lying. I'm sure you heard it from Nicky but if she said that it was on purpose that's a total lie."

        "It's a mistake that happened a few time and you didn't think that I should know?"

        "I just didn't know how to tell you it's not like it meant anything. You know I love you. Remember the day before you left we made love and you woke up in my arms the next morning?"

        "I remember." I run through the night in my mind. It was so amazing. Maybe not the most romantic in the world but still amazing.

        "I'm sorry I didn't tell you. It won't happen again."

        "Who are you on the phone with baby?" I heard a girl ask thru the phone.

        "No one." Now I'm a no one.

        "Who is the girl who just called you baby?" I ask thru clenched teeth. At first I was sad now I'm mad. How stupid or easy does he think I am? He's just playing with my heart like its unbreakable. My question is met with silence.

        "Can we have a little bit of fun before I have to go?" The girl says flirtatiously with a giggle.

        "Mark we are done. Don't bother trying to call me I'm fed up with your bullshit. Have fun with the slut your're with." I hang up the phone amazed at what I just said. Now I feel like a total bitch. What have I just done?

        "Is everything okay Hun?" My mom comes into my room. She's dressed for work in a black pencil skirt, with a matching blazer, that has a deep purple shirt under it. Her hair is a dark, almost black, brown that has golden streaks like mine. Her skin isn't but pretty dark and always seems to have a warm glow to it.

        "I'm fine mom." I lie giving her my best fake smile. She already has so much on her mind this can wait. "Are you going to work?"

        "Sadly yes. Soon they are going to transfer me from San Francisco to somewhere closer out here. When they do we'll have more time to spend together." She kisses my forehead goodbye. As she walks to my door her black heels click against the floor. When she closes my door behind her I lay on my bed in the fetal position silently crying. I drift off into a deep sleep getting away from the pain and sadness. In a way my wish did come true. Things did change but not in the way I wanted them to.