Gray's POV

As Clara dragged me away, my mind transported me back to that day when everything came crashing down.

The room was lit up and the music was blasting from all the speakers in our house. My brother has probably went off to talk to another chick he thinks he can pick up, leaving me to deal with the house. My only goal is to make sure there is as little damage as possible.

"Hey, what do you think of Clara Harper?" one of the boys asked as we were all gathered by the couch.

We had this little circle going on and I had my arm around Kelly's shoulder as claimed the good part of the sofa.. The said guy then pointed the end of his bottle towards the girl he was asking about.

I've seen Clara around and I've talked to her a few times. We're acquaintances and since she was in the cheer team, our cliques circled around each other.

I watched as she laughed at something her friend said, her blonde hair falling just below her shoulders. She wasn't bad looking, I'll admit that. She definitely has the charm and that amazing figure but I believe that there's a bit of menace and mischievousness in those blue eyes. She was nice enough though. The times we talked, she was actually normal and was capable of holding up a good conversation.

If Kelly wasn't here, I might have looked her way.

Shrugging my shoulders, I turned back to the guy, "Don't know."

Kelly playfully slapped my shoulder and smiled, "Clara's adorable and amazingly talented."

I rolled my eyes jokingly at her response. Out of all the freshmen than entered the team when it was Kelly's reign, she loved Clara the most. Now that she's in college, she's still rooting for her to become the captain soon.

Every time she looked at Clara, she was like a doting big sister. She practically formed the chick to who she is now, from the way she walks in heels as if they were nothing to the way she can practically wave off anyone with a bored expression.

"Thinking of asking her out," winked the guy who asked about her.

"She's a toughie though," Kelly laughed, "She's not that easy to be smooth talked to."

"We'll see about that," he snickered as he hopped off of his seat and went to her. We all quieted down, opting to watch the outcome of his overconfidence.

He was one of the boys who was so boisterous about the ladies he managed to get under his wing so his endeavor is not a total impossibility. I have heard a lot of girls always gossiping about him when the whole group is seated during lunch, hoping he'll give them the time of day.

When he approached Clara, he tapped on her shoulder and flashed her a smile. Her eyebrows raised at this and he cleared his throat, starting to speak to her. From where we were sitting, we couldn't hear what he was saying but from the way that Clara's smile was slowly slipped off, I think it was not going so well.

He took out his phone from his pocket and presented it to her, probably asking for her number. She then looked at the device before gazing back up to him. Without another word, she took her friend's hand and started to walk away.

He looked so embarrassed when he ducked his head and went back to our group. We started laughing hysterically at his failure and then suddenly, I just gained a new respect for Clara.

For a sophomore, she has some backbone to reject a senior.

"Told you she's a toughie," Kelly laughed, resting her head against my shoulder, "You're not the first and definitely not going to be the last boy that she's going to turn down."

The guy rolled his eyes before resuming to his bottle of beer, slightly pouting in annoyance. Looking down on my girlfriend, I heard her take a deep sigh and I bent down to whisper, "Anything wrong?"

She was suddenly alert again and after a few seconds, she answered, "I just want to lie down for a while, I'm starting to get dizzy."

Placing a kiss on the top of her head, I saw her smile softly, "Want to go lie down in my room for a while?"

She nodded before slowly standing up, "You don't need to come with me, go have some fun."

She offered me one last smile before she disappeared into the crowd, probably towards the stairs up to my bedroom. Blowing a sigh, I turned to my empty red solo cup and my lips fell into a flat line, "I'm going for a refill."

"Oh my god, shut up Viv!" a voice shouted just as I reached the kitchen. Standing right by one of the coolers was Clara herself, talking to the same girl that she dragged along earlier, "I already sensed that he was a jerk so will you please get off of my back for turning him down."

Viv, or whatever her name was, crossed her arms over her chest and huffed, "But come on, almost every member of the team likes him and he goes to you out of everyone."

I'm not really the brightest when it comes to female emotions and understanding, but I'm sure that Clara wasn't pleased to hear that, judging from the expression that she showed.

"Then why don't you sleep with him if you think he's all that!" she yelled, slamming her beer can on the kitchen counter before marching past her towards the door.

And that was the moment they realized I was standing right there.

"Well, shit," Clara muttered under her breath. Her friend, on the other hand, found this as the perfect opportunity to flee from the scene.

I'm not him, what's with that reaction?

"You're not going to tell him, right?" she said, "I mean, I'm sorry but you know..."

Oh so she thought I would tattle him about their unfriendly conversation about the guy.

Shrugging, I answered, "Not really."

She released a breath of relief before stepping aside, "Sorry about that."

"You're honest and you don't hold back," I stated simply.

She bit her lip before looking down. Even with the thought of Kelly, my eyes zoomed in on that mouth and I had to mentally punch myself just to look away.

Like I said, if hadn't met Kelly, I would have looked at Clara.

"I don't hate it though," I added, making her head snap back up and a smile grace her lips.

"Same to you," she grinned, stuffing her hands into her jean pockets, "You're not half bad as well."

I chuckled before nodding, walking towards the beer keg, "So I'll see you around?"

"See you," she laughed before walking out of the kitchen as I moved onto to fill up my cup once again.

The moment I saw Kelly, I already knew that I wanted her. In fact, I met her through Bryan, she was his classmate and a regular when it comes to those parties my brother throws. I found out that she was the head cheerleader and when I entered high school, out of a struck of drunken bravery, I asked her to go out with me.

And she said yes, against all odds.

Head cheerleader and a beauty only many men dream of getting, she's all mine.

I treated her right, it was my first time to do so with a girl, but I felt satisfaction in just seeing her smile. It was corny as hell, but that was the truth.

Stepping back into the living room, I walked around to see if something could interest me. Whenever people think about high school parties, they imagine to having the best time in their lives. All that you've heard are lies.

The only fun you'll ever see is if you just sit down and relax as you watch some drunken idiots make fools of themselves. If you're in the disadvantageous side of being the one drunk, you're not going to remember anything the morning after anyways.

Turning around the corner, I halted in my steps when I saw Clara tugging her arm as her wrist was being pulled by a boy I didn't know.

"Let go!" she screeched, trying to look around for any help.

The boy's hand only tightened and she flinched. I get it if you like the girl, been there, done that, but at least treat her with respect when she says no.

Trying to keep a calm composure, I walked up to them and with as much force as I can, I nudged the guy with my shoulder, causing him to stumble back, effectively releasing her from his grasp. Glancing over my shoulder, I gave him a lazy look, "Accident."

Clara instantly bolted away and with a dirty look towards the man, I followed her. Say what you want, I can't leave a damsel in distress like this, she could have been traumatized.

"You alright?" I questioned when I saw her bent over in front of the bathroom door. She jolted up a little at my question, but her eyes instantly softened when she saw that it was only me.

"Yeah," she puffed out, "Thanks for saving me."

Just call me your knight in shining armor," I chuckled, trying to lift her mood because jading from her stance, it was obvious that she hasn't calmed down yet.

She shook her head, standing back up straight, "That title is exclusive for your girlfriend to use."

"Fair enough," I shrugged, "Are you sure you're okay?"

She glanced back towards the bathroom door and pushed her hair away from her face, "Yeah, just need to go and freshen up."

"You can use my bathroom," I offered, pointing upwards.

She gave me an uncertain look and I already knew what she was thinking, "Kelly's in there so I'm not trying to make a move and you don't need to feel guilty."

She blinked towards me and a smile started to form on her lips, "Good," she said before gesturing forwards, "Lead the way."

It's not like Kelly would destroy her when she finds out. She adored Clara, she's a saint in her eyes.

We went up the stairs and into the hallway where the bedrooms are situated in. Just as we passed Bryan's room, we heard a familiar voice squeal from the inside. We both froze and I swallowed harshly, already thinking of not-so-nice ideas.

As fast as I could, opened the door. The cup of beer that I was currently holding dropped to the floor at the scene that I saw and Clara, after noticing my lack of movements, peeked from behind me and gasped at what was inside the room.

Bryan and Kelly. Butt naked. On his bed. Doing the tango.

Not the dance, you know what I mean.

"Holy..." I gaped just as Clara mumbled, "Shit."

"Gray, Clara!" Kelly screeched, pushing Bryan off of her and quickly pulling the sheets up to cover her body. Bryan, on the other hand, had the audacity to smirk towards her direction as he leaned back against the headboard of his bed.

"Enjoying the party, bro?" he asked.

I saw red. Nothing but pure anger pointed towards my brother. I wanted to strangle him, I wanted to punch the living daylights out of him, but at the same time, I had this painful feeling constricting my chest.

Then, out of nowhere, Clara ducked from behind me and found her place in front, holding my face so I would redirect my attention from those two fuckers, "Gray, look at me."

When I stared down at her, I met her troubled blue eyes. Her thoughts were swimming in her head as well, but her main focus was trying to get me out of here without killing anyone. She started to place smooth circles with her thumb on my cheek as she tried to calm me down, "Please, take deep breaths."

With one hand still on my face, she reached down with the other one and took my mine in hers, pulling me with her without breaking eye contact.

She went inside one of the rooms, which I knew was mine, and closed the door behind her, "Sit on the bed, Gray, and try to calm down."

Surprisingly, I did what I was told. I plopped down on the mattress as I held my head in my hands, my fingers running through my hair in frustration.

Bending down so she was a bit lower than me, she continued on with her attempts to comfort the poor heartbroken boy who just saw his girlfriend get absolutely fucked by his own brother.

"Why are you here?" I questioned, my tone gruff and menacing.

"Because you got hurt," she replied, her voice calm and without a hint of intimidation, "And you helped me so that means I'm your ally now."

Ally? She has got to be kidding me.

"We're not in a fucking war," I told her, "I don't need an ally!"

"Life is a never ending war, you idiot," she stated, "And don't you dare use that tone on me!"

Yup, she definitely is different.

"Now are you going to go passive-aggressive on me or are you going to be honest with yourself for once?!"

I blinked once, and then twice, before I hunched down and covered my face with my hands, finally feeling the searing pain of seeing girl I loved in bed with another man. I didn't know when the last time I did, but I finally cried.

The tears flowed out of my eyes and I kept on wiping so they wouldn't fall down my face. Clara stood up and wrapped her arms around my shaking body, making me lean against her for support.

"I lost her," I declared.

These are manly tears, don't say anything otherwise.

She gently petted my hair, soothing me. Strangely, it was working.

She slowly maneuvered her body so she could sit down on the space next to me. Releasing me, she looked around before frowning and rolling to the other side of the bed to grab the box of tissues at the bedside table. Plucking out a piece, she handed it to me without a single word.

"Well that cancels out the love bullshit," I chuckled bitterly, roughly wiping away the tears before carelessly crumpling up the tissue and dropping it onto the floor, "You can go now, I'm good."

Tilting her head to the side, she gave me that incredulous look, "The possibility of me leaving you is out of the window."

"Really?" I raised a brow, challenging her, "So if I say that I'm going to make you have sex with me here and now, you still won't leave?"

Not even a flinch nor any rash reaction, she just crossed her arms over her chest with the same hard stare, "I stand my ground, Martyn."

"Sure about that?" I quipped, reaching out to hold her chin in-between my fingers.

Still a no from her.

"Do whatever you want, Gray," she told me, "I'm no quitter."

She's going to regret this.

My face inched closer towards her and I didn't even feel any resistance from her part. Just when we were a hair length's away, I gazed right back into her eyes. To my surprise, she whispered, "I trust you."

"You shouldn't, you know," I warned softly before I finally did the move.

She didn't pull back nor did she freeze. Her hands left her sides as she gently touched mine that was holding her head in place. I waited for her reaction, but she wasn't forcing me to go on or to stop, she was letting me do what I desired.

Pulling back, I settled my head on her shoulder and buried my face on the crook of her neck, "If I do this, am I still your ally?"

She gasped when she felt my hands on the hem of her shirt, the first time I got a response out of her since we got inside this room.

Back out before we sink in too deep into this. The choice is yours, because I fucking know that I can't stop myself now.

"Yes," she answered.

It was then I knew I was fucked.

I placed a kiss on her neck, pulling her down with me as I fell back onto the bed. I rolled us over so I was hovering over her, her arms wrapped around my neck as she stared right up at me. Reaching down, I intertwined our hands together, taking a deep breath before creating eye contact again, "Then I'm always your ally, and you're mine, right?"

She nodded gently before replying, "Right."

When I descended down to kiss her, I saw her eyes staring up towards the ceiling. Stopping midway, I gave her a questioning look. She saw this before answering my unspoken inquiry, "You have traces of stars on your ceiling."

"Used to be glow in the dark," I murmured, finally connecting our lips.

And then that was it. The night took us away, and Kelly called me non-stop after that but I ignored every one of them.

You know who was the one who faced her instead of the coward that I was?

The girl who was currently holding my hand as she stared worriedly at me. My eyes focused on her face with her gaze unfaltering.

The same eyes who stared at me that night. I've been nothing but a bastard to her and yet, here she is. Still with me, still pulling me away from that black hearted chick.

I'm not calling Kelly a bitch, because even I know that's too much.

Maybe I'm a little too late, but I finally realized it – I had the best girl by my side when everything went wrong.

She stood there patiently, waiting for everything to fix themselves. When I thought I lost everything, I was wrong.

I had Clara.

Cue word, had.

Whoever is up there, please, give me another chance to treat her right. Let me treat her as great as she treated this asshole who's beating himself up because she let her go.

Because now I know that she deserves the fucking world.

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So hello everyone, how was your week? I learned that I passed all my subjects so that means, I can go on to my break without any worries. I''m applauding myself since I managed to keep my grades up even though I've been updating this story weekly.

Kelly is not here to create more drama, she's that epiphany character which the guy usually needs in order for him to realize that he has someone special with him already. 

Question: This is going to be a long one since it's full of multimedia, but which one of these covers is the best? You can do in-line comment or if you're not using your portable device, then just comment the number based on their order. You can also say that you don't like any of them.

Dedicated to dianadonut0713 for the cover.

One more thing (sorry if the multimedias are already killing you), but let me remind you guys that I'm holding a contest for the release of the Android version of Radish. Rules and Regulations are on the last chapter. If you're someone who doesn't have a Radish account yet (because you're waiting for the Android version) but wants to enter anyways for when you get the app, just do the same procedures but instead of putting your Radish username, put in your Wattpad username instead and I'll get in contact with you if you win.

As someone who only uses Android, I can't tell you how excited I was when I saw my profile there for the first time. It's amazing and I can't wait for everyone to get it. Once again, the app will be available for the public (in the Play Store) on June 15, but here's what my profile looks like.

Okay the A/N is longer than the chapter. Don't forget to vote, comment, and follow. I love you all and I shall see you next chapter!