Bobby's POV

She was beautiful. She was a social butterfly. She was perfect. She was Molly Cooperson. She was from my school, and she was the most popular girl in school. She would never notice me, even if I was a social person. A lot of the girls at school stared at me, but Molly wouldn't even glance at me. I liked her, a lot, but not because of her heart, which was very wrong of me, but I couldn't help it. She was gorgeous.

I had my eyes on another girl, and I liked her a bit more than Molly, but I know this girl would probably never feel the same way about me. Now, this girl, I couldn't get out of my mind. Her long, brown hair, her ocean blue eyes that reminded me of the beach, her face. Everything about her. Perfect. I had the urging feeling inside of me to ask her out, but I knew I would never have the guts unless I was one hundred percent sure she liked me back. Gah! Even her eyebrows were perfect. I sound like a creep, but it's true. She had to be the one, unless it was my mind turning me into an all looks, no heart kinda guy. I didn't know, but I didn't want to ask her out then things not even work out. I hate dating girls that I know I'll just move on from like there was nothing to breaking their heart. It just wasn't right.

Arlene's POV

I woke up at three in the morning. I was awoken by a nightmare. A nightmare that made me feel like my past was coming back to haunt me and ruin my life all over again.

"No, Mom, please! I wasn't trying to be late!" a thirteen year old fragile little girl pleaded with her mother not to ground her for being late one time.

"No? Why shouldn't I ground you? You disobeyed me, and you deserve punishment for your behavior!" her mother screamed into her face.

"Why are you always so mean to me for no good reason?" she blurted out accidentally, knowing she would be punished even worse now.

"Go to your room before I call your father in here!" she slapped the young girl in the face with all of her strength. She left a red hand mark on the girl's face, and the next day her face was bruised. Her father accused her of having a bruised cheek from being in a fight, so he slapped her even harder on the same cheek. It stung for a few seconds, and she couldn't catch her breath because it hurt so badly. She ran to her room and fell on her bed, feeling hurt, betrayed, confused, lost, but most of all, broken. She still feels that way today.

That young girl was me. It was a living nightmare to go through my parents' abuse, and all of those memories still live with me. I needed a friend I could trust, and I was beginning to think that friend was Bobby, and I just met him.

Soon after I woke up, I dozed back off, having the same nightmare. It kept getting worse every time. I would wake up breathing hard, fall back asleep, have the same dream, then wake up breathing even harder than before. When I woke up at five in the morning, I couldn't catch my breath. I started wheezing loudly. Mrs. Davis came in to see what was going on.

"Help," was all I could get out. She immediately came over to me.

"Charles! Call 911!" Mrs. Davis hollered, probably waking everyone in the house. Bobby and Candice came to the room we were in to see what was happening. They both looked at me with worried faces.

"I can't breathe," I managed to get out. I started crying uncontrollably. Mrs. Davis tried to calm me down.

"Sh, sh, don't cry. It'll make it worse." she spoke in a gentle voice. Tears kept streaming down my eyes no matter what anyone said. "Bobby, watch her. Try to keep her breathing, just try everything." Mrs. Davis ran out of the room and Bobby immediately came over to my bed and sat down, trying to calm me down. Candice left for some reason.

"Arlene, stop crying. You'll be okay, I promise." when he promised that, I felt relief and stopped crying. I felt safe whenever Bobby promised me anything. I trusted him, even if he made promises I knew he wasn't quite sure of. I still couldn't breathe, and it had been two minutes. I was surprised I wasn't out by then, but I started getting dizzy. Bobby quietly said something, and before I could reply, I fell out unconsciously. The next thing I knew, I was in the hospital, hooked up to an oxygen machine.

I saw Bobby pacing back and forth in front of my hospital bed when I woke up.

"Thank God you're okay!" he exclaimed, and when he did, the rest of the Davis' came barging in.

"How did I get here?" I asked. "Oh, duh, you took me here. But why am I here, exactly?"

"You couldn't breathe, and you fell out unconscious." Bobby replied.

"I remember not being able to breath, but I don't remember anything after you were telling me to calm down." I glanced at all of their worried face. "I'm okay, honest." They nodded and left the room.

I remembered Bobby promising me I would be okay, and I remembered him saying something else after that, but I just couldn't remember. I tried so hard. I laid back and closed my eyes. Think, Arlene, think. The nurse came in and interrupted my thinking.

"Hey, hon. How do you feel?" she sounded southern.

"Okay, I guess." I replied. She did something with the oxygen and then left. I guess she was just checking on me. I didn't feel too well, so I decided to rest. The picture of Bobby and me kept flashing through my mind. I lied down and tried to forget it, but then I remembered what Bobby said.

Arlene, stop crying. You'll be okay, I promise. I—, I love you.