Seven | At Eighteen Years

"Darcy!" Ravine dashed out the door to find her on the floor, cradling her cheek. Marie stood in front of her, an enraged expression on her face. She glared at him, his chest aching just seeing those tears on her face - she was crying because of him. Without a word, Marie ran - the loud shutting of the door told Ravine that she had left.

He crouched next to Darcy and examined her face. "What are you doing?" She shrieked, recoiling away from him, "That was your girlfriend who stormed off, thinking she caught us . . .!" Her face crumbled as she thought of it, "Marie's never going to forgive me."

"Let me see," Ravine grunted. He took her hand from her face and lightly ran his fingertips on the red spot, "She really slapped you?"

"Yes," Darcy mumbled and insisted that it didn't hurt that much. But Ravine knew it stung. "You're not going after her?" She asked, looking up at him.

He helped her up, as she caressed her cheek. They went back to the bedroom where he offered her a glass of water. "No," Ravine answered vaguely, "No, not yet."

Darcy slumped on the bed. It both hurt on her cheek and her chest that her friend just thought she cheated on her. With her boyfriend. Since Darcy got together with her Jay, she got to spend some time with Marie and Sofie, too. And although Marie could be the most supportive and appreciative girl around, she had a furious fire in her that nobody would ever want to unleash. When she burst out angry, it was like a hurricane. Darcy's stomach clenched, thinking how it hurt for her to see them like that. Plus, Eric Jay will surely go after Ravine if he ever heard about it.

Darcy faced Ravine, who was shuffling around. As if he didn't even care about Marie. "You're a bigger idiot than Eric Jay if you don't go after her," she stated firmly. Never mind her, just save the relationship.

"Then I must be," he stared at her, "I can't leave you here."

She laughed humorlessly. She could see why Marie and him were perfect - it was hard to put up with a boy like this. He was a complete puzzle. "Really now, Ravine, what's the reason?"

"What do you mean?"

"If I were you right now, I would be chasing her all around the block - heck, even around the neighborhood - and I'd be shouting apologies and explanations. If I were you right now, I would be buying tons of chocolates and gifts from the nearby store and breaking into her house just to give it to her. Why, why don't you do the same?" She had half the urge to slap him on the face. She was a girl, too - she could imagine and understand what it felt like for other girls.

"Well, too bad, I'm not you," he shrugged then sat next to her. "This is a norm for relationships, Darce. Without the occasional fights and misunderstanding, the connection would be . . . Dead. She needs some time for herself and God knows she would push me away and run me over if I ever come near her. I'll give it some time."

Darcy blinked slowly, "So, you're refusing to explain things to her because you think it'll make your relationship healthier?" If she didn't know any better, she would assume that Ravine Rellemont was cold, emotionless and fact-based. Like he didn't feel at all. What was he doing right now? Strategically forming a plan for Marie? It didn't work like that.

"No," he corrected, "I'm waiting for the perfect time to talk to her. She's upset, but I know it'll wear down. If Marie's smart, she'd confront me first before she can make assumptions and act on them." When she didn't seem convinced, he added, "You can trust me on what to do with my girlfriend."

"But it also hurt for me, Rav," Darcy said softly, "She thought we betrayed her. But it's not our fault . . . "

"Hey, she'll come around." He bumped his shoulder on hers. "I'm sure of it."

"But it's ironic," she thought over it, "Before you got together, you were so eager on getting her - you were there wherever she was. You made her feel different and act different that she told me once that it almost drove her to insanity. And now, you seem so cool and chill about it." She gazed up at him, "Tell me you have some plan in mind."

"Don't worry, I have no intention of involving you in it."

"Knock, knock." Both looked up to see a familiar face by the doorway. Eric Jay cleared his throat and by cue, Ravine scooted away from Darcy. But Eric Jay's face scrunched up as he narrowed his eyes at his girlfriend.

He moved over to her and tipped her chin to look at the red spot on her cheek. "I don't remember any slapping on the play," Eric Jay turned to Ravine with a stony expression, "What did you do to her?"

"It was Marie!" Darcy held her boyfriend back and sat him next to her before he could attack their friend. "She caught us and thought . . . " she bit her lip, hesitant to continue.

"She saw us and thought I was cheating on her," Ravine said calmly for her. In confused Darcy how could he be so relaxed. Was he not even the slightest bit in pain?

"What!" Eric Jay now turned to his friend, "Didn't she know . . . ? That's why she was crying when I ran into her."

"Well someone forgot to tell her that it was all for a stupid play," Darcy glared at Ravine. "Now I think she hates me," she muttered.

"Just calm down, okay?" Ravine said angrily, "I know what to do with her. I'll talk to her soon."

"Well it should be soon, because we're not going on with the practice until you talk to her," Darcy stood up and took her boyfriend by the hand. They walked side by side as she breathed out.

= = = > < = = =

The park was quite peaceful, for a summer day, she decided. It held within its trees and atmosphere the memories of childhood, when she was still with her friends. When they would play throughout the day and nothing seemed to matter besides the competition. When they laughed and ran and went wild with the joy of being young. The corner of her lips tugged up into a smile as she sat on a bench, looking around the park in nostalgia. What she wouldn't give to have those days back.

Lovely propped her legs up to cross them, and she rested her elbows on her knees. She needed time alone for herself , to think and to pause. At home, her parents were driving her crazy, her phone was buzzing with messages and calls from Lyn, Carlos and her other friends back at England and not to mention, there was still the issue of Julian. He had not woken up yet, but it was going around that there was this slight twitch of his hand yesterday - Daniella saw it herself.

The sad thing was that Lovely craved for someone to talk to.

"Hey," Gavin said softly and sat beside her. He handed her a cup of coffee to which she responded with a simple 'thanks'. He was the last person she wanted to be with, but due to his (and her mother's) persuasion, she just let him be there for her. He wasn't harming her anyway and it would be dramatic of her to avoid him all the time.

"Are you alright?" Gavin glanced at her, "Tell me what you're thinking about." He held her hand in his just like he did before, enveloping her with his warmth.

"Tell me," she said softly, looking out into the distance, "Tell me how things are here. What happened when I was gone?"

"Quite a lot, actually." She pictured a small smile gracing his lips. "Mostly on relationships. Eric Jay and Darcy were first to get together. He got jealous over her and Tyron so he crashed her date and brought with him Julian and Eddie. Then, when Tyron left her, Eric Jay asked her to be his girlfriend. That was last year. They'd been going strong ever since."

A ghost smile flitted across Lovely's face. Those two did belong together - the muse and the corny jokester. She would want to pay anything just to see them when they got together.

"Then?" She spared Gavin a glance as she drank her coffee.

"Sofie and Eddie were next. Obviously we both saw their feelings for each other before they both realized it. I heard Sofie saying that he asked her out after a car washing event at school. Then, they would hang out at Starbucks and have little dates there. They're cute together - Eddie would always soften whenever she was around or mentioned. They have arguments every now and then but just as fast, they would be kissing each other." Gavin narrated it perfectly.

"Whipped," she mumbled under her breath and whistled. Gavin chuckled at this as he played with her fingers - a subtle gesture that meant everything to her.

"Then there's Ravine and Marie. Theirs is interesting. Rav had went through so much just courting and wooing her. They would fight, but anyone could see the tension between the two. Around him, Marie was always blushing and stuttering and so Ravine would rile her up on purpose. Finally, he asked her out in front of the whole school during graduation - you should have seen the whole thing. While Marie was delivering her valedictory speech, Ravine literally got on one knee and held her hand while she cried." Lovely's heart warmed just thinking about them. Love-hate relationships were so bittersweet, so complicated.

"What about Julian?" She leaned back, looking at him as she eagerly waited for his response. Gavin smiled at her, "Well, at prom, Julian asked out Asther but ever since that, Asther was avoiding him and he continued hanging out with Nadine. I'm not too sure what's going on with him but I hope he can find that someone he loves because he has been through a lot. And didn't Daniella say he broke Nadine's heart?"

Lovely stayed silent. Julian was this kind of guy who wished for nothing more but to be loved. However, he was always mislead and lost so that's why he's running around circles just trying to find the perfect girl. Her shoulders sagged. Somehow, she was the same.

She ran her thumb on the warm cup she held. But what about Gavin? Had he found a girl while she was gone? Did he ever spend nights just thinking about her like she did with him? Her heart clenched just thinking about what it would be like if Gavin found someone - someone that wasn't her. "What about you?" She asked him.

"Me?"

"What have you been up to when I was gone?" The words almost caught in the throat. It was too painful to ask him directly: Have you liked someone else?

"I was alone," Gavin replied softly, "While the others got together with the people they liked - loved - I'd just standby because I wanted to wait for you. Until you came back. I wanted to see you and be with you and pick up where we left off. But I didn't know why I ever thought you were coming back ro me. I didn't know why I hoped for you. I guess, I decided that there's no other girl for me except you."

Lovely felt breaking down inside - her feelings crashing down with her body, everything shutting down to save her from the intense pain. She slapped a hand over her mouth and choked on a sob. Tears clouded her vision. Had she been selfish? Not thinking about what Gavin had felt when she left? What led her to think that he had forgotten about her already? That he didn't care anymore?

"Gavin," she choked out. He already knew what to do and what she needed. He took hers and his cup and set them down to gather her in his arms. She rested her head on his chest as he did with his chin on her head. His fingers rubbed her back, trying to soothe her.

"I'm sorry I stopped talking to you," she whispered, "I'm sorry I left . . . I'm sorry I couldn't be what you want me to be right now."

"It doesn't matter, Lo." It pained her even more to hear him call her that. There was this part inside her who still longed for him to say that nickname - Love. "I'm right here for you, no matter what. If I can't have something romantic with you then being your friend is enough. Something is better than nothing, right?"

Something is better than nothing, right? It echoed inside her, mocking her. She clutched him tighter as tears streamed down her face.

"I want my best friend back," he said.

"You lost me a long time ago. I have a new one," she told him.

"I'm so sorry I'm lost right now. I don't know what I want anymore. You dserve someone else, someone who'll give you what you want," Lovely said, "I can't be that right now. And I'm sorry."

He held her tight. "I'll always want you. You don't deserve me - you deserve something more and I'm only trying my best. I'll stay with you if I can't wait for you. I'll always be here for you."

She shut her eyes. Here he was, seeing all their friends run off happily to their lovers. He had held back, waiting for her - for years - only to be hit by the news that they couldn't be together. She imagined how it could have hurt for him, she felt hurt just by thinking that it pained him. And here she was. If she can't find herself how can she stay with him?

"Just . . . Just hold me please," she whispered.

Really and truly, she'd give anything to go back in time and be with him again. But those moments were lost in the wind and shut away by neglect. If she wanted those, she would have to build their relationship again.

And she didn't know how to do that.

= = = > < = = =

He stared down at his cup of ice cream, vanilla flavored with hot fudge, and grinned in satisfaction. If there was something more important to Eddie besides his girlfriend, it would be ice cream. Those delicious delights were always his weakness. And what he loved most about it is that he ate it while the atmosphere was cold, not scorching, which was one of his quirks.

Eddie stirred it contentedly and licked from the spoon. His eyes went around for a spot to sit in - there were quite a few people in the shop. His eyebrows suddenly rose, seeing a familiar girl sitting alone in a booth by the window. He trudged over to her and slid into a seat.

"Do you mind if I . . . ?" He asked her. Marie looked up at him and nodded, shoving more ice cream into her mouth. Her hair was tied up rather messily and dark rings were etched underneath her eyes. She looked stressed like it was finals week. Eddie heard that she and Ravine got into some huge fight but he wasn't quite sure what it was about.

Marie nodded seemingly absentmindedly. Eddie looked at her in concern, "What happened? What's going on with you and Rav?"

She said, lowly, "I saw him . . . With Darcy. They were kissing. . . "

Kissing? Eddie thought about it. He decided not to press on it further or she might end up crying. But he did wonder why Ravine would act like that. Knowing him for a long time, he knew Ravine wouldn't be unfaithful.

"Are you sure?" He asked softly.

She nodded. "I saw it with my own eyes. They were kissing . . . In his room."

"Well at least you're not the only one having relationship problems," he leaned back, eating ice cream. He stared out the window. He couldn't get that 'G' person out of his mind. It was clawing his insides, bothering him to no end.

"Why?" Marie looked at him worriedly, "Is there something wrong with you and Sofie?" Naturally, being her best friend, Marie was always genuinely concerned about his girlfriend. But it looked like that she hasn't told Sofie anything about Ravine.

"No," he breathed, "Not really at the moment but something's bothering me."

She leaned closer, putting her arms on the tabletop. "Tell me. Anything to keep my mind off . . . Him."

"Well, one time, on that day of the accident, I went to Sofie's so I could return her wallet. She left it again. But . . . But then I opened it and I saw this piece of paper in it. Nothing else was written on it except for the letter 'G'." He looked at her in all seriousness, "Do you know what it means?"

Her face scrunched up as if she was trying to comprehend and think about it. "I don't know, really," Marie told her, "Have you tried talking to her about it?"

"Not really," Eddie groaned, "I was afraid if I confronted her, she would flip out on me snooping and never trust me again. But it's bothering me like hell."

"You should talk to her," she advised, "Quick assumptions can lead to misunderstandings, so then you'd just argue about it. I know my best friend; she'll understand. She gets jealous, too, you know."

"She does?"

Marie nodded, "She'd tell me how it annoyed her when girls would stare at you whenever you two were out. She told me she could never compare."

He frowned, "But I would never look at another girl like I do with her."

"Exactly. That's what you should think about her, too."

Eddie stared at his cup of melted ice cream. Sometimes, Marie Patrice Mays was just oozing with wisdom he can never get from Ravine. Here she was, still hurting from what she saw but she was giving advice to him. She's a strong girl, he thought, she can get through whatever she's going through. Eddie watched as Marie shoved spoon after spoon into her mouth, gazing into the distance.

"Have you talked with Ravine yet?" Eddie asked her after a few seconds of utter silence.

Her head snapped up to him as she responded slowly, "No."

"And why not?"

She swallowed, "I don't want to face him yet. I'm not ready. What if I confront him and it'll make things more difficult between us? I'm having mixed feelings about him."

"You said it yourself, didn't you?" Said Eddie, "You both have to talk about it or things will go downhill."

"It's hard," she sighed.

"That's just how a relationship is. There has to be ups and downs, both love and war for it to work out effectively. Fights should just as be normal as kisses - a dose of it every now and then isn't completely bad. But if you both let yourself be carried away, your relationship will crumble completely. If you distance yourself from him, your connection will wear down. Don't let that stupid incident keep you away from him, Marie. I know my friend; he didn't try to make you his just for nothing. If you separate, God knows he'll go through the whole world just to get you back. Sometimes, it's hard for us guys, too." Eddie blew out a breath at the end of it all.

Marie chuckled, "When did you give inspiring messages, Lennon?"

A small smile appeared at the corner of his lips, "My point is, you should fight for him as much as he's willing to fight for you. I'm sure the whole issue with Darcy is just a misunderstanding."

Her gaze flew towards the window as she pulled on a wistful expression. It was then that she sucked in a breath as she saw him walking on the sidewalk in front of the shop. Ravine stopped in front of the glass, locked eyes with Marie, but then broke eye contact to look at Eddie. He looked back and forth between them, shook his head, then continued walking. Eddie could hear a faint 'no' coming out of Marie. She put her palm against the glass.

Eddie shut his eyes. That - him and Marie together in the ice cream shop - must have looked wrong in Ravine's eyes. He then gazed at Marie, who was looking down at her cup, no doubt sobbing softly. "We would always go here to get some ice cream," she whispered, playing with the cup in her hands. "We'd trade our favorite flavors. This one is his usual - rocky road," she referred to the cup she was holding.

Eddie took her hand and squeezed it reassuringly, "Everything will be okay with you two. I promise."

"Are you going to chase after him?" He asked.

She shook her head, "No, and I couldn't do that even if I wanted to. It kind of hurts that he hasn't come to me yet to explain but . . . " She stood up and wiped the tears from the corner of her eyes, "Thanks for talking to me, Ed. I really needed that. I'll talk to him."

He escorted her out the shop after downing all of his remaining ice cream. "Do you want a ride home? Or are you okay by yourself?" He offered as soon as they began walking towards Eddie's car.

"No, no I'm okay, really," Marie managed a little smile, "It's fine. I'll ride on my own."

Eddie wanted to insist but he kept himself from doing so. She needed time for herself and space to think in her clouded thoughts. He nodded in understanding as they stopped in front of his convertible. To his surprise, his own girlfriend was there, waiting next to the hood of it.

"Sof," he smiled softly, giving her a kiss on the lips. She laced her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly.

"I was walking by and I saw your car. Or I thought it was your car. I just decided to wait here so I could ride with you." She looked past him and her eyes widened, "Marie?"

Sofie stepped forward to wrap her best friend in a hug, "How are you holding up?"

"Fine," said Marie. But she wasn't fine, Eddie knew. "I'm fine."

"Eddie found me in the ice cream shop," Marie explained, "We talked about things and I think I'll sort things out with Rav." Then she turned towards Eddie, "Thanks for that again."

"You don't want to ride with us?" Sofie asked.

Marie shook her head, "Don't really want to third wheel between you guys." After one last hug with Sofie, she ran off, disappearing in a corner. Eddie sympathized with her, but she'll get through it all hopefully. Ravine and her were just in rocky terrain.

"Come on, let's go home," Eddie pecked his girlfriend on the cheek and they hopped inside the car. He revved up the engine, his mind drifting towards the mysterious piece of paper again. Damn it. Why was it irking him so much? How could he find out without having to confront her?

Eddie drove, his mind occupied. His mouth itched to ask her as his knuckles clenched on the steering wheel. "Ed?" Sofie asked in a small voice, "Is everything okay?" She laid a hand on his shoulder.

Eddie braked suddenly, sending them lurching forward. As Sofie caught her breath and looked at him with wide eyes. He turned to her with a hard expression. "Who's 'G' ?" He asked then, "Who is he? Your old childhood crush? Don't try to lie to me. I saw it in your wallet." His mind spun. Had he just said that?

"What?" Sofie breathed out, still staring at him in disbelief.

"That piece of paper, Sof," he pressed on.

She stared at him for a few moments, then finally realization seemingly dawned on on her. Then she did the unthinkable - Sofie leaned back and laughed uncontrollably. "Oh Ed," she shook her head in between chuckles.

"I'm serious!" Eddie hopped out of the car and went to stand next to the trunk, rubbing his face. What did she think? That he was idiotic? Why was it that when he was around her, he felt absolutely stupid?

"No, Ed!" He heard Sofie yell as she got out herself. She stood in front of him, smiling, and she hooked her arms around his neck, kissing him once. "I think you misunderstood me," she leaned her forehead in his.

"What do you mean?" He murmured.

"Here, I'll show you," she said, rummaging in her bag. She squinted as went through inside. "I swear I put it here," she mumbled.

"Don't tell me you lost it again," a smirk tempted to tug at Eddie's lips. But he kept his face straight as he looked at her.

"No, it's here," she pulled out her red wallet, "Aha! Here it is." She opened it and took out the damned piece of paper. As he saw before, a G was scribbled on its front. "Did you mean this?"

He nodded.

She sighed, "It's an envelope, Eddie." She held it up for him to see clearly. Then, she opened it by one end and slid out a photograph. It was a picture of him, laughing, a candid shot, no doubt. There were marks at the corner of it that he couldn't quite see.

"What?" He said, dumbfounded, as stared at it. Eddie gaped - why had he not seen it the first time. So Marie was right; quick assumptions led to misunderstandings. "G?"

Sofie chuckled, "It stands for Gabe. I like that name, so I put it here." Eddie Gabe Lennon. Of course. How stupid can he get?

He took the picture in his fingers and read the writing on the bottom right: Sofie Felice Cortez-Lennon. "It fits," he whispered softly. She pulled him for a hug and kissed him sweetly.

"Maybe I should keep a picture of you, too." He said, wrapping his arms around her waist.

He sighed against her hair, feeling a huge weight lifted from his shoulders. Finally, he knew the truth and it was pretty calming.

= = = > < = = =

The interior was lit up generously, the furniture were all pushed to the corners to give space, save for the beanbag cushions which everyone fought over. Sleeping bags littered on the floor, and a stuffed-animal partition sat in the middle, dividing the sides - right side for the boys (that area was armed with junk food and the freezer sat there) and left side for the girls (they had gadgets and the TV for themselves). He stood next to the window of the Fort - the treehouse - all ready in his pajamas and socks. The night was cool, perfect for a sleepover party.

"Hello?" Eric Jay's head popped out of the door. Julian looked at him in amusement. Eric Jay climbed up, losing his grip on the food he was carrying. "I brought more snacks," he announced. Julian chuckled, seeing his striped pajamas and a monkey stuffed toy hanging from his neck.

"And you're going to be so fat if you eat too much," Darcy came out next, bopping her boyfriend on the nose.  She waved at Julian which the latter returned and set down her overstuffed bag on the floor. The couple both went over to the sleeping bags, choosing which one was most comfortable.

Next was Daniella, and Julian rushed from his spot to help her into the treehouse. He gave her a brief hug before greeting her. They were spending more time together since he woke up and he loved every single bit of it. Daniella was different, and he hoped he can make things right between them.

Nadine went in, invited by Daniella. Naturally, she ignored Julian and tugged her best friend away from him so they can pick out their spots. Julian sighed - he was yet to make amends with Nadine, but it seemed impossible because she kept on steering clear of his way.

Sofie filed in with Eddie, and both brought the movies he requested for. "Thanks," Julian eagerly took the horror CDs from them and placed them next to the television. They'll be watching something fun tonight. He'd love to hold Dani's hand if she got scared. Maybe hold her entirely. Julian smiled just thinking about it.

Marie came in next, who stumbled a bit. She adjusted her glasses as Julian held her waist to help her up. He had heard of her and Ravine's little . . . Dilemma, and he had talked to his friend about it. Ravine assured him that he'll fix things between them, but he wished it would be soon because he could see Marie hurting. It pained him too, to see her all stressed out as if she was not getting enough sleep.

After letting go of Marie, Julian frowned at the next person who came. "You're not supposed to be here," he told his little sister Pippa, who was struggling to come up to the treehouse.

"But Julie," she whined but he shushed her and shooed her away. She was fourteen years old and he would never let her in the treehouse - her mind would be incredibly tainted.

Ravine came later on, dressed in sweatpants and long sleeves (as always). After a little chat with him, Julian closed the entrance to the Fort and locked it for their privacy. Ravine stood behind him, his nose already buried in a book. Julian spotted Marie staring sadly at him from her sleeping.

Gavin and Lovely were not around because Julian had talked to the former yesterday. Gavin said he was sleeping over at hers. Julian knew better than to disturb their night. Those two needed to fix their relationship after all. However, the main purpose of the sleepover party was to celebrate Julian's recovery from the accident. He still had to suffer numerous bandages and a cast (and his beautiful bangs were cut off, not to mention), but he was up and running a few weeks after the day of the accident. And hell, he had woken up to so much drama.

"So," he rubbed his hands together, "What should we do first?"

Lots of replies went after that. Eric Jay piped up, "Eat!" Others begged for the horror movies (Eddie, obviously), some wanted to play spin the bottle (it was Nadine) and there was a suggestion of pillow fights and fooling around while singing (that was Marie). After arguments sprouting here and there, Julian - as host - called for an eating fest while watching the Avengers.

As everyone huddled up in front of the TV, all armed with popcorn and snacks, Julian went to sit beside Daniella. "Hey," he smiled at her, moving a little closer. The movie began with the usual thrill.

"Hi," Daniella smiled back, "How are you feeling?" Since he woke up, she had been acting nurse towards him. He loved being pampered, but sometimes she worried too much.

"I'm fine, Dani, you don't have to check on me all the time," he told her softly. But she didn't look convinced.

"I always have a feeling that it's my fault," she said, "You protected me from the crash. And I was so angry at you then. If you hadn't woken up . . . "

"Hey," he took her hand in his, "What's done is done. You don't have to look back at it anymore, okay?" She looked away from him, and he could make out the pink tinting her cheeks.

"Could you two shush!" Eric Jay whispered loudly from in front of the telly before shoving another popcorn into his mouth. Julian's lips tugged up into a smile. But from the corner of his eye, he could see Nadine staring at Dani and him. Shuffling a bit to stand up, he went over to the back, where Ravine was. He was reading, not paying attention to movie at all.

Julian's hand reached for the thick book he was reading but Ravine pulled it away just in time. He narrowed his eyes at Julian as they sat next to each other. "What's the deal with you and Daniella?" Ravine whispered to him.

"I kind of - sort of - like her already," Julian muttered. There was no point denying it. He really did like Daniella.

Ravine's eyebrows shot up, "Oh really now? Have you considered what Nadine would be feeling right now?" That went straight to Julian's chest; and he thought when he woke up, the girl problems were gone - like poof! Gone.

"I just woke up and you'd rain problems on me already?" Julian rubbed his chin, "Look, I just want to be with Dani, okay? Try things with her."

"There's no trying, Yzen," Ravine shook his head, "Don't repeat your mistakes with Daniella - you've hurt so many girls already."

"You'll see," Julian promised to his friend, "I'll do things right now. I know Daniella's the one."

After the long movie (by then, Ravine had already gone through half his book), they opted for the horror one. Fortunately, Julian got to hold Daniella and cover her eyes most of the duration. Plus, the girls kept screaming (Eric Jay included). When two movies were through, they all sat around, and ate and talked. That one lasted for about a couple hours. Lastly, they had a huge pillow fight, boys versus girls. Eric Jay took on to be team captain and so did Nadine. It was intense - they seriously had pillow forts and stuffed animals for ammo.

After that pillow fight, everyone was tired and full, so Julian called for lights out. "Why do boys and girls have to be separate?" Eric Jay complained as he trudged slowly towards his own sleeping bag.

"So that no one would get into funny business," Darcy answered for everyone as her boyfriend pouted, muttering something about injustice and cuddling Darcy.

Julian laid in his own sleeping bag, turning to his side. The lights were off, and the only thing illuminating the Fort was the stars and moon hanging outside. Julian gave it a few minutes, and he was sure most of them were fast asleep. Both Eric Jay and Eddie were snoring loudly beside him. He turned to see that Ravine was still awake, holding a flashlight over his book. Marie was, too, and she was on her phone.

Julian waited. Marie then got up and climbed down the treehouse. He waited again, still wide awake. Ravine soon followed after her. That was Julian's cue to stand up. He crawled towards the girls' side and shook Daniella's feet. She sat up instantly and he put a finger up to her lips. He motioned for her to follow him and so she did. They both climbed down the Fort stealthily.

"What are we doing here?" Daniella whispered as Julian led her behind the tree.

"Just a little spying," Julian whispered back, "Stay quiet." He put his hand lightly on the her lower back as they watched.

"You could have told me," Marie shakily said as he looked up at Ravine, who was staring off into the distance, "You could have told me it was all some play. I would have listened to you."

Ravine shifted and looked at her once, "I didn't tell you because I wait. I wated for you to come to me. I thought you trusted me more than that, Mars."

"But how could I when I thought you broke my trust?" She glared at him, "You wouldn't even let me explain that Eddie and I were just talking - about us."

"I know."

"What?"

"I know you wouldn't do something like that - you're smarter than that," said Ravine, "But do you see now how hard it is to tell someone that you're just misunderstood when they think you betrayed them? You can't see it, Mars, but I was hurting, too. I just can't stand being away from you."

"Stop, stop," tears spilled from Marie's eyes, "I don't want to fight anymore."

"Me too," he said. He gathered her in his arms, her arms coming around his neck. Ravine held her close and put his chin on her head before kissing it. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry."

"I'm sorry, too," Julian heard Marie say. He smiled, taking Daniella's hand and Dani, meanwhile, looked in awe with the sight.

They all basked in the silence, before Ravine spoke up, "Quit ruining the moment, Yzen."

"Whoops," Julian chuckled.

= = = > < = = =

Lovely frowned at the hideous outfit she wore. It was too short for her taste - came above her knees - and was all lacy and girly. As usual, it was her mother who shoved her into the white dress. And to add to the torture, she was made to curl her hair and wear accessories - heels added. Now, after bathing her face in makeup (or having her mother bathing her face in makeup) she sat in her room, refusing to come out.

Her parents had thrown some semi-formal party to celebrate their return to America. Lovely wanted to get out of it but she was unfortunately snatched by her mother before she could escape to any safe haven. The upside was that her friends were around, too, including Gavin.

Gavin. They had been spending so much time together now. As friends, he had claimed, but she had a gut feeling that he wanted it to be more than that. Nonetheless, she enjoyed his company, the only light around her darkness of a life. Some days they would spend nights together, others they would go out to eat and even play in the park. It was as if he was bringing back the old days. And she did hope it lasted.

Her door flew open. Her mother stepped inside, in her fancy glory. "Why are you not downstairs?" she put a hand on her hip, "The guests are already here. And so are a few of your friends."

"What if I don't want to go down?" Lovely looked at her, challenging her mother with one gaze.

Amanda Johnson's mouth set in a straight line, "You are going down there, Lovely, and that is final." Grudgingly, Lovely stood up and followed her mother out the door. She made her way down the grand staircase, careful not to trip on her heels. Her eyes looked around for some sign of Gavin.

Convinced that he was't there, she walked over to the refreshments table to get herself a soda. A familiar face stood next to her, feasting on some cupcakes - black hair and Asian eyes, with a kind demeanor. "Hello, there," the boy greeted.

"Sorry, who are you again?" Lovely asked, her head cocking.

"Nico Tan," he held out his hand for her to shake, "You must be Lovely. My family moved here after yours left for London."

She shook his hand, "Nice to meet you then. Have I seen you before?"

"You may have when I talked to Julian. I am with Asther officially and I was warning him to stay away from my girl," Nico told her. She raised the cup to her lips to drink.

"Ah, I see," she remembered, "See you around then." After earning a nod from him, she walked towards the couches at the far corner of the room, determined not to walk around in heels too much. She could already feel her feet aching.

She sat alone, looking at the other people (half of them she didn't recognize) while taking occasional sips from her cup. She eyed Marie, who was playing guitar on the makeshift stage, with Ravine backing her up on piano. Eric Jay and Darcy were enjoying themselves over the chocolate fountain and Eddie and Sofie were dancing slowly to the music. She even spotted Julian and Daniella going around, hand in hand, and talking to different people. Lovely smiled sadly. Looking at her friends, who were happy with their lovers, she wanted a love for her own, too.

"A dance?" Someone said beside her. Lovely looked up and smiled, seeing Gavin, all dressed up in a suit. She took his hand and he guided her to the dance-floor.

"Enjoying the party?" He pulled her close, wrapping his arms around her waist and hers locking around his neck. Lovely let herself be comfortable and rested her forehead on his.

"Not quite," she sighed, "Until you arrived." Gavin smiled at that.

They both swayed to the music for a while, each one drowning on the other. Lovely closed her eyes and let herself get lost in his arms. Like nothing mattered at all except them.

"Lo?" Gavin whispered.

"Yeah?"

"I still like you, Lo," she opened her eyes to see him intently gazing at her, "I was wondering if Lovely was still there inside, my best friend. My first love."

"That depends," she said softly, "Would you still want her? Even if she's completely broken and lost?"

"I'll always want her. And I want to believe that I never lost her. She always stayed with me even though she left. And I think I have to help her again, to find herself so she could be happy."

"Really?"

"Yeah."

"Then I think," she blew out a breath, "I think she's willing to give you a chance. If you take care of her. If you don't hurt her. She still . . . . Loves you very much, Gav. She always did."

Gavin searched her eyes then leaned in slowly. He pressed his lips on her carefully, sweetly. She realized that it was their first kiss, and it felt perfect, more than she ever thought it would be. She pulled him impossibly closer, giving into the kiss, into his touch. She felt safe, and her heart also did. It was then Lovely realized that she could trust him - the world may break her down but he will always be there for her.

And it didn't matter if she was straight or gay. What mattered the most was that she was with him and they were together, loving each other until forever. Maybe she had lost herself. But she had found him.

"I love you, Lo," Gavin said when they pulled away.

"It's Lovely," she whispered, smiling.