I went to school, just to see her again. We do have classes together, after all, how much space can she give me really? I'm not going to let her get away that easy. So I got off my butt and went to school. I was a little late, being as I didn't set an alarm and only woke up at 8:30, but even though the first class was nearly over, I still have her in a bunch of other classes so she can't avoid me.

Unless she doesn't come to school, which I discovered by showing up. The tables have turned.

"Where have you been? Were you sick, dude don't get me sick." Archer says at lunch.

"I'm fine now, hey, have any of you seen Skylar today?" I ask.

Wini gives me a knowing looking.

"She's not here," Jade says as she plops down at our table. Cassidy, Terry, and Sam by her side. Ugh, I forgot about those hags until now.

"Why not?" I ask.

Jade just shrugs and avoids my gaze, picking at her food. I can't help but glare at her.

"Who cares, it's not like you don't have a bunch of other friends to hang out with." Cassidy wraps her arm around Jade.

Jade glares at her before shrugging her off.

I sigh and look away, which is when I catch sight of Aphrodite sitting alone and reading a book, or pretending to read. She was staring at me and when I looked at her she went back to pretending to read.

I looked back at my own food, but suddenly I wasn't so hungry. I was mostly tuned out to whatever conversations were happening at the table until,

"Fuck off Cassidy," Jade snapped at her before getting up from the table and stomping off.

I looked up.

"Meow," Terry commented.

"I told you to stop picking on her," Sam sighed.

"I was just teasing; she should learn to take a joke."

"You should learn to tell one," I muttered.

Wini snorted and tried to hide her smile.

"Excuse you, but who asked you?" She raised her brow at me.

"Oh grow up Cassidy, what are we in kindergarten? Teasing isn't funny or cute, it just makes you look like a bitch."

"Ouch, shots fired," Terry said.

"Guys come on, let's not fight." Demarcus tried.

"You would know all about looking like a bitch, right Darleen?" with that she shoved her tray at me and got up and left, her posy following close behind.

I rolled my eyes and pushed the tray back.

"Someone's in a mood," Parece said to me.

"I'm just so tired of all the drama, especially unnecessary and easily avoided drama," I grumble.

"Amen to that," Archer said.

"You okay?" Wini asked me.

I just shrugged and poked at my food. I wish Skylar were here.

After school, I was walking to the parking lot when I bumped into Aphrodite again. I wasn't looking where I was going because I was sending my millionth text to Skylar, asking her if she was okay.

"Oh, sorry," I said before I looked up and we locked eyes.

For a moment we just stood there in awkward silence.

"Hey," I finally said.

She purses her lips and narrows her eyes,

"Hey." She said in a snappy voice.

"You still mad at me?" I asked.

"What do you think?" She walked by me and bumped my shoulder.

There is a first, looks like she wasn't going to just forget about this one. Add it to the list of things I don't want to deal with. I just sigh and walk to my car. I drove to Skylar's house and got out of my car with every intention of getting into that house and finding out what the heck was going one when,

"Darleen, come here." Mackenzie ambushed me and grabbed me by my arm and dragged me away.

"Hey! What the hell?" I complained.

"Shh! Look," she pointed to her house where Skylar and Jade were outside.

"I don't understand, why are you doing this!?" Jade cried.

"Because!" Skylar yelled at her.

"Skylar we can work this out, whatever it is. We are a team."

"No Jade, I just need space. I'm sorry."

"Skylar please, don't do this, don't leave me." Jade grabbed her arm and held her in place.

"What's happening?" I whispered to Mackenzie.

"Isn't it obvious, she's dumping Jade."

"Why? Did she say?"

"She said she needed space, that Jade was still her same old shitty self. Well, she didn't use those words, but might as well have. Anyway, I had just got off the bus when I saw them. They've been at it for like a good 10 minutes."

My heart began to race, could she have done this for me?

Was she thinking about getting back together with me?

"No! Don't leave me." Jade begged.

"I'm sorry." Skylar cried.

"Please, we can fix this. We can work on it. I'll try harder, please."

"I'm just so tired Jade. Ever since school started you just went back to the way you were before and I can't be with that Jade. I don't want to. Please I just need space to think. I'm... I'm so confused right now."

"Confused?"

Skylar nodded and sobbed, wiping her own tears before she grabbed Jade's hands in her own.

"I'm so sorry, but I kissed Darleen again. I lied to you. I wasn't working on a project last night, I went to her house. We talked it out. I just need to think. I have to figure some things out on my own."

Jade quitted her sobs and looked on at Skylar in pain and confusion.

"You cheated on me?"

"No! I didn't sleep with her or anything, we just kissed. That day when I went out with her to lunch. We kissed."

"Holy shit this is getting juicy," Kenzie said.

"You really find entertainment in this?" I looked at her.

"Heck yeah, Jade's soap opera life is like my only source of good juicy drama. I literally have like no friends and no life."

"Wow, that's kind of sad."

"Shut up I can't hear," she smacked me in the stomach.

"You don't love me anymore?" Jade asked.

"Of course I love you. You know I will always love you. I just need a break to figure out what's going on with me. You deserve so much better than what I've been giving you. I just... I need space." Skylar turned to leave.

"This is just a break then? Not a breakup?" Jade walked after her.

"I don't know Jade, I mean you aren't making this any easier for me. I think we both need to figure some stuff out. Once we do we can go from there."

"I love you Skylar, I don't want you to leave me."

"I don't know, I don't know, I don't know. I'm so confused. I"m sorry I cheated on you, I feel so awful." Skylar cried.

Jade engulfed her in a hug from behind and buried her head in Skylar's back.

I could see Jade's lips moving but she was talking too quietly for me to hear anything.

"She won't do it," Kenzie said.

I turned to look at her.

"Skylar won't leave Jade." She sounded so sure.

"Why's that?" I asked.

"Because... She loves her." Kenzie's looked on at them in sadness, her tone of voice sounded defeated.

"Maybe... Maybe she loves me too." I said.

"No, not like she loves her," Kenzie said.

"Emm..." I turned and looked back towards Skylar, she had turned and was now holding Jade in her arms. They were talking but I couldn't make out what they were saying.

"You really think you could get back with her?" Kenzie asked.

"I don't know, but I know how I feel about her. I just... I've never felt this way about anyone except her."

"Must be nice... being in love." Kenzie said.

I turned to look at her again and she too was staring sadly at Skylar.

"How come you never acted on your feelings towards her?" I ask.

"Who said I never acted on my feelings?" she turned and raised an eyebrow at me.

"When? What did she say?"

"It was when you two first got together, like before you were even officially a couple. I kissed her, told her I always thought she was great and that I had a crush on her. It never went anywhere well because, she was with you, and she loved Jade. I was no match when compared to either of you. I'm just me I guess, just ordinary." She shoved her hands in her pockets and looked at the ground.

"She never told me," I looked back at Skylar.

"Nothing to tell, I pretty much humiliated myself. I looked like a complete idiot. I'd want to forget it ever happened too."

Skylar grabbed Jade by the shoulders and pushed her away gently. Jade was a sniffling mess, she kept frantically wiping at her tears, trying to put on a brave face.

"I need space Jade."

"I'll wait for you," Jade said.

"You don't have to."

"You waited this long to get with me, I can wait for you. I'll work harder, I'll do better. I promise. I'm not giving up on us, not when I just got you right where I want you. I love you Skylar. There was a time when I was afraid to say those words, but I'm not afraid anymore. You do what you have to do, but I'm not going anywhere. I'll still be your best friend, I'll still be waiting for you. I promise."

"Maybe I'm not worth waiting for," Skylar let her hands fall to her side.

Jade grabbed her by the collar of her shirt and kissed her. I had to look away. It was too painful to see how that one kissed affected Skylar. How she surrendered herself to Jade, something she could never do with me. At least not like that.

I looked back at Kenzie and she had tears in her eyes it was clear she was as miserable as I was.

"I wonder what it feels like to love someone like that," She said without looking away.

"It's painful," I said.

she turned and looked at me.

"But in a good way." I forced a smile for her.

"I want a love like that someday," she looked back at them.

I followed her line of sight.

"Don't say something stupid like that ever again. You'll always be worth it to me. I don't care what you did with Darleen. All I care about is what you've done for me. Do you understand?" Jade eyed Skylar.

Skylar sniffled and nodded, wiping her own tears.

"If you need space I'll give it to you but this isn't the end of us. This is only a pause. I promise."

"Okay, thank you Jade. I'm sorry I said all those mean things."

"I know I'm not the best girlfriend in the world, but I'll keep working on it. For you. I want to be better, for you. I'm sorry I'm such a handful."

"Yeah but you're my cute handful." Skylar smiled at her.

"Damn right." Jade giggled.

I sighed in defeat.

"See you around Darleen. I know I am the cousin of your sworn enemy but I'd like it if we hung out more. Don't forget about me okay," with that Kenzie walked across the street to her house and went inside, shutting the door softly behind her.

My heart hurt for her. Even though she basically told me that Skylar cheated on me with her, I still felt bad for her. She hasn't had it easy, neither Jade, Skylar, or I have made it any easier for her. An amazing person like her, she deserves to have friends and be happy.

Maybe I'll hang out with her more. Lord knows I could use the company. I mean not much fun sitting in that big empty house all alone. Besides she's easy to talk to, she gets it, she knows what I'm going through. She too has suffered the Skylar Heartbreak Syndrome. We could be great friends. If only coming here didn't mean I'd have to see Skylar and Jade again.

Skylar said her goodbyes to Jade and turned to walk home, we made eye contact before she sighed and walked over to me. Behind her Jade and I made eye contact. She looked betrayed, disgusted, a look of pure hatred on her face. For once, I was actually afraid of her. She just looked like someone who would stop at nothing to ruin my life. Even if Skylar was considering getting back with me I knew from that one look that Jade would never let us be happy. She would never leave us alone. She'd make us miserable until we broke up again. I could just tell.

A horrible manipulative person like her, she'd know just how to do it too.

"Skylar," I met her halfway.

"I told you to forget about me," she said.

"Fat chance of that happening. I'd never forget about you. I love you." I moved to embrace her but she pulled away.

"I'm sorry, but I just need space." Then she ran past me and into her house, slamming and locking the door.

Jade smirked at me in triumph before walking back into her own house, swaying her hips in victory. I hate her. I'll never know what Skylar sees in a horrible person like her. It will remain one of life's biggest mysteries.

With a sigh, I walked back over to my car and drove home.

When I got there Aphrodite was waiting for me.

"Hey," I said.

"Hey," it was nicer now. Softer.

"You still mad at me?" I asked as I unlocked the door.

"No."

I let her in.

"Where were you?"

"Heartbreak city, you?"

She smirked at me and playfully bumped shoulders with me.

"I believe I was also in heartbreak city, just on the other side of town."

"Oh yeah, no wonder why we didn't bump into each other there."

"Yeah, that would have been awkward." She flirted.

I smiled at her and walked to my room to set down my backpack. She followed me.

"So heard from your parents yet?" she asked.

"Nah, heard from yours?"

"Nope."

"Typical, I give it a few more days. The usual, I was so busy routine."

"Then they deposit more money into your account?"

"You know it." I giggle.

"Maybe you and I could run away together, go on a cruise or something."

"That actually sounds tempting right about now." I laid on my bed.

"Then what are we waiting for?" she crawled in and laid next to me, resting her head on my shoulder.

I sighed and rested my head against hers.

"Darleen?"

"Yeah?"

"What does she have that I don't have?"

"Don't ask me that."

"I just did."

We were silent for a while.

"Answer me," she demanded.

"I don't know, it's just something about her. She's a heart catcher. Knows how to get people to fall in love with her, only to break their hearts."

"Sounds like a real love monster."

"No... monster is too harsh a word. She's too nice to be called a monster."

"Is that it? Am I not nice enough?"

"If you were nice I would question if you were body-snatched."

"I could be nicer if that's what you like."

"What I would like right now is for you to be my best friend, not this. I just... I'm still not over it, not over her. I don't know when I will be. If I ever will be. Please, just don't do this. I like you just the way you are."

"But you don't love me."

"It's been years Aphrodite, how are you still in love with me?"

"I never forgot about you, not once. Maybe you forgot about me, but I always thought about you. About what we had, about your hand in my hand. Your lips on my lips. The way your breath felt as you whispered into my ear. You sweet giggles and gentle touches. Sure I had other relationship but in my heart, it was always you. It will always be you." she finished with her voice in a soft whisper.

"I'm sorry, but I don't feel the same."

She sighed and cuddled up closer to me.

"I know." She said.

"You're okay with it?"

"I'll wait for you, you might not be ready to move on now but you will be. And when you are, I'll be here. It's why I stayed behind. I don't want to be away from you anymore. I missed you. I missed what we had. We can have that again."

"I missed you too, I've been so lonely around here. You were one of my only friends who understood what my life is like, you got me. But I'm different now. I grew up."

"So did I."

"Tell me a story," I cuddle up next to her and close my eyes.

She grabs my hand and interlocks our fingers before beginning her tale. I only make it halfway through before I fall asleep.