Author's Note: I wanted to dedicate this chapter to 
@GlitterandDust7000, thank you for making this fantastic trailer for me. I appreciate it. Thank you so much. Our first Mr. Perfect trailer!!!!!
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Faith (P.O.V.)

I have never been to a wedding as dramatic as Lisa Owens's. 

The reason why I'm saying this is because there was so much tension in the air.  

The bride and groom were happy and deeply in love, as were the groom's parents. 

But, the bride's side was something else. 

Just by the look on her parents' faces, it was evident that neither was happy about the occasion. 

I couldn't quite read Mrs. Owens's expression, though. 

One moment, she seemed happy for her daughter; the next, she seemed unhappy, and this only happened when her husband was next to her or looked towards her. 

The unhappiness on her face looked like it was forced on there.

Despite the hatred from the Owens, the wedding went on. 

Then, I noticed a change in Evan as he wasn't himself.

Things between him and his dad looked intense. 

He seemed worried throughout the whole wedding. 

His mind and attention were somewhere else. 

Something was bothering him. 

I knew and felt it, but he wouldn't open up to me. 

He has not talked to me since then. 

He doesn't answer my messages or calls or attend school. 

I wanted to go to his house, but it would be strange, so I avoided doing that. 

I wonder what's happening with him and why he is behaving so strangely.

"Why are you making that kind of face?" Grandma asked, walking into my room.

I sighed heavily, setting my phone down.

"I don't know," I said, feeling frustrated. "It feels like people just don't want me to be part of their life."

"What people?"  Grandma asked, sitting next to me.

"Evan has been avoiding me so much lately," I said. "He doesn't answer my calls, respond to my messages, or come to school."

"Did you two fight?"

"No, we didn't fight."

"Then why is he avoidin' you?"

"That's what I don't understand. I don't get why he is behaving so strangely."

Grandma sighed, shaking her head.

"Mary has also been acting strange," I said.

"How?" She asked.

"She's been doing the same thing. She doesn't answer my calls, reply to my messages, or attend school."

"Hmm...."

"It's so strange. Both of them seem like they are avoiding me."

Grandma looked around and then gestured for me to lean forward.

I looked at her confusedly, leaning in closer.

"They're hookin' up!" She whispered.

"What!?" I exclaimed.

"They. are. hookin'. up."

I sighed, crossing my arms over my chest.

"I kno' you would never admit to me if you and that boy are datin', but I ain't a fool," Grandma said. "I kno' somethin' is up between you two. I felt it the other day that he came over."

I looked away nervously.

"Anyways, my point is your friend maybe knows that you and the boy have somethin' goin' on, and his a** is too good-lookin' to be loyal." She said. "Both are probably hookin' up behind yo back. That's why both of them are avoidin' you. Trust me, I know these kinda people. They are hookin' up and don't have the guts to tell you this."

"Grandma, please be serious," I said. 

Grandma chuckled, shaking her head.

"It's not like that," I said. "Neither of them are like that. The reason for this avoidance has to be something else."

"And what would that be?" She asked. "Girl, trust me. They're hookin' up. Ain't no other reason for them avoidin' you at the same time."

"Grandma, we are done with this conversation."

"No, we still need to talk 'bout your friend and your boyf-"

I stood up, grabbing her arm.

"No, we are done talking," I said, rushing her out of the room.

"You're tensed." She said. "You need somebody to talk to at this moment."

"No, I'm okay. I will find a way out of this, so you're dismissed."

"Faith, I can help you."

"I'm fine. Now, good night."

"But, Faith..."

"Good night, Grandma."

She sighed heavily.

"Fine!" She exclaimed, raising her hands in surrender. "Fine, if you don't need my help. Good night.

"Good night," I said. 

She chuckled, heading downstairs.

~*~

"Have you talked to Mary lately?" I asked Max the following day.

"No, I haven't." He said. "I haven't seen her in a while."

This is so strange. 

"It's strange," I said, sitting on the bench. "This is so unlike her."

"Maybe she's just been busy." He said. 

"Mary is never too busy for school."

"True."

I sighed, pulling my phone out of my bag.

"Connor O'Brien is a beast," Max said.

"Why?" I asked, looking up from my phone.

"He walks around the school like he owns everything. It's a second version of Evan Owens. I think one Evan Owens was enough. Now, we have two. He also goes around bullying people and acts like he owns Clairemont."

"Who is he anyways?"

"I don't know. Some say his dad is a well-known pilot, and others say he is some actor."

"Interesting..."

As I looked around, my eyes landed on Mary.

She looked different.

Her legs seemed unsteady, and her face was faint.

She constantly looked around her and hurried into the girls' bathroom.

"I'm going to be back," I said, slinging my bag over my shoulder.

Max confusedly nodded his head.

I rushed into the girls' bathroom.

Right when I entered the bathroom, I heard her vomiting from one of the stalls.

"Mary, are you okay?" I asked, knocking on the door.

"Yeah...I...I'm fine..." She replied faintly. "I just got the flu..."

"Are you sure?"

"Look, I'm fine."

I sighed heavily, waiting for her to come out.

After what seemed like ten minutes, she came out of the stall.

Her face looked gray and mottled.

She looked like a mess. 

It looked like she hadn't combed her hair for days.

She washed her face with her shaking hands.

"Mary, do you need a nurse?" I asked. "You look like a m-"

"No!" She interrupted immediately.

I looked at her confusedly.

"I...I...I mean, it's...It's only the flu..." She said nervously. "That's all...I'm fine..."

"Are you sure?" I asked. 

She nervously nodded her head.

"Where have you been?" I asked. "You never answer my calls or my messages. And you haven't been to school in a while. You missed so much."

"I...I know..." She said. "I haven't been feeling really...I haven't been feeling good..."

"You had the flu this long?"

She nervously looked away.

I touched her shoulder.

She was sweating profusely. 

Her heartbeat was so loud that I could hear it.

"Mary, are you okay?" I asked.

"I...I'm fine..." She said, nervously adjusting her hair.

That's when I noticed her hand.

There are red marks on her hand. 

It looked like somebody had purposely left the marks there.

"Mary, what's wrong?" I asked, grabbing her hand.

Her eyes widened as it landed on her hand.

"How did this happen to your hand?" I asked again.

She looked away.

"Are you sure everything is fi-"

Before I could finish talking, she pulled her hand away.

"I'm...I'm...I'm fine..." She said. "I'm not feeling good...Bye..."

She rushed for her bag, and as she tried to sling it over her shoulder, everything fell out.

All her things fell on the floor.

I hurried to help her pick everything up.

"It's okay...I...I got it..." She said, picking everything up quickly.

"It's alright, Mary," I said. "I can he-"

I got silent when my eyes fell on something white.

It is a little white tube.

I picked up the tube.

The indicator line on the white tube is light but can be seen clearly.

I looked up at Mary, still holding up the tube.

She quickly snatched it from my hand, putting it in her bag.

I continued to look at her in shock.

She turned her back to me.

I slowly put my hand on her shoulder.

"Mary...Are...Are you...Are you p-pregnant?" I asked. 

She broke into tears, collapsing to the floor.

"I...I...I...I don't..." She cried. "I don't know how all this happened...I...don't know how this could have happened...and...and that too to me...Me...Mary...Can you believe it?... And I'm...I'm only a junior...M-m-my whole life...I was...I was always focused on school, getting good grades, graduating, and attending college. But...But now I'm pregnant...I'm pregnant..."

"Mary, it's okay," I said, kneeling. "It's okay...We...We all make mistakes."

"No, but this is the gravest mistake...How can I be so irresponsible?... I always wanted to be something meaningful in life...I never wanted to get pregnant..."

"I know...But, it's...It's not like you planned on it...It's alri-"

"No...No...this is not alright...Oh, my parents would be devastated...I-I-I-I keep thinking that if...If I don't think about it, all this could be a lie...It won't be true and my life...My life would go back to normal...But, it's not like that...I-I-I'm actually pregnant. Somebody is living in my stomach..."

She buried her face with her hand, continuing to sob.

"Have...Have you seen a doctor?" I asked.

"I couldn't!... I can't...That's not possible...I can't do that..."

"You have to," I said. "Mary, you can't hide this. You will start showing soon. You can't just sit back and deny what's true."

"I can't do that...I can't..."

I sighed heavily, putting my hand on her shoulder.

"Mary, don't hide this from your family," I said. "This is not even anything to hide. You will show soon, and you need them. When things get difficult, they will be there for you. As a friend, I will always support and be by your side, but I would advise you to let them know. Go to a doctor, confirm if this is true, and take responsibility for your actions. Please, let them know."

"Maybe...Maybe you're right..." Mary said, sniffling. "I...I should talk to them...Before...Before I take any other step...I need to let them know.."

"It may be difficult, but it's the right thing to do."

Mary nodded her head.

"Can I ask you something?" I asked.

She looked up at me.

"Who...Who's the daddy?" I said. 

Her eyes widened as soon as she heard the question.

"I...I think I...I should get going..." She said, standing up.

"Mary, who's the daddy?" I asked again, standing up.

"Just let it go! I don't want to talk about this anymore!"

"Why not?"

"Because he does not want the responsibility of this baby! He wants nothing to do with it! He doesn't want his reputation to get affected by all this!"

"And what about your reputation? Does he even care about yours?"

She turned away.

"And your hand," I said, holding her hand up. "Did he do this to you?"

"It's...It's not like that..." She said, pulling her hand away.

"Mary, why are you covering it for him if he hurt you?"

"It's not...It's not like that, so please stay out of it...This is my life...Nobody has a right to interfere...I will deal with my problems myself..."

"But, Mary, you need help. You are in this big mess, and that too alone. He's hurting you, and y-"

"He's...He's not hurting me... I-I-I'm okay..."

"Okay, fine. I will not interfere in your life if you don't want me to interfere, but you are not alone. I'm always here if you need help or somebody to talk to."

She smiled weakly, nodding her head.

~*~

I walked out of the bathroom after helping Mary, but I still couldn't believe what I saw and heard.

Mary was gone for so long because she was pregnant.

And the person who is responsible for this wants nothing to do with her and her child.

But I won't let her face that kind of humiliation.

I can't. I have to do something. She can't face all of this alone.

I have to find out who has done this to her. 

I need to find him and expose him.

Today, he has made Mary pregnant and walked out on her.

Who knows what other girl he will do this to?

Before he exploits somebody else, I must find out who he is.

Mary can't face this humiliation alone.

He is equally responsible for this.

He will have to face it with her.

There is no way that he will get to save his reputation while hers gets tainted.

I will not let this h-

Before I could finish my thoughts, I heard my flats squeak, and that's when I felt my feet flying out from under me.

My eyes widened as my back headed for the floor.

But two arms went around my waist just in time.

"YOU!" I exclaimed the moment I set my eyes on him.

It is Connor O'Brien.

How dare he touch me?

He smiled big.

I looked around me and noticed that everybody was looking at us.

"Let me go!" I snarled.

"I have no interest in holding you in my arms, but the floor is wet." He said. "See, if you were paying attention, you would have noticed the 'wet floor' sign over there."

"I said, let me go!"

"Fine!"

He let go of me, and that's when I fell on the floor.

"Ouch!" I exclaimed.

"I told you it was wet." He said.

I rolled my eyes, picking up my bag.

I tried to stand but was in the middle of a wet floor.

He extended his hand out for me.

"No, thank you," I said, feeling annoyed. "I do not need your help."

He gasped sarcastically.

"So much arrogance!" He said. "And that too to somebody just trying to help you!"

I turned away, crossing my arms over my chest.

He chuckled, kneeling.

"Show that kind of attitude to other people, not me." He said. "And if you have so much problem with me, then fall far away from me next time because I am very nice. I always help people in need. My humanity will not allow me to ignore people in trouble, so do yourself a favor and fall somewhere else next time. If you fall in front of me, then I will be tempted to catch you from fa-"

"There won't be a next time," Evan said from behind him. "And if there is such a thing, I'll ensure she falls in my arms, not yours."

Connor looked behind him. 

Evan smiled with his hands in his pocket.

Connor stood up, doing the same thing.

"Evan Owens!" He exclaimed. "It's good to see you, buddy! It's been a while!"

Evan scoffed, shaking his head.

He walked to me and extended his hand for me.

I looked at him angrily, ignoring his hand.

"I guess she doesn't need your help as well," Connor said.

"Why is that any of your business?" Evan asked. "I'm curious as to why you care if Faith falls or if she doesn't need my help."

"Oh, it's none of my business, alright, but I'm a very nice person. I can't see people in a problem. Something from within screams at me and forces me to rush to people for help. It's just the way I am. I saw she had a problem, so I came to help her."

"You saw her in a problem, or are you the one who caused the problem?"

"Pardon me?"

Evan rolled his eyes in annoyance.

"Are you trying to say I set this water up for your lady love?" Connor asked.

"I don't know," Evan said bitterly. "You tell me."

Connor chuckled.

"Now, why would I do a cheap thing like that?" He said. 

"You've been doing many cheap things lately," Evan said. "And I'm aware of all of them. I'm silent, but that doesn't mean I will not retaliate to any of your actions because I will respond to every attack that you cause. I need one piece of evidence against you, and the day I lay my hands on that evidence, then that day will be your last, Mr...Connor...O' whatever."

"Believe what you want, Owens, but I have nothing to say about your accusations. If you believe that I did something to you, then go ahead and do everything in your power and will to punish me for it. I will wait for the day you retaliate. I wish you very good luck."

Evan smirked, shaking his head.

"And I advise you to be more cautious next time." He said, looking at me. "I hope you don't end up in my arms once a-"

"You don't worry about that." Evan interrupted. "Whether she falls or not, don't worry about that. Just count your days."

Connor smiled, walking away.

Evan rolled his eyes, running his hand through his hair.

He noticed me still on the floor and extended his hand for me.

I smacked his hand, standing up on my own.

"Ow!" He said, pulling his hand back.

I looked at him angrily.

"So much for trying to be nice." He muttered.

I slung my bag over my shoulder and started to walk.

"Faith, come on!" He exclaimed. "Why you gotta be like that?"

"Be like what?" I asked bitterly.

"Rude and uncaring."

I stopped, crossing my arms over my chest. 

"Oh, so I'm rude and uncaring?" I said. "Then what are you?"

"What do you mean by 'what are you'?" He asked. 

"You haven't been answering my calls or messages or showing up to school, and you call me rude and uncaring!?"

He sighed heavily, rolling his eyes.

"You have no right to roll your eyes at me!" I snarled. "If anybody should be rolling eyes, then it should be me! I should be the one who's annoyed by you!"

"I was going to call you." He said. 

"Oh really!? And when was that going to be!?"

"I...I...I know I have been distracted lately...But I didn't forget you."

"Right!"

I clenched my teeth in anger, starting to walk away.

"You haven't been fair, too." He said.

I ignored him, continuing to walk faster.

He grabbed my wrist, stopping me.

"I agree I have been MIA, but that doesn't mean you're supposed to fall into somebody else's arms." He said. 

"Seriously!?" I said, turning around to face him.

He smiled weakly, scratching his chin.

"Don't you dare talk to me until you have a reason for avoiding me so much!" I retorted.

People around us started to stare.

"Listen, calm down," Evan said. "Don't attract attention."

"Why!?" I asked. "Are you only allowed to do that!?"

Evan rolled his eyes, grabbing me by the hand.

"Let me go!" I exclaimed.

He ignored me, pulling my hand until we reached our usual spot: the academic building.

"Why did you bring me here!?" I asked angrily. "I told you already that I don't want to t-"

"Are you done?" He interrupted.

I looked away.

"Can I talk now?" He asked. "I know you are upset because I didn't answer your calls or messages, but I have been very stressed lately."

Evan sat down on the steps.

"Dave Owens has been on my case lately." He said. "He...He found out about the internship at the Art Institute, and he..."

"What did he do?" I asked, sitting down next to him.

"He paid the institute and got me rejected."

"What!?"

"He wanted me to stop Mr. Wyatt from fighting the case against Jacqueline Wagner. He gave me a whole week to decide whether I want my internship back or stop Mr. Wyatt."

"Is that why you have been so stressed?"

Evan nodded his head.

"So what did you do?" I asked.

"Faith, things have been so hard for the Wyatt family." He said. "They've gone through so much. Ray just recently became normal. He even regrets everything that he has said and done to me. My best friend is finally back to normal. He is the same Ray once again. After seeing Ray's change and Mr. Wyatt's desperation for justice, I couldn't get myself to stop him. I don't know why. I'm Evan Owens. I'm supposed to be selfish and think about myself. I don't understand why I couldn't stop him from fighting the case. Instead of stopping him, I agreed to lose the internship for good. Now, that Connor kid, he took my spot. I have lost the internship that I have worked so hard for."

I leaned in closer and brushed my lips against his cheek.

He looked over at me.

"I am so proud of you." I said, putting my hand on his cheek."I know and understand that you have worked very hard for this internship. Believe me, I know. But what you have done is far greater than that. You gave your dream up for Ray and his family. This shows how much they mean to you. And trust me, you will find an internship that is better than this. Anyways, who wants to work with people who are influenced by money? Forget them, you will find a more worthy institute."

Evan nodded his head.

"Why were you so stressed today?" He asked.

I sighed, removing my hand from his cheek.

"I...I wasn't stressed." I said.

"Then how did you slip on the water?" He asked. 

"I...I..."

"What is it?"

"My friend...My friend Mary...She's...She's p..."

Evan looked at me in confusion. 

"She's what?" He asked. 

"I don't know," I said, standing up. "I don't know how to say this."

"What's wrong with your friend?"

"She has also not been answering my calls or messages or attending school...Today, she...she showed up to school and I...I found out that...She has been gone...She's been gone because...She's pregnant..."

I turned around to face Evan.

He has the most serious facial expression.

"What!?" I exclaimed.

He chuckled, shaking his head.

"You see, I'm waiting for the part you say it's a joke." He said.

"Evan, I'm n-"

"That was a good one though. Your geek friend being pregnant and all. Who even notices her? That was...That was really go-"

"Evan, stop!"

"Stop what?"

"Being an insensitive jerk!" 

He rolled his eyes in annoyance.

"I'm not joking," I said. "She's really pregnant. Saying all of that in front of you was hard, but I still did so that together we could help her. You're not taking me seriously, though. You're joking about her pregnancy. She's pregnant and lost. She's all alone. And...And...And on top of all that...He...I...I think he's hurting her."

"What do you mean?" He asked. 

"She had these strange marks on her hand. When I asked her about it, she started to freak out. It was almost as if she was hiding something."

"And who is the person responsible for this?"

"She hasn't told me. She said he wants nothing to do with the child because he doesn't want his reputation ruined."

Evan sighed heavily.

"How the hell did a geek like her even get in somebody's bed?" Evan asked. "And even if she did, she's supposed to be a geek. Isn't she wise enough to know that protection is necessary?"

"Evan!" I exclaimed, smacking his arm.

"I'm just curious."

"Poor Mary. He probably influenced her."

I sighed heavily.

"Isn't that her?" Evan asked, pointing behind me.

I turned around and saw Mary walking with Mason Wilhem.

Both of them cautiously looked around to see if people were watching them.

Then, they turned to a corner where nobody was around.

"Mary and Mason?" I said confusedly. "Mary doesn't even like Mason Wilhem. Why would she be alone with him?"

"Who knows until we see," Evan said, walking in their direction.

I walked behind him, too.

When we reached the corner where they both were, we stood close by to listen to what they were doing or saying.

"Faith has found out everything," Mary said, sniffling. "She has been asking many questions, and I just don't know what to tell her."

Evan and I exchanged looks.

"Her job is to interfere in people's business," Mason said. "She never gets peace unless she interferes in people's lives. You are not answerable to her. You have to ignore her. If you want things to be normal for you and your life not to get ruined, you must hide everything from her. You can't tell her anything about us or this child."

"But how?" Mary said. "The way she was looking at me. It seems like she will not stop until she exposes t-"

"You're right." I interrupted, startling both of them. "I will not stop until I expose the father of this child."

"Now, we know that's you, Wilhem," Evan said.

"Ev...You...Here..."

Evan rolled his eyes in annoyance. 

"And what was it about Faith that you were saying?" Evan asked.

"Ev...No...I..I didn't mean it like t-"

Before Mason could finish, Evan punched him in the face. 

Mason winced in pain as his nose started to bleed.

His eyes even started to water.

Mary gasped.

"Son of a b***ch!" Evan growled. "I knew you were dumb, but I had no idea you were such a big coward! If you had the guts to get in bed with her, then why are you not man enough to accept the consequences of your action!?"

"Ev, listen to me..." Mason said. "It's not like t-"

Evan once again punched Mason, making his mouth bleed this time.

"Faith, stop him," Mary said.

I shook my head at Mary. 

"No, Mary," I said. "He slept with you, walked out on you, hurt you, and you trying to save him. He deserves it."

"BUT IT'S NOT HIM!" She yelled, stopping Evan in his tracks.

"What!?"

"It's not him! It's not Mason! Mason...He's...He's just helping me...He's not the father of my child."

"Are you trying to save him?"

"No, I'm not...I'm not saving him...He's just helping me...That's all..."

Evan unclenched his fist, setting it down.

"DID YOU HEAR!?" Mason yelled with a cracked voice. "It's not me! How can you even think that it is me, Ev!?"

Mason started to cry for some weird reason.

"You are such a horrible friend!" He said. "Don't you even know me enough to understand that I can't do that!? I kept trying to tell you, but you continued to punch me again and again! Didn't even give me a chance to talk! You even broke my nose and mouth! Everything is bleeding and hurts so much!"

Evan sighed, looking away.

"Mason, we're sorry," I said. "We didn't mean to hurt you. From the way you were talking, it seemed like you were the father of the b-"

"But I'm not!" Mason interrupted, getting more and more emotional. "I'm not the father. He...He...He almost broke my bones...I tried so hard to say that I didn't do anything...But, he wouldn't listen...He kept attacking me..."

"Evan, please just apologize to him."

Evan raised his eyebrows.

"Apologize to him," I said through clenched teeth.

He sighed heavily. 

Mason sniffled.

"I'm...I'm sorry Wilhem," Evan said. "I didn't know."

"It's not like your apology will change what you just did," Mason said

Evan looked at him angrily.

"I'm still in pai-"

He stopped talking as soon as he noticed Evan's threatening look.

"But, it's okay..." He said, smiling at Evan. "It's okay, Ev...I will forgive you...I will forgive you and forget what you just did...You apologized...That's what matters."

Evan rolled his eyes, shoving his hands in his pocket.

"If it's not Mason, then who is it?" I asked.

"I need to get home..." Mary said. "I'm not feeling good..."

"I'll take you," Mason said quickly.

She nodded her head, and both of them left.

Evan and I exchanged looks.

"I don't understand what this damn Wilhem is doing in between all this," Evan said.

~*~

I couldn't stay on task at work.

Mary couldn't leave my mind.

I felt so bad for her.

I knew I had to do something to help her, but how do you help a person hiding everything purposely?

I sighed heavily, heading to the cash register.

"Faith, is everything alright?"Joey asked, approaching me.

"Yeah, I'm fine," I said. "Why?"

"You seemed stressed the past couple of days. Are you sure you can handle being a cashier today?"

"Joey, I know I have been stressed lately, but I can do it."

"Alright then. If you think you can, then best of luck."

"Thank you."

He patted my back, going back to what he was doing.

I went to the cash register and started to scan the food for the customer in line.

After that customer was done, I noticed Mary in the same line. And that too with Mason Wilhem.

"Mary? Mason?" I asked confusedly.

"Hey, Faith," Mary said.

"Hi, what are you doing here?"

"The question is, what are you doing here, Faith?" Mason asked.

I showed him my name tag.

"You know, there is a reason why I'm wearing this uniform and standing behind the cash register," I said.

"Oh, I didn't know..." He said.

Mary glanced at Mason, shaking her head.

I started to scan the food.

"How are you?" I asked. "And how's your junior doing in there?"

"We're good." She said.

"Take care of yourself, and remember to let me know whenever you need something. I'm always here for you. No matter what."

She nodded her head, making the payment.

"Thank you, Faith." She said. "I'll see you tomorrow."

I smiled, waving at her.

She and Mason took their grocery and left.

I honestly wonder why Mason is supporting Mary so much.

It's strange.

And how does he know about her pregnancy?

It seems like he knew it way before me.

Why would Mason be the first person that she told her pregnancy to?

Even before her own family and friends.

Unless Mason knows something important about Mary's pregnancy.

~*~

"Mrs. Kummerer, do you have any textbooks on Psychology?" I asked the bookstore lady the next day at school.

"We have Exploring Psychology and Psychology Principles in Practice." She answered.

"Can I have the Principles in Practice, please?"

"Yes, let me check it out in your name immediately."

I nodded, waiting for her to scan my I.D. and the book's bar code.

After she finished doing everything, she handed it to me.

"Thank you, Mrs. Kummerer," I said. 

"Anytime." She said. 

I took the book and headed for my locker.

"Since when have you been interested in psychology?" Evan asked, walking next to me.

"It's my new hobby," I said, putting the book in my bag.

"Why?"

"I'm very interested in the study of mind—especially this mind of yours. I want to know how you're arrogant one moment and sweet the second."

"Oh really?"

"Yes, really."

"Are you that fascinated by me?"

"Yes, very."

Evan sighed heavily, rolling his eyes.

"By the way, I wanted to thank you." He said, stopping.

"For what?" I said. 

"You know how I always say you're my lucky charm?"

I nodded my head at him. 

"Well, whatever you said yesterday was true." He said. "You told me that I would find a better institute. Last night, I got a call from Pratt Institute. My sketches were forwarded to two different institutes, and Pratt Institute was one of them. So they will give my sketches a chance."

"See, I told you," I said, putting my elbow on his shoulder. "Everything that I think and say is always right."

Evan looked down at my elbow on his shoulder.

I looked down at my elbow, too.

He removed my elbow, pulling me closer.

"Faith Davis, don't force me to show you the faults in your thoughts." He said, pressing his lips against mine.

My fingers latched onto his neck as I followed his pace.

Things are always different whenever we kiss. 

My feelings for him heighten. 

They get stronger, and everything feels amazing.

I just want to live in the moment as I grazed my lips over his.

Whenever I kiss him, it gives me shivers down my spine.

There is the feeling of a spark all over my body. 

My whole body felt on fire as his fingers dug into my waist, pulling me closer.

The butterflies in my stomach never seem to leave. 

Even though this is our third kiss, it's always there. 

They rush back whenever he comes close to me or our lips meet. 

I try my best to fight them, but it's futile. I can never fight it.

I almost took a step back, but still keeping one hand on my waist, he used the other to remove my right hand from his neck and put it on his shoulder.

When the kiss started to move at a really fast pace, he ran the tip of his tongue over my lower lip a few times.

I opened my mouth a bit more, letting him take the reign.

"FAITH!" Somebody yelled, startling us.

We both pulled away to see who it was.

Max anxiously ran towards us.

We exchanged looks and then looked at him confusedly.

"Do...Do you know what happened?" He asked breathlessly when he reached us.

"What happened?" I asked.

"You don't know yet?"

"No, I don't. What is it?"

"Are you sure you don't know?"

"No, I don't know."

"I can't believe that you seriously don't k-"

"Just f***ing say it already!" Evan interrupted. "We don't need no damn suspense."

He looked at Evan strangely for a while.

Evan raised his eyebrows at him.

"Max, what happened?" I asked.

"Somebody played a video of you and Mary in the girls' bathroom in the cafeteria," Max said. "From the video, everybody found out that Mary is pregnant."

"What!?"

"Yes, I don't know who did it, but somebody did. The video went viral...It's everywhere."

"What about Mary?"

"Some boys in the cafeteria are harassing her. They are mocking her pregnancy and calling her all these bad things."

I looked at Evan.

"She needs help," Max said. "You need to help her."

I nodded my head, and all of us headed for the cafeteria.

When we finally reached the cafeteria, we saw four boys surrounding Mary.

They were calling her a bitch, hoe, whore, and all these other things.

She stood in the middle, trying to find a way out.

She looked mortified.

"What the hell is going on here!?" Evan asked angrily, startling them.

All of them looked up.

Everybody in the cafeteria was prepared for the drama they were about to witness.

Evan approached them and grabbed one by the neck and the other by the collar.

The other two that were left took a couple of steps back.

"If you can't use your mouth for anything positive, why bother opening it!?" He said.

I walked to Mary and put my hands around her shoulder.

"And I'm sure none of you want to mess with me now." Evan continued.

They nodded their head.

"I should not see you anywhere near this girl again!" Evan said. "Am I making myself clear!?"

They nodded their head again.

"I SAID, AM I MAKING MYSELF F***ING CLEAR!?"

"Yes!" They all yelled at the same time.

"It's not like they did or said anything wrong." Connor O'Brien said, joining Evan and the boys.

Evan immediately rolled his eyes, putting his hands in his pocket.

"They just stated their opinion," Connor said, crossing his arms over his chest. "They said what they felt about this pregnant girl."

Connor gave Mary a cold look.

"I mean, if you ask me, she is the reason for her condition." He said. "Why did she have sex and get pregnant? Doesn't she know about protection?"

"Why is that any of your business?" Evan asked. "Why do you care about her sex life? It's her life. She can do whatever she wants."

"You're right, but she's the one who recorded her pregnancy and presented it in front of everybody."

Mary sobbed, shaking her head.

"Or should I say that your lady love has presented her pregnancy to everybody?" He continued. "She is the only person with the pregnant girl in the video."

"Stop your bulls**t!" Evan snarled. "Whether she is pregnant or not, nobody has the right to call her names and insult her like that."

"Why not!? A junior who's pregnant, and the father is unknown! What do you expect people to do? Reward her for it?"

"How do you know that the father is unknown?"

"Who wouldn't know? It's so obvious. I mean, who would ever be interested in a geek like her? Whoever slept with her left her. Nobody is stupid enough to be associated with somebody like her."

"That is none of your business, so stay out of it!" I said.

He chuckled lightly. 

"This concerns all of us." He said, turning around to face Mary and me. "The father can be anybody. It can be him, or him, or him, or that guy over there wearing the red shirt, it can also be one of the guys teasing her, your friend with the glasses, or even our very own Evan Owens."

My eyes widened at the last part.

"Am I right, Mr. Owens?" He asked. "From the way that you're concerned about her, it sure seems like you are the father of this c-"

"Stop your crap!" I interrupted. "And don't you dare blame my Evan of doing that!"

He chuckled, shaking his head.

"Who knows?" I said. "Maybe you are the father of this child."

He got serious real quick, looking at me angrily.

"Maybe that's why you're going around blaming other people." I continued.

"Shut the f**k up!" He yelled. "How dare you talk to Connor O B-"

"And how dare you talk to Faith like that!?" Evan interrupted.

"I'll talk to whoever I want, however  I want!"

"Talk to whoever you want however you want, I don't care. That does not concern me, but you can't talk to Faith like that. Especially in front of me."

Connor scoffed, shaking his head. 

"And what if I do?" He asked, shoving Evan in the chest.

Mary and I gasped.

"What will you do? Huh?" He said, continuing to shove him. "What will you d-"

Evan grabbed his collar before he could shove him again.

"I'm calm, so don't f***ing provoke me!" Evan growled.

"Oh really!?" Connor said. "What will you do!? What can you even do!?"

"What is going on here!?" Principal Dean yelled, approaching the boys. "Both of you, stay away from each other now!"

Evan and Connor still held one another's collar, looking at each other angrily.

"I SAID, STAY AWAY FROM EACH OTHER!" Principal Dean yelled.

Both of them angrily let each other go.

"I HAVE HAD ENOUGH OF YOU PEOPLE!" Principal Dean yelled. "WHAT IS ALL THIS!? INAPPROPRIATE VIDEOS GOING VIRAL! PEOPLE FIGHTING EACH OTHER! YOU PEOPLE HAVE RUINED THE REPUTATION OF THIS SCHOOL ONCE AGAIN! I WILL NOT HAVE THIS DRAMA IN MY SCHOOL ANY LONGER! I WILL NOT! I WON'T HAVE PEOPLE POSTING VIDEOS ONLINE AND HUMILIATING MY SCHOOL! I WILL EXPEL ALL OF YOU IF THIS NUISANCE DOES NOT STOP THIS INSTANCE! I'M WARNING YOU ALL! I WILL EXPEL EVERY ONE OF YOU!"

Principal Dean gave us all a cold look and stormed off. 

Connor gave Evan a threatening look and walked out of the cafeteria.

~*~

"I don't know how I could have let this happen." Mary cried as we sat on the steps of the academic building during lunch. "How can I be stupid enough to sleep with somebody and get pregnant? I don't know how I could commit such a big mistake. I'm just a junior in high school. I'm still a child. How will I raise one!? There's no way that I can do all this alone. Now, everybody is talking about me. They all see me as this disgusting person. All of them hate me. Every one of them. And why not? Who expected geek Mary to get pregnant?"

I sighed, putting my arms around her shoulder.

"Mary, we all make mistakes," I said. "But that doesn't mean that you will spoil your whole life with that one mistake. You have to learn from that mistake and move on in life. You can't punish yourself for that one mistake. You must find a way to fix that mistake and ensure it does not happen again. Be strong, and don't give up. No matter what happens, keep your head held high and fight against all the odds."

She cried, looking down.

"Mary so much has happened to you," I said, getting tearful. "Why...Why didn't you tell me? Why didn't you ask for my help? We're friends, right? You could have shared it once instead of avoiding me for so long."'

"Because you always make the right decisions in life." She said. "You're very strong and bold. You went against Evan Owens and fought with him day after day. He humiliated you in front of the whole school, but you still stayed strong. I'm not like that. I can never be like that. I'm not strong like you. I didn't have the guts to tell you that I was pregnant."

"Mary, you're also very strong, and I would never have judged you. We're friends. Please don't hesitate next time. Tell me however you feel and whatever you want to say. And stay strong because I will always be by your side, okay?"

She sniffled, nodding her head.

"Which one of you is Mary Stephenson?" One of the securities asked. 

"Me," Mary said.

"Principal Dean wants to see you in her office. You have to come with me."

Mary nervously stood up, looked at me one last time, and walked away with the security.

After Mary left, I couldn't get everything from this morning out of my head.

The viral video, the harassment in the cafeteria, Connor's insult, the fight, and Principal Dean.

I was startled when Evan's shoulder touched mine.

"Evan, I still can't believe Connor," I said. "He...He humiliated her so much in front of everybody."

"He also humiliated you," Evan said. "What the hell is wrong with you!? Why did you have to get in the middle of all that drama?"

"Evan, she's my friend...She's so scared...She's so alone at this moment...If not me, then who will support her?"

He sighed heavily.

"I know you don't like me interfering in other people's problems, but I couldn't just leave her alone," I said. "You didn't have to come in between, though. I could have handled it myself. You did not need to come in between when he talked to me."

"He wasn't talking to you," Evan said. "He was yelling at you."

"Who cares? It's not like anything he was saying is important. You didn't have to react to that."

"Why not? You did your part and stood by your friend, right?"

I nodded my head.

"Then I also did my part and stood by my girlfriend." He said.

I sighed heavily, smiling.

He slowly put his hand in mine.

I looked down at our hands.

He looked at our hands and then back at me.

I raised my eyebrows.

"What?" He asked. "Now, I can't hold your hand?"

"No, no, it's fine," I said. "I'm just surprised you already want everybody to know about this."

"You already did that by yelling 'my Evan' at the top of your lungs in the cafeteria."

"I was...I was...I was just...I was trying to save you from Connor's scheme...T-T-That's all."

"Really?"

"Of...Of course..."

He leaned forward and put his head on my shoulder, startling me.

"Leaning against shoulders is alright too, right?" He said.

I smiled, nodding my head.

"I wonder why Principal Dean called Mary to her office," I said.

"Dean can't even do sh*t if she wants," Evan said. "That is why her school's environment is so poor. She's the worst principal. Actually, she's not even worthy of being a principal. I wonder who gave her this job and why. I don't see her doing sh*t. She has no control over what goes on and what doesn't. She acts like this responsible and alerted principal, but let's be realistic. Dean is not a responsible principal. We all know that she is horrible, and she sucks."

"But, still, what if she s-"

"Suspends me." Someone interrupted.

Evan and I looked up to find Mary and Mason Wilhem with sad facial expressions.

I removed my hand from Evan's and stood up.

"Mary, what's wrong?" I asked. "Is everything alright?"

"Nothing is alright." She said, getting tearful.

"What do you mean?"

"It would have been alright if...If Principal Dean at least suspended Mary, but she didn't." Mason said. "She expelled Mary from Clairemont."

"What!?" I exclaimed.

Mary started to cry.

"Expelled?" Evan said. "That's bullshit. On what basis did Dean expel her?"

"I think we should go talk to her," Mason said.

~*~

"I do not appreciate people walking into my office like this." Principal Dean said. "I don't appreciate you people coming in here and asking me these silly que-"

"What silly questions?" Evan interrupted. "Does it look like this is some kind of joke?"

"I'm the principal. Mr.Owens. I am not liable to answer any of your questions."

Evan rolled his eyes.

"So, please leave." She said.

"No," Evan said. "We will not leave. None of us will leave until you tell us on what basis you have expelled Mary Stephenson. And if you don't tell us anything, then you can give your answers to Dave Owens."

"Mr. Owens. I did not make this decision on my own. I took it after talking to the board of directors. Your father, Dave Owens, was also part of this meeting when I announced this decision, so he knows everything."

Evan sighed heavily, looking very annoyed.

"A pregnant girl will not stay in this school." She continued. "We have never had a pregnant girl attending our school before. Ms. Stephenson will affect all of my other students."

"But, Principal Dean, how can you all make a decision like that?" I asked. "This is somebody's life that's getting ruined. Mary has done nothing to get expelled. Your one decision will destroy her future. All her dreams and education will get ruined. You guys can't take it all from her. And mistakes happen with everybody."

"So, what are you trying to say, Ms. Davis? Getting pregnant is not as small as arguing with a teacher. It is a big mistake."

"Principal Dean, this mistake could have been committed by anybody. I...I...I know that in these matters, people should be more careful b-"

"Careful! Ms. Davis, are you telling me that you support people sleeping around while they are still in school? Are you defending sex in front of me?"

"Principal Dean, I'm not defending anything. And even if people sleep around while in school, that's their own decision. It's none of our business. Sex is an individual's own choice. It is up to that person to decide if that is what they want to do."

"No, it is wrong! Look at the way you're defending it. You have already been affected by it. Today, you got affected by it, and the whole school will be affected tomorrow. I cannot have a school full of pregnant girls."

"Anybody has the right to decide if they want to have a physical relationship while they are in school or at a later time in their life. Who are we to interfere in that? Who are we to decide that for them? Her only mistake is getting pregnant, and everybody knows it today. Many other students do it all the time. The difference is that they were more cautious. That's it. Why should she only be expelled when many others do it too?"

"I can't believe you, Ms. Davis! How can you even defend sex in front of me like that!? Do I need to call your father for this? Huh!? Do I need to call h-"

"There's no need to call anybody." Evan interrupted. "And she's right. You people have no right to interfere in somebody's sex life. There is no law against that. Anybody has a right to decide if they want to be in a physical relationship or not. You cannot expel her for this. I will make sure that this expulsion is overturned."

Evan pulled his phone out of his pocket and dialed a number.

We all looked at him anxiously.

He clenched his teeth when his call didn't get answered.

"Why the hell is it unreachable!?" He mutterted angrily.

Mary looked at him sadly.

"Don't worry." He assured her. "I will take care of this."

She nodded her head.

I put my arms around her shoulder.

I mouthed the words 'thank you' to Evan.

He nodded his head, blinking his eyes at me.

~*~

English class was very awkward.

Everybody couldn't keep their eyes off Mary.

There's so much tension.

All of them keep whispering things and giving her all these judgmental looks.

"Mary, everything will get easier with time," I said. "Plus, the people in this school always want something to gossip about. If there is news about somebody else, they will forget about you and start gossiping, so don't worry."

"I wish it was that simple." She said. "If they can judge me so much, imagine my family when I tell them everything."

"You will make it past this and not get expelled. Evan will fix everything. I know he will."

She sighed heavily.

"For the first time today, I have understood why you like Evan Owens." She said. "I never imagined that Evan Owens would ever help me like that. The way he fought with those boys and Principal Dean. It meant a lot."

I smiled, nodding my head.

"Nowadays, even innocent nerds are pregnant!" Liliana exclaimed, getting everybody's attention. "She even beat us. I thought we were supposed to be la perras!"

Everybody started to laugh, beginning to talk about Mary again.

"This is a classroom, Ms. Martinez." Mr. Wong said. "And that, too, an English class. I would appreciate it if we only discuss English-related topics in the English language."

"Chill, Mr. Wong," Liliana said. "I'm only joking a-"

"No, I don't want to chill. I want you to stop talking about irrelevant things in my class."

Liliana rolled her eyes in annoyance.

My phone vibrated, startling me.

FROM: Evan Owens

TO: Faith Davis

I know how to fix this expulsion, but I need your friend to come home with me after school.

I tapped on Mary's shoulder to show her the message.

She looked at me confusedly.

"Why his house?" She asked.

"I don't know," I said. "I guess we have to go to find out."

~*~

After school, when we got to Evan's house, his parents were sitting in the living room.

They looked like they were working on something significant.

Both of them looked up as soon we walked into the house.

"Oh, Evan!" Mr. Owens exclaimed. "Welcome home!"

Evan cleared his throat, shoving his hands in his pockets.

"FRANCES!" Mr. Owens yelled at the top of his lungs. "FRANCES, GET HERE NOW!"

Mason, Mary, and I exchanged looks.

Frances came after a while.

"Please bring water, juice, fruits, and snacks for your Mr. Owens and his friends." Mr. Owens said. "Bring all the refreshments now!"

"Okay, Master Ow-"

"There's no need." Evan interrupted. "We don't need any refreshments."

"Oh really?" Mr. Owens said. "I thought you would be tired after everything you have achieved today. You've done so much today that you deserve a drink and refreshments. I mean, only you can work hard like that."

Evan rolled his eyes.

"DIANNE!" He yelled.

"Dave, I'm right here." Mrs. Owens said. 

"Today, I have found out that my son...No, I mean, our son, has gone against the whole school and supported a pregnant girl!"

Mary looked down in embarrassment.

"How much more damage does this boy want to do to our reputation!?" Mr. Owens said. "He literary supported a pregnant girl! Now, do you believe me when I say that this kid...This disastrous kid wants nothing but our destruction! Do you believe me when I say this kid is our enemy? Our greatest enemy! He will not stop until he feeds our reputation to the dogs! How do you think I felt when I got a call from the board of directors and was told that my son...Dave Owens's son supports the pregnant girl who has started a new trend for everybody in a well-known school like Clairemont!"

Evan sighed heavily.

"Evan wants to destroy me!" Evan said. "Evan has fed my reputation to the dogs! Evan is my biggest enemy! Evan has ruined my life! My deals! Partnerships! These are things that I am used to hearing all the time. And right now, I am sick and tired of hearing all these things every single day of my life. I'm not here to waste time because time is precious to me. I'm here to make a deal with you."

"I don't want to make any deal with you." Mr.Owens said. "I love my life too much to ever get in a deal with you. I don't trust a traitor like you. There is no way that I would cause my ruin and get in a deal with you. You backstabbing, evil, vile, vi-"

"Are you done?"

Mr. Owens looked at Evan very angrily.

"Anyways, let's not stretch this," Evan said. "I want you to overturn Mary Stephenson's expulsion."

"Pardon me?" Mr.Owens asked.

"I said I want you to overturn the expulsion that took place today."

Mr. Owens started to laugh, shaking his head.

"Dianne!" He exclaimed.

"Yes, Dave." She said.

"Did you hear that?"

Evan's mom hesitantly nodded her head.

"Can you believe it!?" Mr. Owens said. "He actually thinks that I will overturn the expulsion! Is he being serious!? I mean, is this even my child? My son! My blood! The son of Dave Owens! Can y-"

"Cut your crap!" Evan interrupted. "And I know you will overturn the expulsion."

"And why the hell would I do that!?"

"I guess you haven't been watching the news lately."

Mr. Owens's face got really serious.

"I thought you always watch the morning news." Evan continued. "Have you been skipping out on it lately?"

"W-W-What...What does the morning news have to do with all this?" Mr.Owens asked.

Mr. Owens looks very nervous now. 

"I don't know..." Evan said, walking around. "There was something about famous lawyer Jeff Wyatt finally stepping into the business world...Many investors...New partnerships...New deals...Big opportunities...It's a new but strong empire already...Something like that..."

Mr.Owens looked at Evan with his mouth a gap.

"D-D-D-D-D-Di-Di-D-Dianne..." He said very sadly.

"Yes, Dave." She said.

"He wants to say, 'Did you hear that?'" Evan said. "You know, like he always does."

Mr. Owens looked horrified by the sudden news.

"Now, if you truly want me to step in and do something about this new business started by Mr. Wyatt, then you have to do as I say," Evan said, sitting down. "You know, I know, we both know that if somebody can stop this, it's only me because I've provoked him to start this business."

"My...My...My life has...I...I...I don't want to live anymore..." Mr. Owens said sadly. "I just want to die...There's...There's nothing to live for...Dianne...This boy...This bastard...He...He is not my blood...If he were my son, he would never do this to me...He wouldn't be the reason for my desire to die..."

Mason, Mary, and I exchanged looks.

"Why are we going to waste our time with the suicide drama when we know that it fails every time?" Evan asked. "Every time you attempt to commit suicide, it fails. So what's the use of doing the suicide drama all the time? It's not like it's going to happen. When you put the rope around your neck, there will be a new deal, investor, or partnership. You will find a new reason to live, so there's no use in wasting our precious time with your suicide drama."

Mr. Owens looked at him desperately.

"Dave, I-I-I-I think you should do what Evan wants." Mrs. Owens said.

He gave her a threatening look.

"I-I mean, if you want to stay on top in the business world." She said. "Then you have to seek his help."

"Listen to your wife for once," Evan said. "I can help you. I will stop Mr. Wyatt if you overturn this expulsion."

"Why would you do that?" Mr. Owens asked. "You rejected your internship but did not stop Jeff, so why would you do that now? Why would you suddenly stop him for a pregnant girl?"

"That's none of your business. At the moment, I am offering you a deal. Accept this deal or cause your ruin."

Mr. Owens got silent, looking around the room.

Evan tapped his foot, waiting for Mr. Owens's response.

After a while, Mr. Owens cleared his throat.

"I...I....I will overturn the expulsion..." He said, looking straight at Evan. "But, you also have to do your part of the deal. You will have to stop Jeff Wyatt. I give you four days to stop him before his business expands."

Evan stood up, putting his hands in his pocket.

"You got yourself a deal." He said. "You talk to the board of directors, and I will stop Mr.Wyatt."

"But, Evan," Mr. Owens said very seriously. "If...If you even backstab me or turn out to be a traitor, then I promise you that I will forget you're my son."

My eyes widened when I heard that.

"If you even think about cheating me, then I will kick you out of my house that day." He continued.

"Dave..." Evan's mom said. 

"No, Dianne! Evan has played enough games. I have had enough of his damn games. He will cease to exist if he plays that game with me this time. I will ensure that our relationship is finished for good that day."

Evan scoffed, shaking his head.

Mr. Owens looked at his son seriously.

His face looked angry and helpless at the same time.

He stared at Evan as if unable to decide whether to trust him.

"I know I'm really good-looking, but if you're done admiring me, make the call," Evan said.

Mr. Owens rolled his eyes, pulling his phone out of his pocket.

He dialed a number and went to aside.

After five minutes of yelling and arguing, he came back to where the rest of us were.

"The expulsion is overturned." He said in a bored tone. "Now, it's your turn."

Evan scratched his chin, looking annoyed.

Mary finally smiled after a while.

"Thank you so much, Mr. Owens!" She exclaimed, approaching him. "I can never forget what you have done for me today. I will forever stay indebted to you."

"Who the hell are you, and why are you still in my house!?" He yelled, startling Mary. "Wait...Wait a minute...Are you the pregnant girl?"

Mary looked down nervously.

"You really are, huh?" He said. "You're the pregnant girl. What the hell, Evan!? How did this filthy girl step foot in my house!? My pure house...All of it...It's all filthy now...These poor, ordinary people...And not just that, but this damn filthy pregnant girl has dared to step into my house! My house! Dave Owens's house!"

"We're sorry, Mr. Owens," I said, standing beside Mary. "We just came here to help our friend. You overturned her expulsion, and that's more than en-"

"Oh, shut up! You filthy people! Get the hell out of my house! I don't even know how Evan is with ordinary people like you! All of you, get out n-"

"You have no right to talk to them like that," Evan said. "They're with me. If you have such a big issue with them, then get lost! Leave!"

"You're kicking me out of my own living room!? How dare you!? Huh!? How dare you even talk to me like that for these filt-"

"The only filthy thing around here is you! And don't forget that you did your part of the deal, but  I didn't do my part yet. If you don't stop your crap, then I won't do my part as well. As far as the expulsion is involved, you damn well know that I will do something or the other to overturn it. You're the helpless one, not me, so behave respectfully."

Mr. Owens looked on in anger. 

"My life has no meaning!" Mr. Owens exclaimed, storming off angrily. "I never thought that I would see the day where my own son threatens me for meaningless people! I honestly don't know what the hell I'm living for! Dying is better than this life!"

"Excuse me." Mrs. Owens said, running after him. "Dave, honey...Listen to me..."

"Mary, Faith....I'll take you guys home," Mason said.

We nodded our heads.

"Thank you for everything you have done for me today, Evan," Mary said. "I don't know what I would have done if it weren't for you. I appreciate it. Thank you so much."

Evan nodded his head.

Mason and Mary headed for the car.

"Evan, why did you make that deal with your dad?" I asked. "I know you won't stop Mr. Wyatt, so why did you make a deal like that?"

"I just needed him to overturn the expulsion." He said.

"But Evan, your dad looked serious. Especially about this deal."

He sighed heavily, putting his arms around my shoulder.

"Why are you so worried?" He asked.

"He seemed serious," I said. "Especially when he said that he will forget yo-"

"And you actually believe that?"

"But, E-"

"He's not going to do anything. I know him very well."

"Then what are you going to do the next four days?"

"Nothing."

"What do you mean?"

"I won't do anything. I will make him believe that I'm trying to stop Mr. Wyatt. After four days, I will tell him that I lied to him. He's not going to do sh*t. All he will ask for is a rope and stool. He will do this whole lecture about having nothing to live for because his son has ruined him and destroyed him. He will curse me and call me names, but the suicide will never be successful. I just need four days. After that, he can't take back his decision of overturning the expulsion no matter what."

"Evan, how can you do that? He went in this deal because of you and yo-"

"Do you want me to ruin Mr. Wyatt's new business?"

I shook my head.

"Exactly," Evan said. "I can't ruin Mr. Wyatt's business, but I can ruin Dave Owens, and trust me, I know Dave Owens. He won't do anything."

I hesitantly nodded my head.

He smiled, pressing his lips against my forehead.

~*~

When I got home, Keisha was walking out, and we bumped into each other.

"WHAT THE F**K!" She yelled.

"Ow!" I exclaimed, rubbing my shoulder.

"Is yo a** blind!? You ain't got eyes or what!?"

"I could ask you the same thing."

"Uh-uh, don't you smart mouth me now! You almost broke ma damn bones!"

"Keisha, I also got hurt."

"That ain't none of my concern! I only care 'bout me!"

I sighed heavily, still rubbing my shoulder.

"Where are you even going to?" I asked.

"Excuse me!?" She exclaimed. "What did you say?"

"I asked where a-"

"I got it the first time. No need to repeat that sh*t."

"Fine, forget that I even asked."

"No, forget you! Shoot! Ruined my whole mood! I can't believe yo blind a**!"

I ignored her, walking into the house.

"How was your day?" Grandma asked.

"It was alright," I said, putting my bag down. "How was yours?"

"It was excellent."

"Good to hear."

"Your dad wanted to see you. He said to tell you to come to his room when you come home."

"Why? Is everything alright?"

"I don't kno'. He didn't say anythin'. Jus' go and see him."

I nodded my head, heading to his room. 

When I got to his room, the door was open.

I lightly knocked on it.

"Come in." He said.

I walked into the room.

I haven't been in it for a while.

Nothing is different, though.

The room is a light shade of purple.

Just the way Mama would want it to be.

On the walls, there are pictures of Keisha, Grandma, Mama, him, and me.

All our pictures.

On his table, there are pictures of Mama.

Their wedding picture is in a big frame and hung above his bed.

The bed sheets are white and purple.

Mama's favorite color is purple, so he uses it for every part of the room.

"Did you want to talk to me?" I asked.

"Yes, come here," He said.

I walked to the desk that he was sitting in.

"I have been doing a lot of thinking lately." He said, taking off his glasses and setting them down. "We need to fix things in this family. Before, Keisha was always missing, but nowadays, you're not around as much."

"It's not like that..." I said nervously. "I've just been busy with work and school."

"I know, and I understand. I feel like we have been so unfair to Regina. She has done so much to keep this family together, and we have done nothing but tear it apart...That's why I have decided that we will keep Regina alive from now on forward...In our hearts...Our dinner table, breakfast table...We need to work on communicating with one another...I'm exhausted...In case you have noticed...I'm tired of being angry, sad, and alone...I want things to change in this family...The reason why I'm telling you this is because if there is anybody in this family who has taken after Regina, then it's you. You're the only person who can make this place home again...Please, give this family a chance...Starting with Keisha."

"Dad, I'm glad you want us to be a family again. It's been tough since Mama left. Moving here, the arrest at school, and Keisha's distance. Everything has been tough, but I want us to be a family again. I want to fix things in this family, too. I will try my best. Keisha is stubborn, but I know she'll come around somebody."

He smiled, nodding his head.

~*~

After I left Dad's room, I headed upstairs to my room.

I unlocked the room and set my bag down in the closet.

I immediately got a towel and went into the shower.

After a shower, I dried my hair and changed into pajama shorts and a tank top.

I tied my hair in a bun and turned on the light for the first time since entering the room.

When the light turned on, I noticed the strangest thing ever.

There's something strange on my mirror.

I walked closer to see what it was.

My eyes widened at every word.

On the mirror, in large red letters, it read:

'THERE YOU GO AGAIN. ACTING LIKE SOME HERO. ALWAYS STANDING UP FOR PEOPLE. YOU LOVE BEING THE HERO RIGHT? THE CENTER OF ATTENTION? BE THE HERO AS MUCH YOU WANT, BUT I WILL CRUSH EVERYTHING. I WILL FINISH IT ALL. I WILL MAKE SURE PEOPLE GET TO SEE THE REAL FACE OF THEIR SUPPOSED HERO. THEN WE'LL SEE WHO'S THE REAL HERO AT THE END OF THE DAY!'

The words looked like they were written in blood.

Feeling uncomfortable, I started to look around the room.

All my things are how I left it before I got in the shower.

I looked out the window.

There is no sign of anybody or anything strange.

Then I opened my door and looked out the hallway.

All the lights were off.

It seemed like everybody was already asleep.

I walked back into the room, looking at the words in the mirror.

That night, I couldn't sleep.

My whole room felt alien to me.

It felt like my privacy was invaded.

Somebody had come into my room without my and my Grandma's knowledge.

But who?

Who can enter my room when my Grandma is home?

~*~

"Your breakfast is in front of you, but you seem lost in another world," Grandma said the following day.

"I'm sorry," I said. "I'm just not feeling too well."

"Why? What's wrong?"

"I don't know. I feel anxious for some reason."

"Well, that's strange. Drink some milk. You'll feel better."

I nodded my head.

"Grandma, did anybody come home yesterday?" I asked.

"No, why?" She said. 

"No, it's nothing. I was just wondering."

"Nope, we ain't ever got any visitors. The only visitor we get is that dork Max and that good-lookin' boy that came the other day."

"His name is Evan."

"I don't give a sh*t! I kno' and 'member him as a good-lookin' boy. And I want it to stay that way."

I sighed, shaking my head.

Keisha walked into the kitchen, looking lost on her phone.

"If you'd only give that p***y a rest!" Grandma exclaimed.

My eyes widened.

"Excuse me!?" Keisha said.

"You're excused," Grandma said. "Comin' up in my kitchen with that damn phone and sh*t! I don't like that sh*t, and you kno' it!"

"It's ma phone. I can use it however and wherever I want! There ain't no damn restriction on where I should use it!"

"In my house, there is! You usin' that thing to sell yo p***y 'round to different guys! I kno' it, so I don't want it in my kitchen!"

"Oou you so lucky! You so lucky that you ma grandma! If it was somebody else, then I w-"

"Than what!? Huh!? What if somebody else said that to you!? What would you have done anyway!?"

"I woulda broke the b***h in half!"

"Then go ahead and do it! I wanna see what yo skanky a** can do anyway!"

"Don't f***ing pro-"

"Enough!" I interrupted. "Both of you."

"Ratchet a** b***h!" Grandma exclaimed one last time.

"Grandma, please stop. Keisha's young, but you're mature, right?"

"No, this girl ain't young. You trippin'! The things she does ain't things young people be doin'! Shoot! Got me f***ed up and sh*t!"

"This is exactly why I hate this damn house!" Keisha said. "There ain't no peace here! People are always all up in yo business and sh*t! I hate that! I really do! Ya'll need to stop that petty sh*t!"

"Ain't no petty sh*t goin' on here! You want to live in this house!? Then people need to kno' about yo whereabouts! Period!"

"Man, f**k ya'll! F**k all of ya'll! Can't even be in peace in this place!"

Keisha flipped both of us, storming out of the kitchen angrily.

"Grandma..." I said.

"Why you givin' me that look?" Grandma said. 

"Because we need to fix this family. Not make it worse."

"Girl, please! I can't stand that hoe! She comes in front of one more time than I don't kno' what I'm goin' do!"

"Can't you just put up with her for a little?"

"Hell nah! Talkin' 'bout little! I can't even stand her a** for a second! Good luck with your plan for unitin' this family, but don't you dare play matchmaker between her and me! I want no type of truce with her! I'm done with her! I'm just done!"

"But, grandma..."

She walked out of the kitchen before I could say anything else.

"How am I supposed to fix things when they can't even stand each other for a second?" I said to myself, holding my head.

~*~

I felt Evan's arms around my shoulder as I headed for my locker.

"Miss me?" He asked.

"Why would I?" I asked.

He sighed heavily, rolling his eyes.

"So you didn't miss me?" He asked.

"Just this much," I said, gesturing it with my index finger and thumb.

"Just that much?"

"Yes."

"Than...Then I guess...I guess I have no importance in your life...I wanted to say something important, but what's the use when I don't mean anything to you?"

I raised my eyebrows.

"Emotional drama," I said. "And that too on me?"

I shrugged his arms away, opening my locker.

"I think about you all the time." He said. "But, you don't even think about me once."

"Evan, I also th-"

I stopped talking when I noticed a paper in my locker.

Strangely, the same thing on my mirror last night was written on the paper.

"You also what?" Evan asked.

I looked at the paper closely.

The paper is also written in blood.

"Evan, look at this..." I said.

"What is it?" He asked.

I pointed to the locker.

Evan sighed heavily, looking inside the locker.

I moved to the side so that he could see it.

Evan's eyes widened as soon as he saw the paper.

"What the hell?" He said, removing the paper from the locker. "Who put this here?"

He read the paper.

"Who would do something cheap like this?" Evan asked.

"I don't know," I said. "And the weird thing is that the same thing written on this paper was written on my mirror last night."

"What!? Your mirror?"

"Yeah, last night. It was written on my mirror, and that too in blood."

"Why didn't you tell me this?"

"It was late. You were probably asleep."

"It doesn't matter, Faith. Somebody sneaked into your room, threatened you, and you didn't tell me about it. Even if I am sleeping, you must call me when something like this happens."

I sighed heavily, running my fingers through my hair.

"This is crazy," Evan said. "And I am pretty sure that bastard Connor is doing all this."

"Connor?" I asked.

"Nobody else has a reason to do all this."

"But, Evan, how can you be so su-"

"I know it's him. Only he can do something as cheap as this."

"Even if it's Connor, there must be evidence against him. We can't just go up to him like that."

Evan clenched his fist in anger.

"Okay, listen to me," I said, taking the paper from him. 

I crunched the paper, throwing it in the trash nearby. 

"First of all, calm down," I said. "You never think rationally when you're angry. Calm down, then we'll figure this out."

"I don't want to calm down!" Evan exclaimed. "I don't want to f***ing calm down! Somebody attacks you every time, and you want me to calm down!? No, I don't want to calm down! At least not until I get my hands on that Conn-"

"Evan, stop! Your attracting atten-"

"I don't give a damn!"

I sighed heavily, crossing my arms over my chest.

"Fine!" I said. "Then keep shouting like that so people can gossip about our personal problems!"

Evan angrily clenched his teeth.

"I swear, I will not leave that bastard," Evan said. "I will not leave him."

"What bastard?" A familiar voice asked. "Who's a bastard?" 

My eyes widened as soon as I saw his face.

"Now, who the hell is i-" Evan stopped talking as soon as he turned around.

"Hey guys!" He said happily. "I'm finally back!... And this time, I'm back for good!"

***End of Chapter***

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