A/N: Ugh….I am sooooo soooo sorry that it took forever for this chapter to get out, but just think after reading this chapter all I have to do is the epilogue! I am so excited to write another story and end this one, although I will miss Lark! She’s a really good character to write for. Anyways on with the chapter! I hope you guys like it!

Chapter 12 How It Ends

Some people say you don’t know what you have until it’s gone; well weren’t they true. Bastards. If you asked me what happened the past week I wouldn’t be able to tell you. School was a bitch. I can’t even begin to describe those horrible days-caught between two guys was never a thing of fun.

Vanessa spewed her thoughts over and over again-urging me to choose Duncan. She believed that my dream was prophetic and well she said you couldn’t ignore something like that. I really had no idea what to make of that dream to tell you the truth. Vanessa of course said it meant that Brent was all wrong for me and that Duncan was my true love; in her words, “Lark, when you leave a man at the altar for another man, it must mean that you love the other man.”

Wise words, no? I knew that Vanessa was trying her best, but that doesn’t mean that she was completely right. Sure it seemed like the dream was screaming: GO WITH DUNCAN! Being the person I am though I didn’t look at it that way. I truly thought that the dream was trying to tell me something else. Come on by now you all know that nothing is ever simple in my life so why would a dream be simple?

Not to mention everyday at lunch Brent sent me furtive looks begging me to tell him something or anything that would help resolve the issue. I had heard that things weren’t going well in his household. Allison told my mother that things between her boys weren’t going well-at all. Apparently Brent and Duncan wouldn’t even look at each other and every time they had to address each other it was very curt and very polite.

It was just another thing to add to my list of why I was such a horrible person.

Everything that was going on around me made me realize that I needed to put things in perspective and choose the best route for myself. Of course I wasn’t naïve enough to think that choosing one path over the other was going to be easy. It didn’t really matter what path I chose because I knew that either way there was going to be consequences that I didn’t like.

But I couldn’t go on like this. This wasn’t fair to them or to their family. You could say that life sucked and well, I was wallowing in my self-pity, which made me feel horrible. Goodness, how does life end up like this?

Is there some curse for girls like me? Do we always end up in these situations? Personally I always thought that men as gorgeous as Brent and Duncan fought over a pretty girl like Lydia. I on the other hand was supposed to fade into the background and well, just be me.

It’s strange how life takes you places.

“Lark, I swear to God if you don’t talk to those boys soon I will take you out!”

I cringed at Vanessa’s words, hearing the truth ring in ever word. You think she’s joking right? Well apparently you don’t know Vanessa. That girl has a strong chokehold. One time a boy in gym class pissed her off and well she got him back. I think you can use your imagination from there.

Giving her a weak glare I responded, “Don’t you think I know that? I finally managed to get up the courage after a week. It’s like I’m being pulled in two directions: the best guy friend turned lover, or the guy who makes your heart pound.”

Vanessa rolled her eyes and shook her head at me. “I think it would be simple to choose from there. Would you rather have something that’s safe and normal or the guy who makes you feel alive and nervous at the same time?”

“You always put things into such simple terms! Do you really believe it’s like that Vanessa? Do you think that I can practically give one guy up for the other? All week I have been thinking about the consequences of each choice and nothing seems good.”

I sat on my bed, placing my head in my hands. Was she right though? Maybe it was a simple choice and I just wasn’t looking at the situation in the right way.

Vanessa sat right beside me and sighed. Her body was tense and she seemed a bit aggravated. These days I expected that; people were aggravated with me and they had a right to be.

“Lark, I know it’s not a simple choice but in ways it is. Do you know how many times you have talked about Duncan ever since you first met him? He gets under your skin and you know that, but you don’t know how to deal with it. He confuses you and you don’t like that, yet in a way you do.”

I brought my face up to hers and Vanessa knew that I couldn’t deny it. She had hit the target. In Brent there was no challenge with him, but with Duncan I was always on my toes waiting for his next move or his next comment. Sometimes I couldn’t get enough of him.

“I know you’re right, I really do but why can’t I just choose him and get it over with? Is there something wrong with me?” I asked Vanessa and I could feel tears forming in my eyes.

Smiling softly at me she said, “There is nothing wrong with you Lark. Like most people you don’t want to accept the truth. You fear coming out of your shell, and it’s not going to be fun, but you will be so glad that you did it.”

Was she right? Deep down do I really consider Duncan worth losing Brent, or would I really be losing either of them in the long run?

I wiped the fallen tears away and looked at her. Her honest opinion hung off her frame and maybe she did know what was best. I wondered if she could see what I didn’t see.

“Sometimes I wish I was more like you Vanessa. You seem so sure of the decisions that you make and I want that so badly. I feel compelled to fight with myself over everything and yet you find your answers so easily and you accept them without fighting them.”

This conversation just kept taking such odd turns-what exactly were we talking about?

Shaking her head she replied, “You know it’s hard for me too Lark, don’t say that. Now you’re just getting off topic and you know it. The answer is right there and you just don’t want to admit because you’re afraid that either way you’re going to lose one of them, but that’s not true. Both of them will always be there for you. Come on Lark you know those two could never leave you even if they wanted to.”

How could she even believe that? Hadn’t Brent left me for Lydia? I felt like he dropped me as if I was nothing. I was just his best friend that he could use whenever he wanted to.

“Then how could Brent just leave me for Lydia?”

Snorting she said, “Brent never left you, you dork! Lydia was almost a distraction for him and even more so once he found out what was going on between you and Duncan. I think that Brent does truly feel for you in a romantic way but I don’t think that’s enough for the both of you. Eventually one of you will end up bored and it might end badly.”

Vanessa was randomly tracing patterns on my bedspread, almost as if she was completely lost in her own thoughts. I marveled at how good of a friend she was. Not once did she ever abandon me in this whole mess.

“I’ll think about it okay?” I told her in a quiet tone.

Looking up she stared right into my eyes.

“Promise me Lark that you will do something by tomorrow and end all of this?” Vanessa’s voice sounded like steel and no persuasion could get past that.

Acquiescing I nodded towards her. After my silent admission she got off of my bed and came over towards me.

Hugging me she said, “Everything will turn out right, you’ll see.” With that sentence she left my room leaving me to my clouded thoughts. Whoever said life’s a bitch was a smart person.

Hours later I sat on my front porch looking out towards the autumn sun setting. It was funny in a way how the sun setting was symbolic of the relationship that I was about to end. I had stayed in my room the entire day once Vanessa left. I can’t even remember heading downstairs for food. I think my mom came up to check on me, but that could have been my imagination.

I don’t even know how I came to my conclusion. It was shocking really. I had no idea that it would come to this. Earlier I had thought I knew exactly what I wanted and whom I wanted it with. But you all know that I’m usually wrong in these things.

Had Vanessa not talked to me today I probably would have gone on and let everything fall apart. I was never good with confrontation. I would rather go through life being the person who blended into the background. Occasionally someone might notice me and I would approach the spotlight but I could never touch it. That was for people like Duncan. They basked in the glory that came with all the attention and well, I didn’t.

By now the sun had almost reached its destination. It would fade over to the other side of the world and offer new promises to those people. My chances and promises diminished as the sun got smaller and smaller.

My eyes shifted to the house that was across from mine. It seemed fitting that that house would see the ending to this whole charade or whatever it was. A simple bet started all of this. It’s hard to realize that something so stupid and childish could cause hurt to others and maybe that was my mistake or maybe it was my awakening. One could never know with these things.

I imagined myself walking over to that house with determination and confidence, but deep down I knew I would walk over there with my shoulders slumped a defeated look on my face. Yes, I know it would be a sad way to go over there, but it was better than nothing, right?

I’ve gotten rather good at deluding myself into thinking these things, not to mention I have blown this whole thing way out of proportion and it feels like a soap opera, although during this day and age I wouldn’t expect anything less.

I’ve also noticed that with each thought that I’m procrastinating. From the bottom of my heart I could genuinely tell you that I had no desire to go over to that house. Every part of my body screamed NO, but I had to do what Vanessa said I should. I owed it to myself and to both Brent and Duncan. After all the hurt I’ve caused it’s the least I can do.

Glancing at the horizon I saw the barest edge of the pink sun as it edged out of my view. It was a signal and it was time to go over to the house. With shaking hands I left my position on the porch grabbing the ends of my coat and pulling them close around me.

It didn’t take long until I was right in front of the door. How many times had I been in this position? Well, I really couldn’t tell you but I had a sense that in a way this was ending for a while. I would never be able to stroll into this house as I had done for years.

Never once I had ever knocked on their door so formally when I knew that either Brent or Duncan was present. I heard the footsteps coming closer and I willed myself to be prepared for whatever was to come.

As if in slow motion I watched the door open inch by inch, revealing Allison to be on the other side.

“Lark, honey you know you don’t have to knock,” She said to me a broad smile on her face. I hadn’t been to her house for a week.

I stammered out, “I wasn’t sure if anyone was home.”

Allison ushered me into her house immediately, closing the door behind her.

She titled her head and looked at me quizzically for a moment, as if she couldn’t comprehend why I would think that.

“Well honey is there anything I can help you with?”

Clasping my hands in each other I wanted to go ahead and ask her what I needed to, but instead I stalled and asked, “How are Brent and Duncan?”

Pulling me towards the kitchen she shook her head lightly and answered, “Well Lark I really have no idea what is going on with those two boys. One day they’re as close as can be and the next day they have this strained politeness going on with each other. They’ve never been like this before and I have no idea what to do.”

Inwardly I kept chiding myself for being such a horrible person. Allison didn’t deserve this strain in her family. I managed out a small oh, and she looked sadly at me, not knowing what to say.

Clearing my throat I uttered, “Actually I came here to talk to Brent Allison.”

For some reason this statement brought her full attention to me and she stared. A moment of clarity appeared on her face and then she smiled at me as if she knew everything that had transpired in the last month or so.

“I understand Lark. He’s upstairs in his room.”

She didn’t say anything else and I don’t think that she needed to. I was grateful for it too. I didn’t want her to think any less of me because of this whole torrid affair. I nodded and headed upstairs to his room.

I reached his door and for a second I let myself dream of the possibilities. Erasing those thoughts I knocked on the door and when I heard a muffled ‘come in’ I entered.

The room was pretty disheveled, most of his belongings were out of place and he was lying in his bed. I could tell his hair was messy and he was in old clothes that looked worn.

I let out a soft ‘hey’ and his eyes found mine instantly. He didn’t reply as I took his computer chair and sat on it. I wanted to be looking directly at him when I told him what I needed to say.

He sat up on his bed and he looked like he didn’t know what to say. I could feel my hands shaking and I took a calming breath. I had to get this all out in one speech or I would be lost and lose all my composure.

“Okay, I have a lot to say Brent and I would appreciate if you wouldn’t say anything until I’m completely done because otherwise I won’t be able to say it.” I looked at him to make sure that he was okay with that. When I got a nod from him I went on.

I looked at him in his eyes and willed myself to what I was about to say, and then I began.

“Everything started about two months ago and I have no idea why it did, but it happened. I mean I have loved you for as long as I can remember and I don’t think you ever noticed and if you did you never let on. I could deal with it pretty well and things were okay. You’re one of my best friends and so I thought if I could only have that then it would be all right, until you started talking to Lydia.” At this I took a moment to catch my breath and regroup. He seemed a little surprised at all the information.

I continued by saying, “Lydia was the turning point for me. I mean I could never compare to her in any way. It was like there was no chance left for us and then you left me to take her to school and I had to ride with Duncan. Do you know we skipped school that day? I never did stuff like that before but with Duncan around its hard not to. He knew about my feelings for you but he thought that you in no one way liked me to that extent.”

Brent started to retort but I held up a hand to stop him. I was doing so well with it now that I couldn’t stop.

“He proposed a bet to me in order to show that you didn’t really feel that way towards me. Blindly I allowed myself to follow and he said that we should date in order to find out the truth. It was so awkward at first and I didn’t know what to do with myself. I hated Duncan-he always found a way to torment me somehow and now I had to pretend to like him. I managed to do that and somewhere along the way those lines started to blur and I no longer knew how I felt about you or Duncan.”

I took a shuddering breath and I couldn’t believe that I was telling him all of this without having a massive heart attack at the same time.

Giving him a small smile I continued my speech. “I had no idea where I stood between you two, not to mention you had started acting differently around me and I didn’t know how to deal with that. Plus there was jealously all around and so many fights. Instead of faking our relationship after a while it felt real and Duncan and I both admitted to that fact. Of course he gave me an ultimatum and that’s why I’m here to tell you my decision. It took me a while to figure out what I wanted, but I did.”

Thank god, that whole thing was over. I never talked that much in my entire life. We had a small pause and I think that we both didn’t know what to say.

“What’s your decision then,” Brent asked me in a roughened voice.

I looked at him and thought of everything that had happened. It had all come down to this one moment. Nothing would ever be the same.

I looked at him and gave him my answer.

As soon as I crossed the street back over to my house I saw Duncan sitting on my front porch. He blended into the night easily with his black hair and well it seemed to suit him.

I had just gotten on the stairs when he said, “My mom told me that you talked to Brent.” His voice belied no emotion and it was rather dead. It was like he had no hope.

“Yeah I went and talked to him,” I said softly and I took the seat next to him. As soon as I sat down I looked at his profile and I saw his jaw clench. Even now in repressed anger he was gorgeous, but I would never tell him that. His ego would become so much more inflated.

I took my hand touched his silky hair then I left my fingertips travel to his cheekbone and then I proceeded to stroke his jaw line. I have never once been so open with him in this aspect.

Flinching he grabbed my hand and took it away.

“What did you say to him?”

Being rebuked I placed my hands in my lap and said, “I told him everything, even about the bet, which he didn’t seem that upset about. I think he just wanted to know where we stood in this whole situation.”

He turned his face over so that his hazel green eyes captured my eyes and every emotion that he was feeling swirled in those depths and it struck me then how easy it was to be enticed by him. I think it was his eyes that drew me in.

Narrowing his eyes he stared at me and asked, “And where exactly do you stand with him?”

Taking both of my hands I placed them on the sides of his face.

Trembling I replied, “I told him that I would always love him but not in the way that I love you. I feel so stupid for always trying to hide my feelings from you but it was hard and you made it hard too. I never wanted to admit my feelings that I have for you. You what to know the moment that I knew I loved you? I didn’t realize it until today but when you let me go last week to find out how I felt I knew then that I love you. You did something so selfless for me and it made me understand my true feelings. No one can ever compare to you Duncan, never.”

I felt a few tears leak from my eyes and suddenly Duncan’s hands were on my face brushing them away tenderly.

“I love you Lark. From the moment I met you, I knew there was something different about you. You have no idea how happy you have made me.”

Laughing I said, “I think I might know.”

I saw his trademark smirk come onto his face and he said, “I know why you really chose me though.”

Quirking an eyebrow I said, “Oh really?”

“You chose me because I’m the better kisser,” He answered his voice husky.

I laughed at that statement and knew that things were going to be okay.

“You’re never going to change are you?”

Smirking he replied, “No, but you wouldn’t have me any other way.”

And he was right; I wouldn’t have him any other way.

Thanks to my reviewers!

Garnet-earth-Princess: I apologize for the long delay but I hope that you like Lark’s choice, because I know I do! ;) Thanks for the review!

Man Eater: Sorry for the long delay but I hope you like this chapter and thanks for the review!

xSecretRainx: haha, I hoped you liked the chapter and thanks for the review!

RedPillow: I feel bad for the long, long delay but I hope this makes up for it. By the way thanks for the review!

NoName: haha, thanks for the review! I am glad that you like the story so well and I hope that you and your friend have much better luck than poor Lark!

givelifeyourall: I am glad that you like the story! I know what you mean about sappy romanticism-I don’t like it that well, nor do I like to write about it. I think that Duncan and Lark have a good medium between them. Thanks for the review.

moon-girl1: Aw, I really appreciate your review! I love finding a story on here that I just can’t stop reading and it makes me proud that you like it that much. I think this chapter will def. be to your liking and thanks for the review!

Lene-pooh: haha, thanks for the review. I hope you like the chapter!

Otabee Mox: Aw, it makes me happy when I see reviewers who really enjoy my story. I think this chapter should give you shivers as well! Thanks for the review!

Skeptic-Critic: Haha, I think that you will be pleased that Lark did not choose Brent over Duncan. I try to do the same thing so don’t worry about it, lol. Thanks for the review!

ANGEL992210: Thanks for the review!

Xonea: Well I wouldn’t say that about Brent. Sure the jealousy is a key part, but I think that just helped Brent to see how much he does like Lark. Although I think that you are going to like this chapter! Thanks for the review!

bagelmoo: Thanks for the review!

violet-eyez: YES! She chooses Duncan! Thanks for the review!

dawn’s unforgiving darkness: Thanks for the review!

Lightning Storm: I’m glad that you liked the make out scene, I always feel that I write those horribly. Thanks for the review!

Evenstar1389: Yeah, love triangles can be nasty, thank goodness I have never been in one! Lol. Thanks for the review!

knitted: You hit it right on the mark! Brent and Lark could never be truly happy with each other. The love that they hold for each other is just a friend love and it took Lark a while but she found out the truth. Thanks for the review!

lacy-9: I think that everyone is glad that she realized how she feels. Yeah, most guys wouldn’t be too happy, but Duncan is in love with Lark and he would never go down without a fight, that’s just not who he is. Thanks for the review!

aussiegrl15070: You give me way too much praise but thank you so much! Yeah, Duncan just likes to throw himself in the limelight! Haha. Thanks for the amazing review!

MeZzeDUpGuRL: Aw, I’m sorry about the glitch, but at least you got it figured out. I’m glad that you like the story and thanks for the review!

onegurl: This chapter ought to make you happy! Thanks for the review!

Rose Jameson: I know! I feel sooo bad about leaving this story for so long and I am just going to blame it on writer’s block! But I think this chapter makes up for it! Thanks for the review!

jenn: Sorry for the long, long wait but thanks for the review!

Ri: I am so sorry for the long wait but I think that this chapter makes up for it! Thanks for the review!