The sun blazes down on the back of my neck, making the sports jacket I am wearing seem like I'm carrying a thousand dumbbells. As I make my way through the crowd of students that are congregating in every corner of the school, I think about her. I think about the way that she had been so shy, how cute she had looked when her white streak of hair had fallen in front of her face. How she nervously wrung her hands, which were so petite and girlish.

Nothing like Regina's giant man hands.

I smirk at myself, hoping that she doesn't have powers to read my mind, because lately I wasn't thinking nice things about her. How could she do that to poor little Elizabeth? How could she be so cruel? I had known that Regina was probably the Devil's daughter, but that was even over the top for her. What had gotten into her? I knew that she wanted me, but at what cost? What obstacles would she got through, and risk the lives of other people, to make me hers?

I pull the door to my locker open, a little too hard because it slams into the locker door beside it, and shove my Calculus book towards the back. I was so mad at Regina now I could punch her. But I am a gentleman, and I don't hit women, even if they try to kill people. I slyly look behind me, hoping to God that Regina or any one of her posse are around to ask me about the party, and quietly shut my locker door again. Zeroing out the lock I turn around, and come face to face with Craig, one of the linemen for the football team, the best one we have.

He smiles at me and walks over to his locker. Even though he is six foot seven and weighs over two hundred pounds, he is like a teddy bear. He opens his locker and starts to take out his History book.

"So, Seth…you and Elizabeth Lovett?" he asked with a laugh and nudged me lightly in the ribs with his large, meaty elbow.

Crap! I couldn't let anyone, even a friend like Craig, know about the feelings that I have for Elizabeth. Even though he is a close friend of mine, he is still a friend to Regina, and I couldn't risk him telling her. I have to make up a lie. But how? I couldn't say mean things about Elizabeth, she is too sweet to make fun of. I take a deep breath and clear my mind, trying to think as mean as I can. I even draw some mean things that Regina used to say from the back of my brain.

With a nervous gulp, I roll my eyes and try to make a disgusted face, but I feel like he won't by it. Am I overacting? "Oh, come on man." I try to sound disgusted, like she is Jabba the Hut or something. "You know me. It wasn't anything like that."

Craig looked down at his History book and shook his head and placed it back in his locker, and instead took out his Biology book. I hoped to every god imaginable that he was going to drop it and let me go on my way.

"From what I heard, you looked pretty happy coming out of that closet. Not that I would know. I was entertaining a little lady of my own in another part of the house." He puffed out his chest, not that it was already making the shirt he was wearing threaten to burst.

I laughed at the thought of a girl actually liking Craig, it was like having a crush on the Hulk. I was trying to do damage control. I didn't have the time to think of a response, so I just went with the first thing that I thought of. "Uh, yeah, I was happy...Happy to get out!"

Craig's mouth pulled into and uncharacteristic frown and his brows furrowed together. "So...wait...you didn't like it? I mean, she's not that tough to look at. Kinda cute, actually." Craig smiled at that last bit. The guy could find something good about everyone.

I looked around, left to right, and barked out a laugh. "Sure she's cute. For a purple headed, freaky eyed mouse. She can't even talk without squeaking."

The insult even hurt me. Like a little dagger was stabbing my heart. I was waiting for the moment when I would internally bleed and die. How could I say this about her? How could the insults about such a fragile little girl come so easily to me? I shouldn't even be able to think of these insults at all. I tried to be as nice as I can be all the time. But this was a special case. And even though I knew deep down that I shouldn't be hiding feelings from people, even though they might destroy the reputation I fought to maintain, I had to. I only hoped that one day I would get the courage to tell people what kind of a man I truly am.

But right now I'm just a petty coward hopelessly pining over a girl I know that right now I can't have.

Craig whistled low, "Harsh, man. She couldn't have been that bad. I have a few classes with her, I think. She seems nice enough." Craig didn't know how much of an understatement that was. She was the nicest girl in this whole damn school! I took a big gulp of air, knowing that I had to keep on going with this mean charade that I was trying to play.

"Nice enough," I try to play off of his words to make it sound more convincing, "Until you start kissing her. She was like an animal. I wouldn't be surprised if she's secretly been with all the little nerds of the chess team or those mathletes. You should have been there. Elizabeth was giving me these sloppy kisses…" I'm running out of things that are bad to say about her, "jumping on me. She forced her little tongue in there a couple of times, too."

"Dude…are you serious? You really wanna spread that around?..." Craig looked at me skeptically. No, I don't. I thought. But I have to.

I shrugged my shoulders and tried to make my voice sound like the teen douche bags in all of the movies. "Why not?"

Craig's eyes narrow as if they are microscopes, trying to get a larger zoom in on me. He figured me out. He knows that I am lying and he is going to tell the whole school. "She doesn't seem like that kinda girl. And it's unfair for you to mess with her rep…unless there's something you're trying to hide?" Craig raised an eyebrow like he knew.

I could feel my forehead begin to sweat. It was all over. I could say goodbye to being the perfect male teenager of the school. I had to find a way to lead Craig off of the track. I forced myself to laugh, like the idea of me hiding feelings for a nerdy girl that most people ignored was hilarious instead of the undeniable truth. "The only thing...that I would want to hide…is that it ever happened. It was the most disgusting thing in my life. I had to wash my mouth with mouthwash after the party." There was the sound of a locker being slammed dramatically shut, and I whirled around to see who was causing such a ruckus…to find Elizabeth standing in front of me. Her eyes wide with something I couldn't identify as she stooped down to grab her black Jansport backpack. She threw it carelessly on her shoulder; the only thing keeping it there was her delicate pale hand.

I wanted to say "hi" to her and start up a conversation, but the reality of what had just happened, what she had just heard, came crashing down on me. Tears were filling her eyes. I shook my head, trying to make her understand. "No," I muttered. It was the only thing I got the chance to say before she started backing away from me. Elizabeth turned around and ran away from me, disappearing into the crowd of kids that were clogging the hallway like a bad artery. And I knew that she would never want to ever talk to me again.

I had to stop that from happening.

I ran after her, leaving my backpack lying at Craig's feet, and hoped that I would catch her before she left…forever. "Elizabeth! Elizabeth! Elizabeth!" I tried calling her name, hoping that by some miracle she would stop and come back and listen to what I had to say. But would she ever understand my point of view?She ducks and slides through the crowds of people easily, but I keep getting jostled by the crowds of people just standing around. A few of them gave me dirty looks, one girl tried to shout after me in anger, but I didn't have time for her. When I feel like I am so close to catching up to her, a hand reaches out and grabs my sleeve, making me stop in my tracks.

I turn around to find that geeky kid that Elizabeth always clings to standing there, his face contorted in anger. I don't have time for this! "What do you want?" I snap at him.

"What did you do?" he asked with fury.

I shook his arm off. "Look, man, I don't-"

"Did you hurt her?!" He yelled.

"What?! No!" I yelled back.

"Because if you did, you are going to have to deal with me!" He puffed out his chest in an attempt to make him seem superior to me. Who does this guy think he is? I grab the color of his polo shirt with both hands and pull him up so that his feet don't touch the ground anymore. A look of panic crosses his face. I set him down behind me and start to run after Elizabeth again, frantically searching for where she has gone to.

The geek kid keeps yelling at me, but I drown him out just like I drown coach out during practice. I spot her in the parking lot, running to her car, a black Mini Cooper. I pick up my speed, she can't leave here without me talking to her, I will never have another chance again. Finally I make it to her car to find that she is sitting in the drivers seat, her glasses off, crying. I beat on the window on the driver's side, and she turns and looks at me, but says nothing. She only locks the doors. Crap!

"Go away!" she yells at me, tears streaming down her face. I idly thought how it was lucky she wasn't like Gina, or she would have black smudges running down her cheeks along with her tears.

"Please, Elizabeth, listen to me. I can explain!"

But instead of listening, she started up her car and pulled out of her parking space. She took off out of the parking lot, and I knew that it was all over. Any chance that we had with each other was shredded, and all because I'm an idiot. I watched her drive away, and wondered if we will ever meet again. I turned to walk to my car, my nails digging into the flesh of my palm. But before I got to my Ferrari I heard a loud scream.

I turn around just in time to see Elizabeth's car smash into a truck. The front of Elizabeth's small car is almost completely taken off, and the truck came to an abrupt stop. My vision starts to spin and I am all of a sudden dizzy. I leaned against my car for support.

And I watched as my world shattered in front of my eyes.

Dun dun DUUUUUNNN! Well, this is the next installment of the story, courtesy of Bestfriend Death :) I will try and get my chapter up as soon as possible. Thanks for all the people following this story. Please review and let us know what you think!

~Beth and BD