There is both good and evil in this world and you can never tell from the looks on the faces that when they are lying or when they are telling the truth. The real thing is that people tend to do all kinds of things in their lives and they like to enjoy it before it ends up right in there.

It was around midnight or maybe half an hour earlier some prisoners were being transferred to another prison which would keep them safe from escaping but the guards didn’t knew that these prisoners had a plan to escape from this prison van right about now. They were two of them and one was a heart patient, they had their hands and feet tied with chains together so they could not do anything unexpected but it was not enough to keep them immobilize.

One of the prisoners fell down from the seat and the guard sitting with him instantly informed the driver that they need to change the route to go the hospital because he thought that maybe he had a heart attack. The guard bent down to see if his pulse is on or not, this prisoner just woke up and both the prisoners in such position that they got their chains around his neck and pulled a little until the guard fainted. The other prisoner took his gun and shot the driver just as he stopped the car and killed them. They threw them out of the car and took the keys that would unlock the chains.

Vince had decided for sure that he will be staying in Blue Ridge and he is going to see if Ashley is ever going to like him, even though that he was star and he was famous enough to get any girl that he wants but he knew that this one special and they are meant to be together. Vince was in his bedroom thinking about the girl that he likes, and remembered that when he was dropping her to her house she gave him her number. He quickly grabbed his cell phone and called Ashley when she was watching television, Dana came to her and told her that her phone was ringing; Ashley attended the call and found out that it was Vince.

“Hey, it’s me Vince, how are you?” said Vince

“Good, I guess, you called quiet early” Ashley replied

“Well, I was wondering that if you’re not busy tonight then maybe we can go out for dinner or something” Vince said

“Are you asking me on a date? Because if you are then I am going to say yes,” she replied,

“Awesome, then I’ll pick you at nine pm” Vince replied. Vince ended the call and cried in an excited manner “Yes!”

I woke up this morning this unpleasant sound came in my ears and I immediately recognized it that it is my parents fighting again, for a second I thought that maybe I should let them fight as long as they want to but I realized that if I do not stop them, it is eventually going to raise more. So having no other choices I went downstairs into their room, went inside without knocking the door, and said,

“Just cool it! Guys, I am tired of waking up every morning and hearing the same sound every day, and day by day this killing me. I never tried to stop you two when Scott was around but I understand now that how Scott felt every day”.

I understand that when I bring out the Scott scene they actually stopped quarrelling. After the whole speech I unleashed they calm down but I said one more thing that,

“I am having breakfast somewhere else today”.

I went to my best friend Maxine’s house and asked if she had already ended the breakfast but fortunately she was just setting up to have something. She asked me what is unusual today and I answered that only the breakfast, because the fighting parents was a lot cliché. After the breakfast Maxine and me went to the mall because she needed to do her weekday shopping, we went to the mall and she picked a few suits for her and tried every single of them only find out that none is what she wants. Therefore, I decided to boost her up and gave her an advice, when she realized that the suit was good for her she came to me and hugged me, which was very satisfying after the hard time I had.

I went home after it all and it was very quiet in there I ignored it went to Scott’s room and I took his diary and started reading. I always knew that I was not a good reader so I decided to read only the interesting things, and after turning several pages, I reached the day when I had a big fight with him over my studies since I was losing grades and he asked me to pay more attention rather than fooling around. He was always there when I need tutoring or anything I could not do, he was there to help me and I just had to screw things up all the time. My parents were concerned about the whole studies thing they wanted me to go through high school good and then get in to a college, but the whole fighting thing they have, I was more concerned about that and of course nobody listens to me.

Remembering everything from past always seemed really fun and pleasant every time but some things from past just haunts me more than it was unpleasant before and I cannot help it. I took a quick look around his room and felt disconnected so I decided to leave the room and go back to my computer and my mails if there are any.

Before this time today, I always had some emails from girls to meet like on a date or grab a meal but I did not replied to them always, except for this time when I found this email in my inbox from someone named Heather Burgess. I did not recognized this girl but lucky me, she was ready to receive my IMs so I went in to find out if it was all worth it.

At the airport two very important people arrived from their flight, it was not as if they came from out of states or somewhere they just came from their vacations. The vacation for the only person named Andrew Covens because his new girl friend Sarah Fletcher was already living at that place, she just decided to move here and graduate from Blue Hill High.

Coincidentally this was the place where my cousin Justin lives with his family. The two of them without wasting anytime picked a cab and came directly to Andrew’s house where they would stay for a while and they Sarah will go to her house. Andrew one by one picked up both of their bags, took it inside the house, and put it near the couch just a little away from the door.

“This house hasn’t been lighted or cleaned for about one and a half month so you might feel it a little messy or untidy”, Andrew mentioned to Sarah.

“It doesn’t matter really, besides it’s not like I’m going to live here, I’ll just be visiting sometimes or maybe more often since you’re alone”, Sarah said to Andrew in a faint and lovely voice.

“Yes, I think that will be satisfying”, he concluded the talk and came closer to her just about a few steps from the door and kissed Sarah.

Later that evening Sarah arrived at her house that was exactly near to my house and she was officially my neighbor now. She took her three bags out of the cab, left them on the door front, and walked to my door that was very close to hers and gently knocked. My mom and my dad both were on their works so I was the only one to get the door. I was in my room working on the computer and I heard the knock, since I was never the fan of making door guests wait until the door opens, I quickly came off and opened the door to see that Sarah was standing there.

“Sarah! What are you doing here?” I asked her being surprised

“Alex, hi, that is what people say when they see somebody they know, and on second thought forget it, I didn’t knew you lived here I just moved in your neighborhood and I needed some help lifting those bags inside the house” Sarah frequently answered to Alex.

“Well, okay it’s pretty astonishing for you to move in my neighborhood, but I can still help you with those bags” I agreed to help.
It was so surprising for me to see her there because I knew that she lived at about two houses down from Justin’s residence. I followed her to her bags and she opened the door, I grabbed each of the heavy loads one by one and took them inside her house.

“Welcome to the neighborhood”, I greeted with pleasure.

We spend some time together talking and discussing about things but the strange thing was that she moved all the way from another city to here for I supposed probably no reason.

Maxine was a fun loving person, she was the kind of who likes to party all the time or whom likes to go shopping every time and eventually have fun, the thing is sometimes people need to relax upon some things. Maxine was in her car driving back to her house, she was visiting her mother to whom she is very close with rather than her father who is almost absent most of the time.

She was driving and she took her eyes off the road for one second because I had called her, suddenly another car with a drunken driver came right in her path. she never noticed that and received my call, just as she did that the car came right in to her and collided with it but one thing she did was that she turned just a little when she almost came to the collision and the driver’s car smashed into the tree after smashing in to her car.

“Maxine, are you there?” I screamed for about two times and the only thing I heard was the sound of two cars that would have collided. Maxine’s neighbor took her to the hospital; she called me and I rushed to hospital to her room where I saw her on the bed lying like a party soul. It is as if when you go to hospital you see a person who has been in an accident that is the reason this person is lying on the bed and a look on his face describes the intensity of the accident. However, the look at her face was as if she took the person in the accident to the hospital.

“You seem rather cheerful for a person who’s been in an accident” I expressed my idea,

“You shouldn’t call it an accident, at least not for me, because that drunken driver has got more of the injury” she corrected my words,

“I’m sorry; I shouldn’t have called at that moment” I regretted,

“Don’t be sorry it wasn’t your fault, plus it doesn’t matter, I didn’t get any injury, the accident was just a side track for me and also it was the other guy who came in the way” she quickly gave a speech.

I went next to her bed and sat down on the seat and I carefully held her hand as if I thought that her hand is also injured and said,

“I know you’re the whole party and shopping and hot girl but sometimes you need to calm down and think about yourself, and it’s not like you have your mom here to take care for you”

“Thanks, Alex you’re a great friend” she replied in a lovely voice.

I felt for a second that she was trying to hide something from beneath that wet cat face so I decided to find out what it was.

“Is there anything you want to say to me? Because we are friends”, I asked her in quiet a compelling manner.

“Alex, I know this is going to sound out of nowhere, but I like you, and it feels really good to have you around me, please tell me that you like me too because I want to say it”. She just said the magic words that I was not ready to hear, things were already very much crowded in my life and now I just had to find out that she likes me.

“I’m sorry; I have to go there something I have to do” I put her hand down, stood up immediately, and went through the out of the hospital.

Vince and Ashley were on a perfect date just as she wanted it to be but something was awfully convincing when she glimpsed at him for a minute right there at the dinner table in a fancy restaurant when he ordered the food for them.

“Hey, Vince something looks weird about you” she said distractedly.

“So what is it?” he asked.

“This is really weird but you look almost like Eric Wilson, who’s CD you asked me to find at the store where we met” she said in a low voice.

“So is this just the thing you’re thinking or everyone at this place?”

“Probably only me” I replied to his comment.

“Alright, to prove it, we’re going to have to go to my house but for now I think you can live with a simple yes” he said slowly in a cool manner.

“Is it a dream or reality? That a simple sad girl is dining out in a fancy restaurant with a famous singer of all time, to what do I owe this pleasure?” she responded astonishingly.
It was hard for her to act normal at this point when a famous singer was interested in her.

When we see somebody we know, it is an instant when we quickly sort out things about the person, but when we do not know the person we kind of go for one of the two ways. The first one to hang out with the person and see if we can become friends or the second one we can get into a fight with the person.

I came back from my vacations two weeks ago with my new girlfriend that I adore a lot; she means something to me now that she is the only person who I care about other than the people out of this town.

The school started today finally after the big break that felt quiet short to me. Some of my friends and my rivals were so much into the stuff that they are seniors now but to me it does not matter more than the fact that I need a basketball scholarship to college and these free rides never come easy and you never know.

Everything was usual today even though it was the first day. Maxine and Alex who happens to be very close friends were not talking. To say the truth I thought that they were dating but it turns out they were not really into dating with each other. We found our new lockers and we were ready to begin with the things for the school day, I saw Maxine came near to Alex’s locker where he was standing, and gave him the angry expressions and said;

“What is wrong with you ever since a week ago I said those words in the hospital and you’re not talking to me, I deserve to get an answer why are you not talking to me?”

“Because, because, I like Sarah,” he said quickly.

“Why didn’t you ever tell me that before?” She asked him.

“Look I am really late right now, I’ll tell you about it later after school, pick me up”, he said.

Just as they stopped the talk, our coach made the announcement,

“Andrew Covens and Alex McAllen please report to the coach’s room immediately”.

Me and Alex, we both followed the opposite paths to coach’s room when we arrived there, coach Greenburg was holding a team’s shirt in his hand that he tossed over to me, I caught it quickly before I could miss it.

“Andrew! I am making you team captain I hope you will be worth it, that’s all you need to hear from me now”, he said by looking at me in a low and inspirational voice.

“Alex! I have heard and seen you play basketball sometimes, do you think you have what it takes to play varsity, I see your grades are good for a basketball player”, he said to Alex just as I was leaving.

I believed that whatever I heard was not the kind of thing I wanted to happen so I went out of the room but hid at the corner to eavesdrop at their talk.

“Coach, I like playing Basketball and I am not like all the jocks who are only interested in playing and not in learning that is the whole reason we come to school for, all I’m saying is yes, I want to play varsity basketball” Alex replied interestingly.

“Then you are on the team”, he tossed the shirt over to him and smiled.

He came out of the room, by this whole time the classes had started, there were nobody roaming around the lockers, and I decided to confront him.

“You should better see your way in the gym because I am team captain and I know how much of an idiot you are”, I said in a demanding voice just as he walked pass me,

“You know what? I know that we don’t like each other so let me make this clear I don’t need to get in your way because you’re not worth it so just back off” he replied to me in a hard voice.

Just as he completed throwing on me his words I lifted my hand and punched him on the face showing my disapproval on him joining the team, I had clearly accepted that he wouldn’t lay off and similarly he threw a punched at me too but it wasn’t that hard to give me a black eye as compared to mine. We both went down to the floor making a little bang, and then the coach came out and dissolved our little punch fight but the thing I expected was coming right there.

“You two are getting detention so get back to your classes before you get another one”, he said furiously.

I have always been a fan to hate the detention, it is ridiculous that some people like detentions but I do not. Lucky Alex that Maxine came to his rescue and he was able to leave fifteen minutes early from the detention. She took Alex to the gym and was determined to know the real reason finally.

“Spill it right now, what the hell is the reason that you are not talking to me?” She said angrily,

“You need to know something that happened a year ago, when the summer began, I was very down on the death of Scott and I just wanted to get away from the daily fight lifestyle that my parents were having so I decided to spend the summer at Justin’s place. I thought it would be the perfect way to leave all that is holding me here”, he explained from the scratch.

“The summer wasn’t the only reason I send you the message that I would be staying at Justin’s place. I had a little fling with Sarah back then when she was Justin’s girlfriend, I did not wanted to lose Justin as my brother so I decided to breakup with Sarah and then I returned to Blue Ridge at the start of the junior year. When she came to Blue Ridge, I did not know that she was with Andrew and we spend few hours together that made me feel like old days so I decided to go and ask her. But now the only thing I don’t want is this to be like it was with Carrie, when you said you liked me I didn’t wanted to break your heart so I figured that silence was the best way”, he concluded

“But you already broke my heart by not talking to me, we are best friends we tell each other everything and now I didn’t expected that you would keep this big secret from me”, she said

“I’m sorry but it was hard for me” he replied

“So now you need to make a choice, me or her and if you don’t pick me then I want us still to be friends just like we were, now go I need some time alone”, she demanded

Maxine was very sad to know that she was late to tell Alex about her feelings, she closed her eyes and covered the eyes with her fingers and sat down as she was crying.

During this time my detention ended up, now I could go to the gym for the practice but I figured I could do that later so instead I went to my locker. Sarah was there and I had noticed the new behavior she had put up since Vince’s party towards me, the hesitant kind of look I didn’t understood what was the reason but she and Justin had spent a lot of time together; so maybe seeing him had been the whole thing. However, the only thing in my mind was if maybe she had decided to leave me.

“Andrew! Andrew I need to talk to you”, she said loudly when I opened my locker and she came running towards me from the other side of the corridor,

“Well, I was about to go but, I’m here, what do you want to say?” I replied to her,

“You may have noticed a different behavior from me, I realized it this morning when I was getting ready, and the thing is I don’t want to hurt you but, I’m sorry, I came to Blue Ridge with another reason as well but the primary one was to make Justin jealous”, she said just as she stopped at me.

“When you arrived at my place, Justin and I had broken up two days ago, I didn’t know what to do and when I met you at the beach I had a little crush on you. It was not soon when I realized that Justin was jealous so I kind tried to do my best, but Justin never came to me again until yesterday at the party”, she explained.
“So apparently you’re telling me that you used me and there was nothing between us, how could you do that? You’re such”, I angrily said and slammed the locker’s door,

“So we’re breaking up”, she said.

“I guess it’s pretty obvious you should know”, I said.

“We spent the whole summer together and now we’re breaking up”, she mentioned.

“Maybe you should have realized that before you started using me”, I cried.

“Andrew, I know I did a wrong thing but we can start over, I’m really sorry, please forgive me! She said.

“I can’t do that, and perhaps its best if we stay broken up from now on”, I said in a low voice and went away from her, in the corridor going out.

At Sarah’s house she was sitting there not knowing what to do anymore, she took her cell phone and called Justin.

“So have you called to tell me that you have stopped making me jealous, because you’re going off the hook”, Justin said.

“I’m sorry; I told Andrew the whole thing and he broke up with me, you think maybe we can talk sometime”, she said.

“Look, we’re like three hours away and the school already started so I can’t meet you up, but if you want to come here, I’m cool with it. Just so you know, we’re not getting back together even if you come back, we’re long way, and I pretty much remember what you said to me last night” he said and hanged up the call.

“Hello? Hello? Justin?” She cried to check if he was there.

It was about the time of sunset, when Alex returned to his house, he opened the door, moved inside slowly, and saw that his mother (Evelyn) was sitting right on the couch a little scared, and worried. Alex walked right to her on the couch and sat,

“What happened mom? And why do you look worried to me” Alex asked.

“We had a fight, your father and me, at night around 10.30pm, when you were at the party, after that he left the house, I thought he would come back soon but ever since he hasn’t came back, I’m worried” Evelyn said in a slow voice.

“Mom, you know I never like to get in the way of your fights but this shouldn’t be that he left, so please tell me that it wasn’t something like that” he said.

Just a few seconds when Alex stopped talking the front door opened and Alex’s father (Troy) stepped inside the house.

“Alex, go to your room, your mother and I need to talk”, Troy said to Alex.

Alex stood up from the couch and said,

“Great, now you need to talk!”

He went to his room not knowing the whole thing about. Next day, it was actually the second day of our school and for the record I never imagined what I saw today was the thing I would ever see or ever come to know about. I walked to the corridor and entered the men’s room. I was confused and astonished just as Vince was there, but the other part I noticed was that he was standing by the sink and looking in front of the mirror before he saw me coming inside the bathroom. He was without the wig that he usually wears and apparently, the whole time it was not noticeable except for now that it was, I found out that Vince is actually (the famous singer) Eric Wilson.

“You are Eric Wilson? Oh God, I never even imagined,” I said in a startling manner that took his attention towards me.

“Oh, no Andrew you can’t tell anybody, especially not Ashley, Please”, he said as being startled.

“If you are really Eric Wilson, why are you here then, you don’t even need to be here” I said.

“Look, you need to keep your mouth close, you can’t tell anybody, ok? He said.

“Well, first, I’m your big fan, and second, I don’t want to blow off your big secret, so just relax”, I assured him.

The people we love the most may not help us in several ways sometimes but the truth is we are always there to help them. The point is that whether it’s our parents, relatives, friends or lovers we always tend to be there for them maybe for not their sake but for ours because even if they have hurt us all the time we do not want to lose them.

I love my parents a lot but just because I stay a little away from them do not mean that I do not love them, this is the same thing been with Scott. No matter how much their fight crumble me in a shadow of hate and not being able to do anything, but they are still my parents I cannot afford to lose them, the problem is that more I try to avoid this fact it comes running to me to destroy my patience.

Every day I wake up to the typical home condition, I see my parent’s faces and realize soon enough that they are not happy anymore but there is something still keeping them together but this morning they just shove off the whole thing and said the most astonishing thing I could not imagine at once.

“Alex, you know we love you and we both know how our fights have been affected over you but we need you to understand the decision that we’ve made”, my mother said in total eye contact with me. I could not have understood what she meant but I knew that this was different.

“We have decided to go for a divorce, and all that left now is for you to choose between me and dad”, she said slowly knowing that I would get to my peak temper.

“Mom, dad, you know what? This is getting old, making decisions and then making me to follow them, this needs time, ok! You both can’t ask me to choose one of you” I replied in a voice louder than my mom as I turned my face away from them and turned back to eye contact.

“You know son, it is getting a lot tougher for us to stay together anymore so this is how it is!” My dad said.

“Alright, you want me to choose, I choose nobody, and I realize now that this time is not very far when I’m going to go on my trust fund, so this is it I’m getting out. There’s nothing else you should expect from me now.” I quickly released myself from the grip and stood up.

It was just sudden that before my parents could respond on whatever I had spoken recently, my phone started ringing the song that I had put on the ring tone was my favorite. It always gave me the strange feeling, I grabbed the phone that was on the table near the couch and opened the flip, I clearly looked that it was not Maxine but it was Sarah.

“I know it wouldn’t exactly be thrilled to listen to this but it should be fun for you. I’m outside your house in my car, we’re going out for some fun so just pack yourself up and come out”, she said amusedly,

“I want to ask where to? But let’s save it, I’m coming in five minutes, so just wait” I quickly replied.

I flipped the phone and put it in my pants’ pocket, grabbed the jacket from the back of my room door. I realized that I have now two choices to make, one between my parents and one between my girl friend, the thing is that it has been really long since I been with Sarah, so this time I wanted to make sure I was looking good and my breath didn’t stink. I looked at myself in the mirror to see if my hair was ok, and my clothes were fine. I closed my room door and headed out speedily, came down the stairs,

“I’d be back, call me if there’s any problem”, I said quickly and went out of the door soon.

“Well, I never really expected this moment”, I said while getting inside her car and smiled coolly,

“Apparently, I didn’t either but that doesn’t mean we can’t have some fun you know”, She said by turning around facing me beside her, amusedly.

“The thing here is that, you’re Andrew’s girlfriend now, and you know how much he hates me, I don’t think he would be very excited to see us hanging out”, I said,

“I don’t care about it right now; I mean we’re just having fun, right? This should be something that Andrew would be afraid of, we’re good friends”, she explained,

She started the car and we went off to the road. I hated to know that it was just fun for her and nothing else; because I could certainly imagine right now that, she is the girl I have been looking for and breaking up with her the long time ago was not the righteous thing I did.

“Okay, so where are we actually going? Cause I’ve got to make two important choices by the night”, I said after I took a breath,

“Uh huh, so what are your options?” She said.

“Well, this morning, or more like before 10 minutes, my parents told me that they are having a divorce, which in some way I was happy about, but then they ordered me to choose who I want to live with for next of my days. And I angrily said nobody and that I’m moving out, I know it’s kind of cruel but I’m tired of this problem in my life and now I just want to get out of it”, I answered hopefully and sadly.

“So what’s the next choice”, she spoke quickly,

“Maxine told me that she likes me, just on the day you came here, she had an accident, and at school I told her that there was someone else that I liked but she’s dating someone else, so I don’t know what to do, and we’ve barely talked in these two weeks, considering that we are really talkative friends”, I said without stopping.

“So, who’s the other girl? And does she like you?” she questioned.

The last question she raised for me was very tempting and innocent for the girl who asked the question.

At Vince’s mansion, the only thing that was running through his brain was that, now that Andrew knows his secret he will get it out in front of everyone and he does not want it to happen. Calling the person, you like is certainly a good feeling but getting the call from someone you is very different.

It was not long that he had been thinking about something but soon, his phone started ringing, he checked to find out it was Ashley, he picked up the phone,

“Hey, how’re you doing?” She said,

“I’m good, just thinking about you”, he replied.

“Well, I was hoping if I could get a ride from you, I have to go somewhere and it’s really important”, she said,

“Okay, expect me right over!” I expressed.

It was about a seven minutes drive and we reached to the beach, we came out and bought two hot dogs from the nearby hot dog cart and we decided to stay out for a while and walk, we started walking to the shoreline.

“You know Andrew broke up with me. And whenever I’m with you, I feel really good, and I’m kind of missing Justin too”, she said.

“You know girls like you rarely exist. Why did you break up Justin anyway? Because as far as I remember you two were pretty good together”, I asked fluently.

“It’s a long story and besides you wouldn’t want to hear bad things about your cousin”, she said keenly,

“By the way, what are the options you are about to choose by tonight?” She continued.

“You know that other girl, you know her pretty good, you know why because she is standing next to me right now”, I cleared my mind and turned my face towards her and said without the slightest hesitation,

“Oh no, how could I forget, this is not the time, okay! Alex!” she took two steps backward and stopped walking, making my feet to stop as well and said unwillingly,

“You know me and Andrew, we just broke up and this time I am not the girl you are looking for, okay! So please don’t ask me anything else, please I’m sorry”, she continued.

“Yeah, me too”, I sighed.

I could not imagine at this point that two major decisions of my life are on my mind and I have made none of the right choices. I have never felt worse in my whole life, my world is turning upside down and I cannot do anything to make it better.

Vince picked up Ashley to go to the hospital; however, he did not remember this one thing in few days that every Saturday she visits Warren at the hospital. It was a very swift decision that Ashley decided to be with Vince, They both went to the hospital and walked to the room where Warren was for about four months.

Ashley walked inside and replaced the flowers in the vase with the newer ones that she brought,

“You know Warren likes sunflowers a lot, they are his favorite”, she moved to the seat beside the bed and said to Vince,

“Ashley! Do you want me to go outside and bring you some coffee?” He asked hesitatingly.

“Yes sure!” she replied.

Vince realized that it was quiet awkward and therefore he took a little longer to bring her the coffee until she was done with her weeping, when he returned they both walked to the car and sat inside,

“Ashley, how Warren went into the coma?” he asked,

“I told you before that his girlfriend put him in the coma”, she quickly replied,

“Yeah, Yeah, but something tells me that’s not the whole story”, he said by shaking his head.

She blinked her eyes for a second and looked up to Vince’s face,

“Four months ago, it was while me and Warren were dating, but I didn’t wanted it, and I had decided to break up with him, it wasn’t something bad he did but because he arrogant, and he didn’t took us seriously. So one day he made a joke and I finally decided to leave him, I went to his house told him right away”, she explained sadly.

“So, what happened next?” he asked.

“I went out of his house, right after I broke up with him and he came after me, I crossed the street and he wasn’t able to, a car ran over him, I called 911, and ever since he’s been in coma”, she continued.

“Are you afraid, that he’s never going to wake up”, he asked,

“Yes and I don’t know what to do?” she said,

“There is nothing to do, why do you even visit him?” he replied in a little aggression.
He started the car and drove, Ashley’s home was not far enough and they remained quiet through the whole distance until they stopped at her house. Ashley stepped out of his car and kept the door open.

“Thanks! By the way I visit him, because there is no one else to visit him, okay!” she said and slammed the door and went towards her house.

There was not a sudden thought that prevented me to say yes to Maxine, now that Sarah had finally annihilated me, so I believe why is the hesitation, I grabbed my phone and wrote a text message “I’m in” and sent it to Maxine.

Next day at the gym, I was confident and a little nervous about the new decision of joining the team; I was standing in the middle of the gym and I heard the footsteps of someone walking inside from the gate. I instantly looked back thinking as if it was Maxine but it was Andrew, he came towards me and said,

“You and me, one on one game, I win you lose the team and if you win you stay, decide the time”.

Three things tend to make change in our lives very quickly; first, is when you receive a certain kind of surprise, like a return of an ex-girlfriend. Second, is when you receive dazzling news that changes your life, as if your parents are finally divorced, and the third, is when you receive surrender from your perfect rival.

The truth is that all these things are actually happening to me, some in past, some in present and some in future but the whole point is that how am I working on things to get the life straight.

I am glad that I told Sarah that I liked her but that was the old story, now Maxine is my new girlfriend, and the way I see it, I think it is a good thing that many things are finally in shape. It was not too late or early for Andrew to bind me to leave the basketball team, but I knew that he could not do it because I was just better.

We were in the school gym, and the whole basketball team was sitting at the benches, the cheerleading squad was cheering for Andrew, at their spot. Even though it was such an unofficial game, but I had never felt more noticed than this time, but with all the nervousness one thing was very clear to me, the look of my girlfriend who wanted me to win.

The game went good when I made the first shot and Andrew could not, and right after that first, I went for the second and third scoring 2 points every time, The dunk was not the big deal but the flow of energy within me had scrutinized me to win. Each time after me, Andrew threw a shot for points; it went swift afterwards when I was totally in the game, until when it came to the final shot, we were on the score of 11-12, Andrew could have won, I was determined that if I let this go, it will get harder. A thought quickly shook my mind with its immensity that I never had to play basketball with team to get famous, many people know me anyway, and I do not care much, but I wanted to accept this so badly that it felt like the world is turning apart. I stood behind the three-point line with Andrew right in front me waggling to get the ball. I dribbled the ball right in to the two-point, at all steps with Andrew blocking me, I went back two steps quickly and then to the left for the basket and made the last goal to my advancement. The goal made me the newest member on the team, with high skills.

Just as the game ended Maxine and other few of my friends including Ashley, Vince, Dillon and some other, came running towards me, my I shook my head up towards the basket and then towards Andrew who had his head down with continuously stepping backwards, and then confronted the crowd, when Maxine hugged me hardly.

“It’s okay, I don’t hate you for losing”, Sarah came walking towards Andrew with a faint smile.

“No, it’s not okay, he made it to the damn team now, and it’s not what I want”, Andrew replied with directing his hand towards Alex.

“Why are you here anyway? Last time I checked we were never really dating”, he continued impolitely.

“I just want you to know that if you want to talk or something, I’m here for you and if nothing else, then at least I’d want us to be friends,” Sarah said and turned around.

“Well, I don’t think so I can do that,” Andrew replied.

I went towards Andrew and stopped when I saw Sarah; she looked at me and instantly turned and walked away, I walked closer to him.

“You won, that’s your luck, I don’t need your courtesy,” he said just as he saw me.

“Look, you don’t have to be such a jackass to me; I won; now we’re square, okay?” I replied manly.

“What do you say? Friends, besides I’m on the team now, if we’re not friends I don’t think we’re going to win that easy anymore games,” I put forward my hand towards him, in hopes that he would be fine with me but he was stubborn to handshake and walked away.

A few seconds later, Vince confronted Ashley just outside the gym regarding the comment he made the last time they met.

“Are you ever going to talk to me? You’re the whole reason I am still in Blue Ridge,” Vince said to Ashley from behind while going near her.

Ashley turned around quickly and said, “What do you mean I am the whole reason you’re still here?”

“Well, you know I was on tour when I came here, and ever since I saw you I just liked you so much that I fell in love with you,” he answered with an emotional smile, “And I love you.”

Ashley walked two steps back with her head down facing the ground, and suddenly moved forward and inclined to kiss Vince’s lips and said, “I love you too.”

Maxine and I walked to the parking lot, until we went near her car and stopped. “Come on; let me give you a ride,” Maxine said.

“Haven’t you heard guys don’t really like taking rides from their girlfriends, they prefer having their own cars,” I commented freely.

“Thanks for the guy check, but in case you forgot, you don’t own a car,” she reminded me.

“Never mind, how about a movie tonight?” I offered clearly, which changed her expressions totally.

“I was asking myself that it’s been two days and when would you ask me out?” she wondered, “but I’m busy,” she walked to the driver’s seat.

“Who’s more important” I wondered with lifting a brow.

She turned back towards me, coming near, “with you on a dinner date, because I don’t do movies so often,” her comment satisfied me as she grabbed my polo shirt from the lower collar, tending to kiss me but instantly backed down and pulled me to the driver’s seat.

“Here, go on! You’re driving and I’m watching you drive,” she said.

Sarah soon left without having a word with me, I just so hated this fact in my life besides the other facts. Sarah drove to her house and slammed the door. She went to the room, crashed on the bed, and started sobbing which led her to crying. A few minutes later, she picked up her car keys and went out. She took out the car started it and went straight outside the neighborhood on probably a long drive.

Andrew had a very cold defeat today, since he had never been defeated like that, the only thing running through his mind was the anger of crush.

It was very weird that Maxine was so excited to be my girlfriend that she could not even let me pick her up from her house, but instead she just came running in her car to my house’s front yard and gave me a miss call. I quickly grabbed my black jacket and left through the door without a slightest glance around the inside of the house. I went outside the door where she was standing by the door; she gave me the keys to her car and went inside next to driver’s seat.

On the way to the restaurant I peeked at Andrew who was going inside a bar, I could not have cared for that guy anymore than now, but for that it was my first date with Maxine, I just couldn’t change the plans and I passed by.

I parked the car and went to the restaurant which by the way a “Pizza Parlor” because I could not match with her standards of high living but she was not very concerned about any of it. The usher found us a seat, which I was very concerned about since it was the famous place and the weekend. We ordered a pizza, as it seemed the right thing for the celebration; however, the idea of the drinks did not felt avoiding but I guess I just did not wanted to use the fake id she was having. The server brought us the Pizza in like ten minutes but it was not a problem either.

“So I’m really glad that you chose me over Sarah, I remember how you use to talk about her,” Maxine said, but the point she mentioned was actually very hurting to me since I asked her first.

I tried to avoid the fact and took a slice of the Pizza and started eating it, I thought the first date would be somewhat romantic but it felt a little awkward.

“I’m glad I am with you too, I think I just want to get rid of the dramas in a relationship, which is quite evident seeing my parents now,” I replied.

She took a slice in her plate and started eating it, while I stared at her for a moment. We went through the date and finally set foot outside the restaurant, the wind felt a little cold so I took off my Jacket and put on Maxine’s shoulders as she looked at me with the hopeful eyes that I have never seen before.

I drove the car and went pass by the bar that Andrew went in to, I actually thought that he might have already left but I guess I forgot how his temper was. I asked Maxine if we could stop for Andrew just as I saw the horrible appearance he was having, that included his one of the sleeves being fold and other one left out normal and his messed up hair.

I stopped the car by the side and went out to run towards Andrew who was standing in the middle of the road, as I got beside him, I grabbed his arm tried to drag him across the street to which he resisted by pulling off the grip. Suddenly I saw the light from the front where a car was speedily coming towards us, as the car came near; I grabbed his arm again and moved him across the road.

“What are you gone nuts? What were trying to pull? That car could have run over you if I hadn’t dragged you.” I shouted at him.

“Then maybe you shouldn’t have!” Andrew replied.

“What the hell’s your problem, man? I gave you the offer to be friends, why can’t you just let it go?” I asked.

I decided to let go off the shouts and took him inside the car’s backseat, and went o the driver’s seat again and drove the car to Andrew’s house.

“Hey, I don’t know if it’s exactly the kind of goodbye you should get but he’s too much drunk so I should take care of him,” I apologized to Maxine.

“You’re just too good!” She replied and kissed me on the lips.

I took Andrew inside his house to his room, although he was very heavy to pull but I managed.

“Oh! I’m going to puke!” he quickly said and went to the bathroom, a few minutes later he came out being very drowsy, I led him to the bed and let him sleep.

Next morning I came to check out on him, I pressed the bell, and a voice came from the other side of the door,

“Come in, the door’s open.”

I went inside to see that he was in the kitchen so I went towards him, and walked into the kitchen where he was having a breakfast.

“You want to join to me on the cereal?” Andrew asked politely.

“No thanks! You seem pretty better than last night; I just came to check up on you.” I answered and turned around to go back.

“Alex! I’m sorry for last night, I remember you helped me across the road, it made me realize a little thing, so is the friends offer still at large?” He asked.

“Yeah, I’m glad you finally came to your senses. But seriously you thought to drink over a little defeat, that’s very screwed up.” I said.

“Well, I’m so screwed up that you don’t even know about me, I guess I’m going to change now. You can live with me with since you’re not living with your parents anymore.” He said.

“Thanks.” I replied with a smile.