*Flashback*

I walked through the school gates and looked around. I had already taken an instant dislike to the place, it seemed cold and miserable. It was the last thing I needed right now. I wanted somewhere I could feel at home, to help me get over the fact that my big brother was gone. I felt the tears sting the back of my eyes as I stepped into the building. I was met by an average looking man, who I presumed was the head. He led me to a classroom and all eyes were instantly on me. I looked around and my eyes met his. He turned to whisper something to his friends and I looked down at my feet. This was the last place I wanted to be - I wanted to be back home in with . "You must be . It's very nice to meet you. Welcome to the class. There's a free seat next to , stick with her for today. I'm sure she won't mind showing you around." I forced a smile onto my face and made my way over to the table. "Hi, I'm , and this is ." "Hi, I'm ." She smiled at me and moved her bags across so I could sit down. "It's ok, I know that it's pretty scary joining a new school, but we don't bite. Well, might, but he's a bit of an idiot in general." There was a long pause before he registered what she had just said. "Oi! I'm not that bad. Don't listen to her , I'm actually a really nice person." I held my hands up and giggled. "I'm not saying anything." I turned my attention to the front of the class, where the teacher had started explaining the school rules. Judging by the expressions on the faces of most of the class, it was very familiar territory. "And finally, no kissing and cuddling on school grounds. , are you paying attention. This applies to you more than anyone else." "Yes, miss, I was paying attention, but I can't help having every girl in school falling at my feet. You know what it's like, you've gotta keep them sweet." The whole class burst out laughing, and hit him across the head with a rolled up magazine. "Get over yourself! God, you're so vain." "Just cos you're not getting any attention." "As if I'd want any from you. Do I look desperate?" "You don't want me to answer that." "Shut up!" The bell rang, signalling the end of registration, which was just as well, because it looked like world war three was about to break out between them. I looked at my timetable and groaned. Double - great! "What have you got?" "Double . You?" "Same. Come on, we'd better go cos is really strict about lateness. We don't want you getting detention on your first day, do we?" I nodded and followed him to the classroom, smiling to myself. I wasn't exactly popular, but it was a start. I had made five new friends already, how was I to know they'd be the only ones I'd make while I was here.

*End of flashback*

I walked into the crowded room, and again, all eyes were on me. I walked over to , who was talking to and . "Hey girls." smiled at me, but and just glared at me. "You've got some nerve, turning up here after what you did. Don't you get it, nobody wants you here." " , please just give me a chance to explain." "Explain what? You hurt him so much, what did he do to deserve that? Do you know he hasn't dated another girl since you?" "That's not my problem. I didn't make him do it, did I?" "Not directly. He couldn't trust anyone after that. I just want to know what made you do it. What made you hate him enough to do something like that to him?" I sighed and closed my eyes. This wasn't going to be easy. I was beginning to wonder what I was doing here. If I couldn't get and to listen to me, how on earth was I going to speak to ? "Ok, I know it was wrong. I knew it back then too. If I could take it all back, I would. I never meant to hurt him, or any of you for that matter." "You still made a bet you could get him in bed, and as if that wasn't enough, you had to make sure he knew that's all it was." "At first that is all it was - a bet. Then, I started spending time with him, and I know it might sound clichéd, but I fell for him." "So you decided to lead him on, then just chuck him aside." "That's not how it was." "That's how it looked to us. Was it just a bit of fun to you?" "No! I actually really liked him." "Do you want our sympathy, cos you're not going to get it. Newsflash, - he liked you too. A lot. He was head over heels, and you threw it all back in his face." I was stunned into silence and that seemed to satisfy . "I think you should go now, before he gets here." "I can't. I need to talk to him. Please, , I need to explain to him. You have no idea how bad I feel for what I did to him, I still replay it in my head. I still see the look on his face whenever I close my eyes. All I need is one minute, just to apologise, and then I'll go. I don't blame you guys for hating me, I hate myself. I just need to talk to him." "One minute, and that is it. If it helps, I know you feel bad. We don't hate you, and by we, I mean me and . was really hurt by what you did, and if he chooses to listen to you, it will take him a long time to get over it. I mean, it's been two years and he still walks out of the room whenever we mention your name. I could have a word with him if you like." I shook my head, desperately trying to hold back the tears. "This is something I need to do by myself. I'm really sorry." They hugged me and I couldn't hold the tears back anymore. "It's ok." I finally managed to pull myself together and we were talking about the old times when suddenly looked up in shock. I knew exactly what was happening, but I couldn't move. I felt a hand clamp down on my shoulder. "Hey girlies. Did you miss me?" I closed my eyes and bit my lip, trying to gain the confidence to speak up. When I opened them again, was no longer sitting opposite me. She was now stood behind me, talking to , whose hand was still on my shoulder. Just that little bit of contact was sending shivers down my spine like never before. I swallowed and stood up. This was the moment of truth. I looked round at , who nodded at me. "Hey ." He froze instantly and his eyes clouded over as he turned to face me. "What do you want?" "A chance to explain." "You are joking, right?" stepped forward. "Actually, she's deadly serious. , just give her a minute to explain." He looked round at them in disbelief, but she smile reassuringly. "Fine, one minute." He placed a hand on the small of my back and led me to a quiet corner of the room. "You wanted to talk, so talk. I've got better things to do that waste my time with you." His words cut through me, but I kept my composure. "I just wanted to say I'm sorry. I never meant to hurt you, and I certainly didn't want to lose my best friend over it. It was a stupid mistake, and I didn't realise how much it would hurt you. I'm sorry." "You think saying sorry is going to make it all better? And what do you mean, you didn't realise how much it would hurt me. , I loved you, ok. The day you said you'd go out with me, I felt like nothing could ever bring me down again. I have never felt like that about anyone before. I really thought we would last. I was sick of being the guy everybody wanted; I just wanted to be myself. You helped me do that, and I'm always going to be grateful for that. You helped me become who I am today, but there is no way we could go back to how it was. You hurt me too much, and I'm not sure I'm ready to forgive you. I'm not ever sure I want to." "I wasn't expecting you to forgive me. I just wanted to apologise, and I have, so I'd better stick to my promise and leave." I turned to walk away, and then stopped. "I loved you too. I just thought you should know." " ." I remained with my back to him. "Stay! It won't be a school reunion without you. And I suppose I can let bygones be bygones for the night. I know the others really wanted to catch up with you. I can't let you leave, they'll kill me." He smiled at me and held a hand out. I took it and he pulled me into a bear hug. As we stood there, I felt a single tear roll down my cheek as I thought back to the last time I'd seen him.

*Flashback*

I woke up next to him and last night's events came flooding back. I kissed him on the cheek lightly, then pulled my prom dress back on and made my way downstairs. was sprawled out on the sofa. I smiled to myself and walked over to her. "Wake up sleepyhead.” She stirred and opened her eyes slowly. "I hope you don't need that money for anything." Her eyes widened as she reached for her purse. "You mean you guys..." "I nodded and held my hand out. "Seriously?" " , I did not just bed the guy for nothing. Come on, cough up." She cursed as she handed over the £50 note. "Thank you, I will enjoy spending your money." I tucked the money into my bra until I could get to a shop to spend it. " , what's going on?" I spun round to find an upset looking standing in the doorway. "I..." "Just don't! I thought you liked me." "I do!" "Yeah, right. I can't believe I fell for it. like you would ever look at me." I bit my lip as he ran out of the room and looked over at , who was laughing her head off. "God, he is so pathetic." " , just leave it. Lay off him." "Oh, please don't tell me you actually like the boy." "And what if I do? It's not like he'll ever speak to me again, is it?" I ran up to my room and slammed the door shut behind me. I sat on my bed, looking at the picture of me and . We had been mucking around in the garden and we were both covered in mud. We weren't even looking at the camera, we were far too wrapped up in each other. For the first time since had died, I felt alone. I left the £50 note on my desk and curled up in a ball, still clutching the photo. found me like that a few hours later. "I'm sorry, mate. I didn't realise you liked him that much." I shrugged and continued staring into space. "Your money's on my desk." "But you earned it." "Yeah, and because of it, I lost the most important person in my life. Just take it, ." "I'll be back later to pick you up." I sat up and looked at her. "The talent show at school. Please don't tell me you'd forgotten. You're performing." I shot up and looked in the mirror. I looked awful, but it would take too long to get ready. I wanted to get some last minute practise in. "Come on! Say anything about how I look, and I'll kill you." I raced out of the door, with close behind. less than an hour later, I was stood on the stage nervously awaiting my chance to shine. The song would have even more meaning now - I just hoped he'd be there, as the song was dedicated to him. As the curtains drew back, I looked around quickly and spotted him standing at the back of the hall. I was so distracted, I almost missed my cue. threw a rubber at me to get my attention. I looked down at the guitar I was holding and strummed the opening chords. I took a deep breath and stole one more glance at him, before putting my heart and soul into the performance.

Oh, why you look so sad?
Tears are in your eyes
Come on and come to me now
Don't be ashamed to cry
Let me see you through
'cause I've seen the dark side too
When the night falls on you
You don’t know what to do
Nothing you confess
Could make me love you less
I'll stand by you
I'll stand by you
Won't let nobody hurt you
I'll stand by you
So if you're mad, get mad
Don't hold it all inside
Come on and talk to me now
Hey, what you got to hide?
I get angry too
Well I'm a lot like you
When you're standing at the crossroads
And don't know which path to choose
Let me come along
'cause even if you're wrong
I'll stand by you
I'll stand by you
Won't let nobody hurt you
I'll stand by you
Take me in, into your darkest hour
And I'll never desert you
I'll stand by you
And when... When the night falls on you, baby
You're feeling all alone
You won't be on your own
I'll stand by you
I'll stand by you
Won't let nobody hurt you
I'll stand by you
Take me in, into your darkest hour
And I'll never desert you
I'll stand by you
I'll stand by you
Won't let nobody hurt you
I'll stand by you
Won't let nobody hurt you
I'll stand by you

I let the last chord ring out and breathed a sigh of relief. It had gone ok despite my early slip up. All I could do now was sit and wait for the results to be announced. In the meantime, my attention returned to the letter I'd received that morning. I had to go to London to start a whole new life down there. I'd been accepted into the London College of Fashion, and I knew it was too big an opportunity to miss. That evening, I decided to call him and tell him I was leaving. I don't know why, I didn't think he'd answer and I was right. I left a message on his phone, but he never got back to me.

*End of flashback*

"Hey, don't cry." "I can't help it. I missed you guys so much." "How long are you in for?" " I have to go back to London tomorrow, and then I'm off to Milan for six months." "Shame, I was gonna say maybe we could all meet up and go out somewhere. It would be just like the old times." "Not quite like old times." I suddenly realised we were still hugging and I pulled away from him. "We've been gone a lot longer than a minute, we should probably get back." "Yeah, of course." I grabbed his hand to hold him back as he walked away. " , For what it's worth, I really am sorry. I wish I could take it back." His eyes clouded over again and he pulled his hand away roughly. "Like I said, it's too late for apologies. The damage is done, and one little word is not going to fix it." "Yeah, I should probably be going then. I told that I'd say what I had to say and leave. I've done that now, so I guess I'll see you around." "Oh, that's right. Run away again, like you always do. , when are you going to grow up and face up to your problems?" "Excuse me? You don't know anything about me, , so don't tell me how to live my life." "You're right, I don't know you. I only spent five of the best years of my life with you by my side. That’s nothing, right? I know enough to tell that you’ve changed – or maybe I have, I don’t know. Either way, something is not right between us. I’m not putting the blame on anyone, but I think we both know why. And I’ll tell you something else. Just now, that hug, I felt something, and I know you did too. It’s still there, isn’t it?” “What?” “That spark between us.” “Honestly? I don’t know. It’s been two years , that’s a long time.” I couldn’t believe I was saying this: there was nothing I wanted more than to be with him again. I hated lying to him. I always felt like he’d see right through me. Thankfully, this time, he didn’t. “Look, I’m sorry, but I don’t think it would wok out between us. There’s too much bad history. Granted, it’s my fault, but that’s why I can’t get involved with you again. I don’t want to hurt you.” I left him standing there and made my way over to the others to say goodbye. I noticed was no longer with them, but didn’t say anything. “Girls, it’s been great catching up with you, but I have to go. I’ve got an early start tomorrow.” “Aw, good luck with Milan, we’ll all be watching on the telly. Here’s my number, keep in touch.” “I will.” I wrote my number down on a separate sheet of paper and handed it to . We all shared a brief hug, and I picked up my bag. I was at the door when I heard ’s voice again. He was stood up on the stage with and two other boys I didn’t recognise. “Hey guys. This is our new song, and you lucky people get to hear it first.” I stood at the back of the room, smiling slightly at the irony of the situation.

It's all about you
It's about you
It's all about you, baby
It's all about you
It's all about you
It's about you
It's all about you
Yesterday, you asked me something I thought you knew.
So I told you with a smile 'It's all about you'
Then you whispered in my ear and you told me to,
Say 'If you make my life worthwhile, it's all about you'
And I would answer all you're wishes, if you asked me to.
But if you deny me one of your kisses, don't know what I'd do.
So hold me close and say three words, like you used to do.
Dancing on the kitchen tiles, it's all about you.
Yeah... And I would answer all you're wishes, if you asked me to.
But if you deny me one of your kisses, don't know what I'd do.
So hold me close and say three words, like you used to do.
Dancing on the kitchen tiles,
Yes you make my life worthwhile
So I told you with a smile...
It's all about you
It's all about you
It's about you
It's all about you, baby
It's all about you
It's all about you
It's about you
It's all about you

The song was absolutely beautiful and it brought a tear to my eye. I stood rooted to the spot as the cheers grew louder. Everything seemed to move in slow motion as walked towards me. Within seconds, I was in his arms again, crying like there was no tomorrow. “Did you like it?” “I loved it.” “I’m sorry.” I pulled away from him slightly, looking up at him in disbelief. “What have you got to be sorry for?” “What I said earlier.” “Forget it. I don’t deserve apologies, not after what I did. I don’t deserve you.” “Well, you’re going to have to put up with me, cos I’m never letting you go.” “I’m so stupid. I didn’t mean any of it. The spark is sill there, it never went away. I love you – I always will.” I looked into his eyes and I could see the pain in them. I traced over his cheek with my finger, taking in every last detail. I could feel myself falling deeper and deeper; I was now almost totally oblivious to everyone’s stare. All I could see was him. “So, what do you say? Can we give ‘us’ another chance?” I bit my lip and wrapped my arms around his neck. “Come on, , these people want an answer.” “I don’t know . It’s such a hard decision to make. Should I go back to the only guy who has ever made me feel the way I do when I’m with him. The only guy who means the world to me and I’d die for.” I stood up on tiptoe and pressed my lips firmly against his. “I love you.” I screamed as he picked me up and spun me round before putting me down and meeting my lips in another gentle but passionate kiss.

*the next morning*

“Morning gorgeous.” I smiled and rolled over to face him. “Sleep well?” “for the two hours I got, yeah.” “Well, we did have a lot to catch up on.” “Hey, I’m not complaining. What’s the time?” “It’s just gone eleven.” I shot up instantly. “Crap! I have to go, I was meant to be at the airport.” “wait ten minutes, I’ll give you a lift.” “I can’t babe, I’ve really got to go.” I put my shirt back on and pulled my trousers out from the pile of clothes on the floor. got up too, and stood behind me. I felt his arms wrap around my waist and I leaned back into him. “I wish you didn’t have to go.” “Me too, but it’s my job. I don’t have a choice.” He started buttoning my shirt and I let out a small giggle. “What?” “Nothing. I just wasn’t expecting a boy to be doing up the buttons on my shirt.” He gave me one of his trademark cheeky grins. “I could always unbutton it if you like.” “You dare!” I turned to face him and suddenly, the tears welled up again. “What’s up now?” “I’m gonna miss you.” “I’ll fly out to see you next month, I’ve got some time off.” “What about the rest of the six months. I don’t want to go, I don’t want to leave you.” “I’ll be fine, I’m a big boy now, I can look after myself. Don’t worry, I’ll be here waiting for you when you come back. Now, come on, you’re late.” He ushered me downstairs, grabbing a pair of jeans on the way. “I love you.” “I love you too.” I opened the door and stepped out. “Wait, you forgot something.” I turned around, not wanting to drag this out any longer than I had to. “This should keep you going until next month.” He pushed my chin up gently and brushed my hair out of my eyes. I closed my eyes in anticipation and when our lips finally met, he didn’t disappoint. Small bolts of electricity pulsed through my entire body. When he finally pulled away, we were both breathless. His hand dropped away from my face and I turned to walk down the driveway. I was so happy, I didn’t see or hear the car coming until it was too late. The pain of the impact was nothing compared to the pain I felt when I opened my eyes to find myself looking into ’s tearful ones. I winced as I raised my hand to his face. He looked down at me and my heart broke. I didn’t want to leave. “I’m sorry.” “Don’t leave me. I love you.” I closed my eyes and let the darkness swallow me. I could still hear him, but his voice was getting fainter. I wish there was a way to let him know that I could hear him and that I felt the same way.