Chapter 1 Addison’s POV Hot tears ran down my face as I glared at the group in my neighbor’s backyard. I don’t think that I have ever been this angry in my life. How could I have been so freaking stubid? I knew better, yet I still fell for it. I watched my longtime crush allow the bane of my existence to act possessively over him. Her hands traced his chest before dropping lower towards his trunks. He allowed her to do it until his parents came out of the house. They would not appreciate seeing the show. I was sitting on top of my dresser. It was the only way to get a good angle to see the backyard. I am just a glutton for punishment for even attempting to look. I just needed to know. Garrett used to be my best friend. We grew up together. I thought he was special. I thought he was the one. I thought that once he claimed me, we would be together forever. I was stubid to fall for it. I should have realized that he just wanted to hа've sex with me, just like the other girls. My mind told me he was in on what happened, even as my heart protested that he was also a victim. I am sure that was Tammy’s goal all along. She was glad to have finally gotten the upper hand on me. What am I going to do? I need to get out of here, but where can I go? I just turned eighteen yesterday, and my world has completely fallen apart. I could not stop the sobs as my pain increased to double. My life was just beginning and now this. I hated Tammy so much. I don’t understand why she would do something like this to me, why she hated me so much that she wanted to destroy me like that. I needed someone here to comfort me, but I was now alone. The scandal exposed today has probably ruined me in this town. I didn’t know where to turn. My best friend, Kate Bellerby, wanted to be there for me but didn’t have a car. Plus, our whole community had either heard or seen the video. Her parents told her to stay away from me until it blew over. I doubt that it ever will. The taunts and cruel comments were still ringing in my ears from school this morning. I never thought that you could die from shame, but now I am starting to wish I could. The two guys who assaulted me this morning were currently standing there and talking to Garrett. They are all having a great time, laughing it up. They were probably all talking about me. I wanted to hear what they said, but they were too far away. I wanted to know if Garrett would defend me to his friends, but it seems that after he got what he wanted from me. He was happy to leave me to deal with the aftermath. My heart clenched at the thought of what had happened. I have cared for him my whole life. My love for Garrett grew without me realizing it had gone behind a crush. My heart sank with the knowledge that I would never be able to take back what happened between us last night. I couldn’t stop watching him, no matter how much it hurt. His stubid, handsome face. He didn’t care that he ruined my life at all. He managed to avoid the scandal, which was suspicious to me. The humiliation I am suffering hits me again. Why had he not stepped up to defend me? I will never understand how he could do that to me. My eyes are so dry and puffy now they are burning. I can’t see as well as I could earlier. I had already cried my heart out yesterday, and now this. Logic tells me there is probably a simpler solution to my lack of tears. Maybe I am just numb to all the pain now? More likely, I am probably dehydrated. My anger is taking a backseat to sadness now. How will I ever get past this? I don’t even know what I am going to do anymore. I had my life all planned out. I was going to go to college this fall, major in business, and get a secondary degree to do what my mother did. Now, I don’t know if that will even be possible. All the plans that my mother and I made now lie shattered on the ground. Loud laughter brought my attention back to the pool party next door. Garrett's father, Russell, was manning the grill. He is speaking to Garrett’s teammates as they tease each other. Garrett is the quarterback of our high school football team. He has brown hair and piercing blue eyes. He looks exactly like his father, except his father has brown eyes. You can also see precisely what Garrett will look like in twenty years. With his strong jaw and captivating good looks, it is no surprise that everyone at the high school vies for Garrett's attention. Half the cheer squad is after him, trying to gain and keep his attention. He was going to go pro, just like his father. The cheer squad deferred to Tammy. Her father is the reason that they never get into trouble at school. Well, that is, until yesterday. But this latest attempt to hurt me has gone way too far. I don’t know how I will recover from it or, honestly, if I ever will. I heard squealing and looked over to see Alden James standing beside the pool. He is Garrett’s best friend and favorite running back. Alden smiled and then tossed Summer into the pool. Tripp Reed, one of Garrett’s tackles, approached the side of the pool with a squirming Whitney in his arms. She was pretending to be scared, but she might be scared now that Summer got thrown into the pool. She is in full makeup, as are her friends. They never go anywhere without being fully put together. Summer looks like a drowned rat; her makeup is a complete mess. Her mascara might be waterproof, but it seems like nothing else is. Whitney is now acting like a cat about to be bathed, climbing up Tripp's body and trying to hold on to him to keep from being thrown in. The only one in the group safe from being thrown in was Tammy unless Garrett decides to do it, which we all know won’t happen. She would be furious. The laughter increases as Tripp jumps into the pool with her in his arms. He couldn’t wrestle her off of him, as she was holding onto him so tightly. She shrieked when he jumped into the pool with her. She came up for air, still screaming at him. He just laughed at her like it was funny. He knew how much they liked to keep from getting their hair and faces wet. They didn’t swim. They lounged around or floated in the pool on their floats. They were there to be seen, not swim. He grabbed the side of the pool and pulled himself out of the water. He was in good shape, even with the extra weight he carried from being a tackle. He was not eighteen yet, but he will be next month. He is a big guy with a broad build, always attracting attention. He was 6’2” tall and a junior, but his 235 lb. frame was almost all sheer muscle due to his position in the team. His older brother, Gage, was eighteen and graduating with us this year. Gage was much quieter than his younger brother. He was a giant at 6’4” tall and about 10 lbs. heavier than his younger brother. He was there with his girlfriend of the last four years, Samantha Harris. She was nice. I have interacted with her a lot over the years. She didn’t turn her back on me when Garrett iced me out of his group three years ago. She didn't fear being thrown in the pool. She also didn't fear Tammy picking on her as she sat in the lounger beside Gage. He would never allow her to get picked on. Everyone knew that they were going to get married one day. She had what these other girls wanted: a real relationship with a man who would probably be going on to play professionally. You would think the girls on the cheer squad would realize a few truths from that. Sam, as she was called, was there with a b**e face, yet she was still beautiful. She was also bigger than the other girls there, just like I had been. It was probably how we hit it off so well. She was perhaps size twelve, as she looked to be about a size down from me. She had a very curvy body and was clearly comfortable in her own skin. It wasn’t just because she knew that Gage had her back. She was very confident. She had chosen a b****i, too, to emphasize her slim w***t. It was her brests and h**s that made her the slightly larger size she was, and Gage made no secret that he liked how she looked. Gage was possessive of Sam; everyone here knew she was off limits. After Tripp got out of the pool, he glanced at his brother and Sam. It was like a lightbulb suddenly came on. He immediately turned back around and looked right up at my window. It was scary that he seemed to know exactly which room was mine. I doubt he felt me watching them. How could he possibly know that I was watching the group of them? I think seeing Sam reminded him of what happened at school this morning. My blinds were open, but I was sure he couldn’t see me. His slow smile was incredibly creepy to me. I froze in place, refusing to move or close my blinds. Doing either of them would alert him that I was indeed watching them. It seemed like it didn’t matter to him anyway. He seemed to be able to sense that I was there. He started posing for me, which drew everyone’s attention to him. They are all incredibly confident in their appearance. Their hard work shows, and they don’t mind showing it off. Now, they are all looking up at the window to my room. I couldn’t move. I couldn’t even breathe. I honestly don’t think they could see me. There was no way. The slats on my shutter blinds were tilted at a specific angle, mostly closed. It was to prevent them from being able to see into my room. Yet, it allows me to watch them unnoticed. Well, until now. Tripp was positive that I was watching them. He even turned away from me to pose again, like he was some sort of bodybuilder. Both he and Alden are now posing for me. They are trying to one-up the other. Tripp’s mocking voice called, “Don’t worry, Addison. The cold water might make it look smaller, but I want to show you how much bigger and better I am than your mystery guy. I can come over now if you want a go with me." He then grabbed his /cok in his hand and thrvst himself towards me. The group’s laughter was loud. What hurt the most was that even Garrett was laughing along with them like he was; the mystery guy. His parents rushed out of the house to see what was happening with all the yelling. They looked around in confusion about why Tripp was yelling and everyone else was laughing at his antics. It wasn't funny at all. My heart sinks with the knowledge that Garrett had lied to me last night, from beginning to end.

Chapter 2 Addison’s POV Three Days Earlier I sat on my dresser to watch everyone at the pool party next door. It was Sunday, and I had not been invited to the party as usual. It was already hot here in Frisco, Texas, as it was the middle of May. I wasn’t too upset about not being invited. As far as I could see, it was the usual jrk invited. Half the football team, and several members of the cheer squad were all there. All of them vying for the football players' attention. They had been out there since two p.m. and showed no signs of the party being over any time soon. I had been studying at my desk when the noise started outside. My finals are tomorrow, and I wanted to end the school year right. I have spent most of my time doing what was needed for college. Volunteering was a big part of that, as well as having a high GPA, to get into The University of Texas in Dallas. I spent my morning helping out at the local senior citizen's home. I enjoyed interacting with them, and Mom always came with me. I had everything I needed to get in and had already been accepted. I didn’t need to volunteer anymore, but I kept on. I enjoyed spending time with them, as we had made several friends there. I've learned a lot from them. I have lived here, next door to the Pearson family, my whole life. I had been friends with Garrett since we could crawl. He was three months older than me, so he had turned eighteen a few months back in February. He was standing with his friends and laughing about something as they waited for Mr. Pearson to finish with the burgers and hot dogs. Tammy came out of the house in the tiniest b****i that I have ever seen in my life. The way Garret’s eyes followed her around made me want to throw up. I am turning eighteen tomorrow and would be lying if I said I wasn’t looking forward to it. I was ready to go to college and leave this town far behind. When I leave, I will only miss my mother, my two friends, and the people at the nursing home. We have already promised to keep in t***h after I leave. I climbed down off my dresser and headed to grab a shower. I wanted to study after dinner to make sure I was ready for the finals. I was already locked in as the Valedictorian. It didn’t matter if Allison Henry got full marks for everything. She was too far behind to be able to take it from me. I know it pissed her off, but it was nothing personal. I had goals that I wanted to achieve and to do that, I needed to earn as many scholarships as possible. I didn't want my mother to have to stress about it. All she asked of me was to do my best. So, that is what I did. I always tried to make her proud of me. I was not as excited about my birthday as I could have been. I was completely prepared for the tests. That was not the issue; my birthday came with both joy and sadness. I was going to finally be eighteen, and an adult. But I was also going to have the reminder that Mom and I were all alone in the world. My father passed away from cancer when I was about to turn three years old. My mother still wears her wedding ring to this day. The love she still has for him is strong. She still loves and misses him. I have always hoped to have the same kind of love that they shared. I thought I had found it in my best friend, but I was wrong. I have always played with the children of our next-door neighbors. The Pearsons were good friends to my parents. They helped Mom through the mourning process after losing my father. I have had a crush on Garrett since I was thirteen. Before that, he was my best friend. We did everything together. I was a bit of a tomboy. I climbed trees, learned to shoot guns at the range with him and his father, and had paintball wars with him and his younger brother until I turned fifteen at the end of my freshman year of high school. Up until I was suddenly shown that I wasn’t good enough to be around Garrett anymore. Things had become tense between us. Garrett turned his back on me and let his friends start bullying me. I can remember when it happened very clearly. It was the last month of our freshman year when Tammy Daniels showed up. Her father was the new assistant principal, as the old vice-principal had a health emergency and retired. They had moved here from Tennessee. She took one look at my best friend, and that was all it took. I felt sick about being replaced. She was everything that I wasn’t: slim and gorgeous. She had long blonde hair and big blue eyes. She looked lovely and sweet, but she was anything but. She always managed to look perfect. Her makeup was always flawless, and I felt like the hunchback of Notre Dame next to her. It was evident from the start that he wanted her, and it didn’t take long for that to happen. We found out the hard way. Mom watched their house for them as they went to a family reunion in Galveston. Garrett had football camp and was supposed to spend the weekend with his best friend, Alden. I saw the light in his room come on. His room is directly across from mine. I saw the light come on in his room. I was shocked to see him and Tammy sleeping together that night. After they were done, they both left. It broke my heart to see him with her. I saw Tammy at school the next day, and her smile let me know that she knew I had seen them together. I just rolled my eyes at her and headed for class. It was a well-known fact that most of the cheer squad wanted to get with the guys who were slated to go pro. That was always their goal, but to me, that was no goal at all. Why didn’t they set their own goals? Why didn’t they have dreams to accomplish for themselves? Why did they all want to be dependent on someone else to make them happy? Things were hard for us when I was younger. They got easier, but I didn't want to depend on a man. I wanted to make my own way. As I showered, I wondered again what made Garrett turn his back on me. He wasn’t just my best friend. I had always fantasized about him taking me to prom. I wanted him to tell everyone he loved me and I belonged to him. The dream seemed so real that it hurt to wake up and realize it hadn't been real. I dried off, wrapping my long auburn hair up in a towel. I gave myself a hard look in the mirror. I liked my full l**s despite them getting unwanted attention. I didn’t mind the scattering of freckles on my cheeks and a few on my nose. I could always cover them with makeup. I was attractive, but I wouldn’t say that I was beautiful. My emerald green eyes looked dull and sad, and I knew why. Each time I see Garrett with Tammy, it hurts my heart. I knew it was time for dinner as I could smell the delicious food as I headed downstairs. I was surprised that she had made my favorite dinner of enchiladas as I came to the table. “I wanted to surprise you, Addison. You would have been expecting them tomorrow, so I made them today,” my mother said with a mischievous smile. “Thanks, Mom,” I replied as I sank into the chair beside her. This helped. My mother always seemed to know when I was having a hard time. I have an issue with comfort eating, which is its own vicious cycle. My mother prayed over our meal, and we dug in. My mother has been and always will be my biggest supporter. No matter what, she has always been there for me. It has been me and her against the world for the last fifteen years. Yesterday was the fifteenth anniversary of my father's passing. He died two days before my third birthday, and I knew that it made it even harder for her to celebrate my birthday each year. My mother asked questions about my plans for the future. My mother was involved in my life. She only had one friend, our next-door neighbor, Tandy Pearson. This was part of the reason that Garrett and I were such good friends. We have been together since we were babies. Mom and Mrs. Tandy would get together to shop, meet for coffee, and just hang out in our backyard. My mother had turned our backyard into an oasis. It had lush greenery and an abundance of colorful flowers. My mother had a large gazebo built towards the back of our property. There was a bridge you walked over to get to it, with a large Koi pond that ran about thirty feet long. It was three feet deep in most of the area, as my mother loved those fish. They provided her with comfort when she wanted to relax. Mom worked at home. She never had to leave the house, as far as I knew. She always seemed to have money these days. Things were more challenging when I was younger, but starting at about age ten, things became much easier for us. She said the extra income was from my father’s life insurance. I always believed that as a child. We lived in a nice home in an upper-middle-class neighborhood. We live comfortable lives. I don’t know how she does it. We aren’t wealthy, but we aren’t scraping by either. “Addison, after you graduate, I want to talk to you about us moving back to Dallas,” my mother said hesitantly. “Back to Dallas? I've never lived there, so how could it be back to Dallas, Mom?” I replied. My analytical mind immediately corrected what she had just said. “But I did,” my mother softly replied. I am interested now, as she never talked about her past. She usually kept things about me when we spoke and always avoided talking about anything before meeting my father. I have to admit I was getting a little nervous at how she looked at me. “You can tell me now, Mom,” I responded. I wanted to know what she was going to say. I was curious, and I just wanted to know what was going on. “It can wait, honey. No rush. It is not like you are starting college tomorrow. You have your finals tomorrow, and I want you focused on those. I can’t tell you how proud I am of you, Addison. Your father would have been just as proud of you, too. You are my pride and joy, and I hope you never forget that. Let’s just get past your finals and celebrate your birthday, and we will discuss it after that, OK?” my mother asked. I nodded in agreement. It was her call, as she was the one who wanted to talk in the first place. We spoke a little longer before I returned to my room to study. I noticed movement as I walked up to my desk in front of my window. I looked over into Garrett’s room, and I really wished I hadn’t.

Chapter 3 Addison’s POV Was he seriously having fun with Tammy with a house full of guests? She was bent over, holding his desk to support her, and he was p***********o her. I don’t know how she noticed me. Knowing her, she was probably waiting for me to show up. She knew finals were tomorrow, yet she was inside his room instead of studying. She immediately turned to look at me. Her smile said it all. She was glad I had caught them together. It was clear that she probably set this show up for me to see. He didn’t stop or even notice that I was standing there. He had just slid his swim trunks down, and her b****i bottom had also been pulled down. His hands were on her h**s, and he was focused on what he was trying to do. I knew I probably had a deer in the headlights look on my face, but now that she had an audience, she bent down lower and pushed herself back towards Garrett. She was obviously egging him on. I can see him get even more aggressive with his thrvsts. I don’t know what she said to him, but whatever it was, he was encouraged to go even faster than I thought possible. Tammy grabbed one of her brests and cried out as he continued to thrvst into her. She wanted me to enjoy the show, and that knowledge broke me out of shock. She wanted to embarrass me, but she was the one who should be embarrassed. I quickly closed my blinds, but I guess Garrett noticed the movement himself, as he seemed to stop mid-s****e and gape at me as I approached my window. I snapped my blinds closed and headed to my bed. I bit my lower l*p as I tried to calm myself down. There was a vast difference in knowing they were sleeping together, but seeing them in action together was jarring. I had caught them before, but my brain could make excuses for him unless they shoved it in my face. I know Garrett was stunned to see me at my window, but I doubt it stopped them. They are probably back at it again. I am not going to look. I honestly don't want to know. I always knew Tammy was a snake. From the first moment I met her, she had shown me who she was. She was always speaking her ugly comments in my ear to keep others from hearing her and seeing who she was. She was the vice principal's daughter, and he doted on her. He had to, as she was his daughter, but I saw nothing good in her. She cheated on Garrett every chance she got. Even going to frat parties without him, and ending up in bad situations. There was a lot of proof, as pictures would get leaked, and she would be hooking up with some guy in the background. This last time around, she was hooking up with two guys. The worst part? Garrett always forgave her. I guess she had a gold-plated reproductive organ or something, as cheating was always a deal-breaker for me. I wanted the man I loved to love back just as much. I wanted him to want to take care of me, just like I was going to take care of him. I wanted our love to be just like the wedding vows stated, ‘Forsaking all others.’ That is what I wanted, what I have always wanted. To feel adored, to be cared for, to be protected. For me to be above everyone else as far as my husband was concerned. Or is asking my husband to show me how much he loves me too much to expect? That is all that I've ever wanted. I am beginning to suspect that it may not be easy to find anymore. I got up early. I could not focus last night, so I will study this morning before the tests. That way, it will be fresh in my mind. I grabbed my book bag and headed downstairs. I had my usual outfit on—a pair of jeans and an oversized hoodie. I started wearing them, even in the hotter months after Tammy arrived. I got sick of her calling me out about my "horrid" auburn hair color. Both my mother and I have the same auburn color. Tammy started calling me the McDonald's mascot name, and that nickname followed me around for years. I hated it, so, of course, it stuck. I loved our shared hair color, but being the only person in school with this auburn color made me stand out. That was not a positive for me, at all. I had even thought about coloring it just to get Tammy and her friends to stop. Thankfully, my mother talked me out of it. I covered it up, only taking the hood off during class and eating lunch. Amazingly, for the most part, it is out of sight, out of mind, and that worked out well for me. “Happy birthday, Addison! I made your favorite breakfast. I will be driving you to school today. I need to pick up a few things for your birthday. Do you want me to pick up a cake? Or would you rather I bake you one?” she asked. “If you have the time, I would rather have your famous strawberry cake,” I replied with a smile. I dove into my scrambled eggs before grabbing a few slices of bacon and a piece of toast. I knew that I needed the protein to get through the day. Mom was always a big help in understanding that on test days, I needed complete focus; I didn’t need to crash. We headed out to the garage, and I set the alarm as Mom opened the garage door and the car. We were a great team. I buckled up and grinned. My birthday had started out great. Well, at least I thought it did until we backed out of the garage. I saw Garrett walking to his truck. Before I could turn away, he glanced over. He flushed when he saw me. I guess he was embarrassed at my having seen the show last night. I just turned my face away from him until we got to the street. Mom drove smoothly down the street, asking a few more questions on the short trip to school. She lets me drive her car to school on days she doesn’t want to drive. The school is only a few miles from our home, and I am a good driver. When my mom pulled up at school, I went to run off. She grabbed my hand and stopped me before saying, “Addison, I have a present for you before you go. I got this on my eighteenth birthday. I want to hand it down to you now. I will explain it more this weekend. But take care of it. It is precious to me.” I was surprised to see a box containing a beautiful sapphire ring in my hand. It had two small diamonds on either side of the stone. It was lovely and unexpected, and I already loved it. “Thanks, Mom. I will always take care of it.” It slid right onto my ring finger on my right hand, and it was a great birthday present. “That isn’t the only thing you have coming to you today. This is a big birthday. I will pick it up and then grab what I need to make your cake. See you at three, Addison,” my mother told me. I leaned over to hug her, and she kissed my temple. "Love you, Mom," I told her as I ended the hug. “Just remember this, my sweet girl, nothing these kids say to you matters, not in the long run. Right now, it is hard. High school is tough; just know that five or ten years from now, none of this matters anymore. You did your best, and you made us proud. Your success makes others jealous. You were born to succeed, my angel. I want you to spread your wings and fly so high that no one can t***h you. Life can be hard; just know that it will get easier. You have less than one more week of school, and we are out of here. I believe that you can play hooky a day or two before graduation. You won’t lose your spot. Well, at least that is what Principal Carson told me,” she said with a wink. "Don’t worry about me, Mom. I've got this,” I replied with a smile. I heard loud music playing before I saw Garrett parking his truck a row away from us. I need to get going now. I didn’t want to run into him. “Bye, Mom. Love you,” I chirped as I got out of the car. “Bye, Addie. I will see you after school,” Mom told me, waving goodbye as I shut the door. I quickly headed towards school. I could see Tammy and her merry band of followers heading for the same door I was. I changed directions rapidly. They hadn’t seen me yet. Thankfully, their discussion on exactly which color was the perfect l*p color was very engrossing. I didn’t hesitate as I picked another door to enter. It was closer to my classroom anyway. They would hang out and talk, and I didn't have time for their drama. I needed to study. I don’t have time to waste on them. If it was one thing my parents instilled in me, it was a strict mindset. My father mentioned it each year in the birthday videos he made for me. Mom always lets me watch them after school if my birthday isn't on a weekend. It was very emotional to see him, and I would not have been able to focus on my finals if I had watched it this morning. So, each year, after I got home, we would go to the dining room table, and Mom would light my candles. She would sing me happy birthday, and I would make a wish. Then we would have a piece of cake and then watch my father’s video. Mom transferred them to discs and downloaded them. That way, I would always have them. I knew that my education was important to them both. I wanted to make my mother proud of me. Remembering what she said made me smile again. I was so focused on studying that I didn’t hear anyone approach. The next thing I knew, my book was tossed onto the floor, and my hood was yanked back off my head. “Did you enjoy the show, perv?” Tammy asked me. “Do you enjoy putting on a show? You would have shut the blinds if you didn’t want to be seen. Well, that assumes that you are smart enough to operate the blinds. I am, so that is exactly what I did, so I didn’t have such a disgusting view,” I replied calmly. I wasn’t the one in the wrong here. “Beach, what did you just say?” Tammy asked in stunned surprise. “Here, let me speak slower so you and your minions can understand. Garrett has the same blinds that I have. They can be opened or closed. When you go to hа've sex, I would suggest closing them. I can assure you that no one wants to see it,” I replied with a grimace. I know I hadn’t wanted to. "You Beach!” Tammy said and reared back to slap me. Her hand froze in midair when someone yelled, “Stop right there, Tammy. What do you think you’re doing?”

Chapter 4 Garrett’s POV I hated running into Addison as I left for school this morning. I felt terrible about what she saw last night. I hadn’t even noticed my blinds were open when I entered my room last night. All I saw was Tammy was ready to go as usual. I just slid my protection on and went to work. Everyone else was hanging out at the fire pit after we ate. It was the middle of May, but it got a little cooler at night, so they were busy for the next thirty minutes. We would be back down there with them before they could even miss us. No one was swimming now that the sun was going down, but they were making s'mores, which would keep them busy until we came back to the group, one at a time. Tammy had excused herself to use the bathroom in the house, and I used the opportunity to slip away myself a few minutes later. I knew what that look she had given me meant. Tammy usually closes the blinds when she gets to my room so we can get started as soon as I arrive. Tammy was still trying to get me back, using any means necessary, but she didn't know that would never happen. I knew everything that Tammy did, all courtesy of her friend downstairs, Whitley. She was thrilled to spill the tea as she had gone to the frat party with Tammy. She wanted to take Tammy's place and told me everything. I have been playing along with Tammy ever since. Tammy has been at my beck and call for the last few months after the football season closed. There's no need to end her groveling just yet. I enjoy what she offers, but I won’t take her back. No matter what she happens to think. She is pretty, but she does nothing for me. She is just a means to an end—someone happy to give me a well-deserved release. I don’t care for her, not like that. Tammy was just a bedwarmer, a placeholder. But she was not the person I would want to marry. She could go right back to those frat boys to get with them if they were willing to take her back. I am sure they got what they wanted and sent her on her way. She is grasping at straws now, but I am finished with her as a girlfriend. I had someone I liked, but they were not the person I thought they were. That discovery hurt me to my core. Three years later, and to tell the truth, I am still not over it. I don't know that I ever will be. Seeing her daily and remembering our shared past made the lines blur, but I can’t forgive her. She never apologized, and she acted like she did nothing wrong. How could I let it go? She valued hurting me over our friendship. There was no way I would let it go without sending some punishment to her. I knew that I would never be able to trust her again, and because of that, she earned what was coming to her. I hate that Addison caught us in the act. That was not lo'vemаking. It was just sx—a release and nothing more. I don’t make love. I was waiting for marriage to do that. Tammy got around a lot and was willing to toe the line to get me back. She threw herself at me all the time. I was only with her because we had dated, she was the captain of the cheer squad, and I knew how much it hurt Addison to see us together. Addison has always had self-esteem issues. Tammy knew exactly where to hurt her the most with her hateful comments, so Tammy served a purpose. I could indirectly hurt Addison in two ways. I would have stopped Tammy if Addison had just apologized to me or returned my football. I would have kept Addison by my side until college or even later if she hadn't stolen from me. Tammy ditching me just to go to that frat party embarrassed the hll out of me. I saw the pictures. She was in the background with two guys. I knew some of their friends, and she let both guys have her. She is throwing herself at so many, just trying to stick to one of us. We all knew the rules. Suit up each and every time. But no one wanted to marry a Jersey chaser. We knew what they wanted from us. We wanted a good girl who we could trust. Addison had been my best friend my whole life. We did everything together. After her father passed away, my father stepped up. She did everything I did. We were joined at the h*p. Once I turned thirteen, I even wondered if she had the same evolving feelings for me as I had for her. Something had changed between us in the last few years. She got cuter with each passing year. If I hadn’t heard from a reliable source what Addison had done, I would never have believed it. She stole the most valuable possession that I had. She knew how much it meant to me and still took it to her house. I haven’t seen it in three years, but it still angers me. It wasn’t the value of it, it was the principal of it. I had a football from the nineteen forties. One of the older types that my grandfather had given me. He had been gifted that football by his father from back when he had played in college. They had both autographed it. It had more sentimental value than monetary. I could buy another one, but it wouldn’t be the one my grandfather gave me. That is what doesn’t even make sense about it. Addison knew more than anyone else how much that football meant. After that, I refused to speak to her. As far as I was concerned, she was dead to me. I didn’t even discuss it with her, no matter how often she asked me why. She knew why. I don’t even know why she would play dumb with me like that. She hurt me first, so I didn’t stop Tammy or any of them when they bullied Addison. I encourage her to do it now. It is what Addison deserves. My grandfather had passed away after he gave me that football. He would be heartbroken to hear that I no longer had it. He gave it to me because he knew I loved the game. He knew I would take care of it. I am just thankful that no one else noticed it was missing. That is as far as my kindness would extend to protecting Addison from my parents. Dad would be upset if he knew she had taken it. It was something we all considered to be a family treasure. The problem is, I still liked Addison. I wanted Addison. Well, I wanted the Addison I once knew. I don’t even know how she got it out of my house. I had it in a plexiglass case on a shelf to keep it dust-free. Addison had never even entered my room in all the years I knew her. She would come up to my door, but she never entered. She would blush when I teased her about it. Addison was a rule follower, and her mother had told her not to enter a boy’s room. She took that literally, even when we were just best friends. I went to a football training camp when I was fifteen. I was gone for five days, and when I returned, it was gone. I found out from my younger sister Valerie that Addison had been the one who had taken it. I couldn’t believe it, and Holden argued with Valerie about it, but Valerie insisted that was what had happened. A month later, Holden came to me and told me to talk to Addison about it. He was only thirteen then but insistent that Valerie was wrong. He told me he knew that Addison hadn’t taken it, but I knew that Valerie wouldn’t lie to me. Plus, Holden had a thing for Addison, so he was backing her despite the evidence against her. Two weeks later, while I was on a first date with Tammy, she told me she had been there the day in question. She had seen Addison leave with a transparent box but hadn’t known what it was then. Tammy had been there that day helping Valerie practice some cheers to try out for the team. That was how she saw what happened. She told me that if she had known what Addison had taken, she would have stopped her. That was it for me. Two people had seen Addison take it. I didn’t need to know anything more. I was done with Addison. After that, I drew a line between us. I ensured she knew we were no longer friends, and I didn’t want to speak with her again. I knew I hurt her; it was written all over her face, but she had hurt me first. Why did she feel the need to take it? Mine had a sentimental value for me. I would have gotten her one of her own because Addison meant a lot to me. But obviously, I didn’t mean a lot to her. Seeing her snap her blinds closed had me lose all my enthusiasm for Tammy. I pulled out and removed the protection, tossing it in the trash. Tammy was furious because I hadn't finished. “Why did you stop, Garrett? Addison is a big girl. A really big girl. She’ll get over it,” Tammy whined. “I'm done, just go,” I replied, still seeing Addison’s hurt expression. I just want to shower and go to bed now. I will finish in the shower after Tammy leaves. “Baby, come on, let me give you a bl'ow job so you can finish,” Tammy said in what she thought was a s*******e voice, but it wasn’t. “Leave,” I told her in a louder tone, pointing at the door. “Fine, I will see you tomorrow at school,” Tammy pouted as she stalled to see if I would change my mind. I wasn't going to. She slid her bottoms up and left, slamming the door after her. Seeing Addison this morning brought all of it back to me. How in the hll did Addison have the right to be hurt by anything I did with Tammy? Addison would have been with me if she hadn't stolen from me. Seeing her turn her head away from me this morning as her mother backed out of the driveway had hurt. She had no right at all to be mad at me over this. She was the one who broke my heart. She was the one who didn’t value our friendship. She was the one who took my most prized possession away just to hurt me. She started this war, and until she returned my football to me, I could never forgive her. The only problem is that all I can see now is Addison’s face last night, right before she closed her blinds. She was hurt, really hurt. She wouldn’t have been that hurt if she hadn't cared about me, which makes my heart ache. I don't understand how, if she cared about me, why did she destroy everything between us? I will never understand why she did that to me. I hardened my heart as I would never allow myself to be swayed by Addison again. I will do who and what I want when I want. This is the last week of high school, and I will enjoy this and my summer thoroughly.

Chapter 5 Addison’s POV “This is not your class, Tammy. Get out of here now, or I will report you to the Principal, not your father. You can’t go around trying to hit people. Just in case you were unaware, that is assault,” my teacher, Mr. Cooper, told her. “I’ll catch you later, Addison. You won’t be so lucky next time I catch you,” Tammy murmured to me before she turned around and flounced out of the classroom with three squad members trailing behind her. “Are you OK, Addison?” Mr. Cooper asked. We were alone in the classroom, so he stood near his desk, looking to see if I had been injured. Mr. Cooper had caught Tammy’s show before, and he didn’t fall for her innocent act. Mr. Copper was one of my two favorite teachers. He was in his late thirties and passionate about teaching Science. “I am OK. She snuck up on me this time. Usually, I hear her coming,” I told him. I got up to pick up my book from where it landed on the floor, about five feet away. “I can’t understand how she has so many fooled. You need to be careful. She is hard to deal with. I know her father runs interference for her, but he shouldn't. He is doing her no favors by allowing her to do whatever she wants. He has created a monster. I will mention this to Principal Carson. I know for a fact that she will try to catch you again this week. I don’t believe any seniors will be here next Monday, as graduation will be the next day,” Mr. Cooper replied. “Thank you, Mr. Cooper,” I replied respectfully. I knew that Mr. Cooper was good friends with Principal Carson. When he pulled his cell phone out and started texting, I knew he was relaying the information to Principal Carson, and I was glad he did it. She knew as well as I did that she wouldn’t be able to pull this off anymore the moment we graduated. Time was not on her side. I could guarantee that if she tried to come to my house, my mother would straighten her out quickly. My mother was a wonderful person. She was loving and kind, but if you messed with me, God help you. She was very protective of me. She wouldn’t care that Tammy’s father was the vice principal. She would show her claws quickly. My mother doesn’t suffer fools, and Tammy was a fool if she thought my mother would give her a pass on bullying me in my own home. I focused on studying for the final and was able to finish it quickly. I turned it in first, ignoring the glares I got from the rest of the class. Mr. Cooper graded my test while he waited for the others to turn theirs in. I started studying my notes for my next test. I took all the AP classes, so I knew that none of these tests would be easy to pass. As I walked past his desk to leave after the bell rang, Mr. Cooper said, “Excellent job, Ms. Vilario. It was my pleasure to have had you in my classes. I wish you well at Texas University, but with your focus, I am positive you will succeed without it.” I flushed at his praise and sincerely replied, “I will miss you too, Mr. Cooper. You have been one of my favorite teachers. I will try to make you proud. I appreciate the recommendation you wrote me. See you tomorrow,” I quickly pulled my hood over my hair and left the classroom. I was a little emotional about his words. Mr. Cooper doesn’t give out very many compliments. His praise for me was rare, and I appreciated him saying what he did. I blinked back the tears and headed to my next classroom. Testing went smoothly throughout the morning. Now that it was lunch, I knew a problem was about to arise. Tammy and her friends were not in my classes. I know, big surprise. So, I only had to worry about Tammy and her slvt squad while I was in the lunchroom. Unfortunately for me, it was time for lunch. Before you judge me too harshly for my unflattering opinion of them, you need to know that every one of them, Tammy, Summer, Whitney, and Misty, were precisely as I said. They had all been caught in the act multiple times. They may be beautiful, but they all wanted to marry a pro player. They were willing to do anything to make that happen. Only a few would ever make it to pro status, so they were trying to hedge their bets, so to speak, to make sure they had a good outcome. They were willing to do what they had to get in on the ground floor. Many players wanted a wife who liked them for them, not the big paycheck they would potentially earn. This was the route they decided to take to try to achieve it. The guys they attached themselves to were enjoying what they so freely offered. None of them realized that when they went and slept with so many members of the team, it was well-known by the whole school. It was a bragging right for them to have hit the trifecta of having slept with the four of them. Their innocent act didn't live up to what they were known for doing. The girls all believed they might get lucky one day and become the wife of a pro player. That was their dream. I don’t know how they became so convinced of that actually happening to them. It was like lightning striking. There weren’t enough pro football players to go around. Three members of our high school team are currently being looked at for development. Garrett was one of them. He had gone to numerous camps, and his father networked for him. They knew how to help Garrett be able to achieve his goals. Garrett has the ability to be able to play at a professional level. It has been Garrett’s dream since he was old enough to have one. He loved the sport; truthfully, he was an excellent quarterback. My mother and I have gone to his games since he made the first string in his junior year. We usually sat with his parents and his younger brother, Holden, who was sixteen. At six feet tall, Holden had a slightly smaller frame than Garrett did, but he had no interest at all in playing football. Holden was always playing video games. He loved them and wanted to be a game developer. He even went so far as to bring a power bank with him to ensure he never had to watch the game. Their daughter Valerie was on the cheer squad and had been down on the field. She liked me when she was younger, and we were friends. But, just like what happened with Garrett, the moment Tammy showed up, Valerie dropped me like an unwanted pest. I saw Holden sitting at our lunchroom table, with Kate sitting across from him. We were all three considered to be geeks or nerds. Well, at least as far as the jocks were concerned. No one wanted to sit with us, but we were fine with it. We didn't want to sit with them either. I knew that Holden had a slight crush on me, but it was too late. I was already in love with his brother. Holden was their dad made over, with his handsome face, brown hair, and soft brown eyes. He was attractive but felt more like a brother to me than anything else. He had a direct gaze, and it intimidated others when he stared down at them. “How did your tests go?” Kate asked as I walked up and set my tray down. “Good. I am glad my finals are all almost over,” I told her as I sat next to Holden. “Happy birthday, Addie,” Holden said as he pulled a boxed cupcake out of his backpack. I teared up as I saw that he had bought me a vanilla cake with chocolate frosting. This was my next favorite, right behind the strawberry cake my mother was making for me. “Thanks, Holden,” I said before giving him a side hug. It meant a lot that he remembered my birthday. I tried not to get too emotional thinking about how Garrett used to do something sweet for me for each birthday. It was Holden's Sophomore year, and this was the second time he had given me a cupcake. It brought tears to my eyes as I remembered how his family had come to my house to celebrate my birthday over the years. We had cake and ice cream and watched a movie before they all went back home. Over the past three years, I learned that we would no longer be returning to that kind of celebration again. I opened the box and was just about to take a bite when I heard, “Do you really think that you should be eating that cupcake, Addison?” Tammy’s annoying voice came from directly behind me. I heard the laughter of her friends as I willed myself to calm down before I turned around. “Tammy, why are you here? I feel like I can speak for the table when I say that none of us want you here,” I replied, setting my cupcake on my tray. “I figured your little friends here needed some relief. I know that I can’t bear to listen to you speak, so I came over to rescue them. I wanted to let them know they could sit at the table next to ours to get away from you. Not you, though. Seeing you would only make Garrett and Valerie sick. Too sick for them to be able to eat anymore. Hey, that’s an idea. Maybe you should try putting a mirror in front of your face while you are eating. It might help you eat less, too,” Tammy said with a laugh, which caused others around our table to laugh as well. I wasn’t stunned that she would say something like that. She always attached my weight. It was the one thing she knew would get a reaction out of me. I knew she was hateful, but she must have been pissed off about what I said to her earlier. So I dealt a low blow right back to her. “Tammy, I realize that you are mad at me for catching you hа'ving sex with Garrett last night. But that is not on me; that is on you and Garrett. I don’t mind putting together a quick tutorial on opening and closing shutter blinds for you. It will be a quick video as it is pretty simple. Well, pretty simple for most of us," I laughed before continuing, "The bottom line, Tammy, is if you don’t want people to see you in action. Try closing the blinds.” I snapped at her. The laughter that had just stopped came back much louder at my comment. I heard the collective standing behind her gasp as if I had leaped up and slapped her across the face. None of us were speaking quietly. People heard us all over the cafeteria. Just because they were scared to speak up against her didn’t mean I was, too. I knew I had embarrassed her. I didn’t know that was even possible, as her sexual exploits were legend around the school. It was only her father who was kept in the dark as to what his daughter was capable of doing. He would be in for a shock when he found out.

Chapter 6 Addison’s POV “That was a private moment between two consenting adults and none of your business, Addison. I guess it still hurts you that Garrett picked me over you, doesn’t it? Everyone knows that he made the right choice,” Tammy ground out. I focused on a part of her statement, as the rest of it was too painful for me to acknowledge. “A private moment,” I scoffed before laughing. I couldn’t hold it in anymore at what she had just said. Once I finally stopped laughing, I managed to say, “Tammy, a private moment is just that, private. You wanted me to see you and Garrett together, and I saw you. I almost lost my dinner after seeing what you two were doing,” I replied in amusement. “You are jealous, Addison. Admit it. I have Garrett, and you never will. You will always be a sad, disgusting blob. You can't beat me because no one wants you, especially Garrett. All you have left in your pathetic life is to take your anger out on me. I can’t help it that Garrett finds me attractive. Maybe if you lost a hundred pounds, he might also be interested in you. No, that is still wrong. After what you did, he will never trust you again,” Tammy said with a smirk. That comment was a red flag. “After I did what? What is it that I am supposed to have done, Tammy? It is weird that you seem to know, yet I don't. Especially since it involves me, and not you. So, please enlighten me. Because I have no idea what you are even talking about. What is that supposed to mean exactly? I haven’t done anything to Garrett, and if someone said I did, they are lying,” I replied in annoyance. “Whatever, it doesn’t matter anymore now, does it? What does matter is that you stay out of our business and our relationship from now on. He is not your friend anymore and never will be again. That is all it would ever be for you anyway, friendship. You are just not his type. He wants to be with someone he can find attractive, and that will never be you, Addison,” Tammy told me. She leaned over to say, “You can never compare to me, Addison. You just don’t match up. Garrett will always be mine for the taking. As long as I want him, he will come running.” she told me before standing back up again. Her irritating laughter rang across the room. “He was never mine to begin with, Tammy. So, it doesn’t bother me. I don’t have any control over what he does or doesn’t do. It is up to him to pick who he chooses to spend time with. But I can’t help but point out that you have no loyalty, and you are not his girlfriend anymore. I know that, and I don't follow all the gossip around here. We all watch you chase him around like a dog in heat. The shameful part is, that if I know what you are doing, the whole school does. I am always the last to know about this type of thing. I can’t imagine how embarrassing it must be for you that everyone here knows about it. Oh, and if you are really worried about competition for Garrett, you might want to turn around. That way, you can truly see who it is. Since you obviously can’t figure it out on your own. They are lined up behind you like some sort of vacuous lineup. Your so-called friends are much more of a threat and actual competition to you than I will ever be,” I told her candidly. A chair scraped back, and Holden stood up to stand next to me. He turned around to face Tammy with anger etched all over his face. My stomach rolled to see the interest in her eyes as her eyes raked over his body. She is absolutely disgusting. She has already hа'd sex with his brother, but clearly, she just can’t seem to control herself at all. Seeing Holden’s expression of disgust at her blatantly checking him out finally snapped her out of her perusal of him. “Tammy, don’t think you can snap your fingers and Garrett will come running to you. Everyone here knows exactly what you are. My brother is not that selective, but I hope you know that there is a reason he always suits up. I can’t believe that he would go there myself. I see nothing about you that interests me at all. I do not know what my brother is thinking by entertaining you for a minute. I believe Addison. Unlike you, she is a trustworthy person. I know that she didn’t do anything wrong. So take your innuendo and go back to your table. Addie was right. We don’t want you over here, and we won’t be coming to join you and your friends,” Holden told her. I saw the anger flare in her eyes. He didn’t speak softly, carrying his voice through the cafeteria. He didn’t care about sparing her feelings, and she was pissed. I could see the wheels turning in her mind as she couldn’t fire back at him. He might say something to his parents, keeping her from seeing Garrett. I watched as the wheels slowly turned in her mind. She finally realized that there was nothing that she could come back with, not without pissing Garrett or his parents off. She turned her gaze at me and said, “Happy birthday, Addison,” before knocking my tray onto the floor. “My gift to you is saving you two thousand unnecessary calories. You're welcome. Maybe if you go through the line again, you can pick up a salad,” Tammy said before turning on her heel and walking away. Holden knelt beside me and helped me pick up the mess on the floor before dumping the ruined meal into the trash. He then grabbed more napkins for me to clean the floor up. I almost wished he hadn’t helped. I felt like crying. I fought the tears back as hard as possible. I knew that I needed time to get them under control. I will not let her see that she has upset me. She would enjoy it too much. She is the most hateful person I have known in my life. I don’t know what it is that Garrett sees in her. I had to focus on wiping it up and then went to throw everything away. I already knew my cheeks were red and flushed. I could feel the heat on my face. I want to get out of here now, but I won't give her the satisfaction of chasing me out of here. “Addison Vilario, please come to the principal’s office,” an announcement came through the speakers. “If Tammy tries to get you in trouble, tell them to call me. I will tell them what happened,” Holden told me with sympathy in his eyes. “Me too. Tammy is getting out of control. Someone needs to stop her,” Kate agreed. “She hasn't had time to get her father involved. This is probably from the incident this morning. Mr. Collins will back me up if it is about that run-in,” I told them both. “My brother is such an i***t,” I heard Holden mumble as I walked away from our table. My stomach was growling, and I hated that I wasn't able to eat at least that cupcake now. It was from one of my favorite shops. As I passed Tammy’s table, I gave them a wide berth. I wasn’t just going to allow her to hurt me. I knew just how she operated. I stopped when she threw her leg out to try to trip me. “Tammy, I hope you enjoy your last week of high school. I am no fortune-teller, but I believe this is where you peak. It’s all downhill for you from now on,” I scoffed as I stepped around her outstretched leg. Gasps rang out from the nearby tables. Some of our classmates were laughing, and some were already on their phones texting their friends who had different lunch periods. I didn’t care what she told her father. I was going to set the records straight. Plus, my classroom this morning had a camera in it. It would be easy for them just to look at the footage and see who the aggressor was. I waited a minute in the outer office, waiting to be called in. This was not my first go-around with Vice Principal Daniels. He liked to make me wait. He didn’t like dealing with me, as he wasn't more intelligent than me. I didn’t cause trouble at school, unlike Tammy. I had no disciplinary write-ups for any of my school years, including my senior year. I can say that this was the last thing I would miss about high school—the sheer pettiness of it all. I didn’t ask for any of this. After a five-minute wait, I started to doodle on my tablet. My mother was a clothing designer. When I was younger, she let me draw on my pad as I pretended to design dresses alongside her. These days, I do all my designs on a display tablet. I just like to come up with designs, as it soothed me. I usually just do designs for myself. Not to sell, just to work with my mother. She has made designs for the last ten years. It allowed her the freedom to stay home with me, and she loved to do it. Her major in college was design. She would go out to her gazebo outside and use the colors of nature to make beautiful evening gowns. When she saw that I had a knack for it, she encouraged it. She loved the fact that we could work together. I liked it because making designs was very calming. It made me forget my issues or a hard day at school. It allowed me to use my brain, but still decompress from a hard day. I was using it now to relax while I waited. I wasn’t worried about my being in trouble, as I hadn’t done anything wrong. I watched as Mr. Collins and Mrs. Middleton hurried past me without stopping. That made me frown. They always greeted me. They never ignored me. Now, I am getting nervous. “Addison, could you please join us in my office?” Principal Carson asked me. His voice was always very soothing to me. He was always so calm and collected. I quickly put my tablet into my backpack and stepped into his office. I was surprised that vice-principal Daniels was not present, but there was a man in a suit and a state trooper in the room. What is going on? What has someone alleged I did to get the state trooper here? Principal Carson stepped forward and said, “Please have a seat, Addison. We need to speak to you.” “What is going on?” I asked as I sat down. I placed my backpack on the floor and looked around. Nothing about this was normal. This was serious. I knew before he spoke that my life was about to change, not for the better. The room was heavy with emotion. I was glad that I hadn’t been able to eat lunch. “Addison, I don’t know how to say this other than just to come out and say it. Your mother died in a vehicle accident this morning. Is there anyone you can call to come and pick you up and help you make plans for your mother?” Principal Carson blurted out.