“Hurry up already! I have to get this stupid thing done before its late!” She thought to herself anxiously her right hand flying across the notebook paper as she jotted things down. She sat there in the cafeteria, just like she did every time her school had a home cross country meet. She had to get this algebra homework done before Friday and it was already Wednesday. She wrote the date down on her homework September eleventh, two thousand twelve. She saw her friend Mike and she thought about how he was a seventh grader; she froze suddenly as a memory came back so suddenly there was no warning. One important thing to her was her past; it was very dark, very dangerous, and very painful.

*Flashback to last year* “Alex I only went out with you to make you happy. I never really liked you; you’re ugly and fat.” Davon sneered at her face.
She took her glasses off and was standing there holding them while looking down at her feet; she was angry and trying not to fall apart in front of everyone, but this was a losing battle with herself. People gasped and started laughing at her.
“Look at her; look at the thing! Wait no! She’s a freak!” she heard an anonymous person say.
No, she’s stupid; maybe she’s mentally retarded. Are you mental?” someone else said.
Comment after comment was being slung at her like a gun shooting bullets nonstop. She wanted to scream at everyone to shut up and stop it but her voice was stuck in her throat almost as if someone had put peanut butter down her throat and made it so that it stuck there. She looked at Davon as if he would help her but his face had a smug look on it. He knew what he had done he knew that he had ruined her whole life; exactly what he wanted to do. Make her a loner; again it hurt so much she felt like everyone had abandoned her; that she had no one in the world left there for her.
There was now a crowd surrounding them and everyone’s attention was on the two of them and only the two of them. The color drained completely from her face how could she have of been so stupid. She felt her heart stop and restart seconds later, she felt her heart completely shatter in her chest and it felt like there was just this huge black empty hole there now. Tears welled up in her eyes; her vision becoming slightly blurry as they did and one slowly made its way down her face.

Alex was suddenly jerked into the present hearing Mike say her name, “Alex, you there? Anyone home?”

Her head snapped up and she glared at him, “Yes, yes I am home unlike you, thank you very much now shut up Mike I’m busy.”

She heard a boy’s laugh come from next to her and she turned her head; now interested in who was sitting by her. The first thing that she saw were his eyes; blue as the sky and shining like diamonds. Then she saw his hair it was a fiery red color, another ginger great. But he was smiling at her; laughing at what she had said. He thought she was funny. She couldn’t help but smile back at him, instantly his smile was contagious to her.

“Hi my name’s James, what’s yours?” he asked her enthusiastically.

“Alex, my name is Alex.” She murmured softly enough that he almost didn’t hear her. Blush made its way across her cheeks and enflamed so that they were dark red. James’s head was reeling he couldn’t stop thinking about her already and he just met her. He wanted to be her friend just by looking at her. Mike was sitting there making faces at Alex and she just simply stuck her tongue out at him and smirked at him.

Mike’s face got mischievous and he suddenly said” Num num num num.”

Alex’s face got red with anger and she glared at him angrily. Her eyes narrowed, she stuck headphones in her ears, turned the music up all the way, and went back to her algebra homework that she had forgotten about with Mike showing up. She wrote down the next problem when one of her left ear bud got pulled out of her ear. She glanced up and saw the culprit grinning at her, James. She snatched it back and left it out. This boy was confusing her already and she already had enough drama in her life she didn’t need anymore. He was annoying her to her wits end already.

“What are you working on?” he asked her.

“Algebra homework,” She said flatly with no emotion in her voice.

“Oh, is it hard? I wouldn’t know because I take pre-algebra,” He nearly yelled out. She jumped slightly when he yelled and glared at him to shut up.

“No, no it’s not hard at all,” She said bluntly.

The rest of the day she ignored him and it was all a blur to her. They started hanging out with each other more and more as the weeks progressed. One day she was talking to her best friend, Rosie and she suddenly said “I’m falling in love with James, Rosie.”

“You do? You should tell him! I think that he likes you too!” She screamed excitedly.

“I can’t though because he has a girlfriend,” Alex said sorrowfully.

They started to argue back and forth between the topic of Alex’s little crush and Rosie finally convinced Alex to tell James. The next day she was at cross country and she walked up to James; her confidence was already failing her. She sucked it up finally and took a deep breath.

“James, I need to tell you something and I don’t know how well this will end, but it needs to be said.”

“What is it?”

“I’ve been falling for you; ever since I looked at you.”

James’s eyes got wide in shock and he excitedly replied back saying:

“Really? I like you too! But we can’t date… because…”

“Because of your girlfriend,” Alex finished for him cutting him off suddenly. Her eyes were full of sadness and hurt. She walked away, and he called out that he would text her later. She waved her hand over her head in recognition that she had heard him.

And later that day he did as he said and texted her. They soon set up plans to go to the movies on Saturday. On Saturday they showed up at the movies and when Alex got out of the car James was getting out as well. She couldn’t help but grin at how ironic it was that they had good timing. They both walked up to each other and went into the mall; they would have to walk to the movie theater it was on the other side of the mall.

“Alex, do you know where you’re going?”

“Of course I do I come here all the time, duh I’m a teenager remember.”

They began walking and soon they were outside and Alex started to get frustrated she couldn’t find the movie theater. She groaned out load in realization of that fact.

“James, I’m lost,” She said in amazement.

“Ha!” he exclaimed. He started walking to cross the road; bumpy and uneven underneath his feet, and didn’t see the car coming. Alex saw the car speeding towards James, gasped, reached out, and grabbed his sweatshirt hood; then used all her strength to pull him back so he wouldn’t get hit. Two seconds later, the car came speeding by in the spot James was several seconds ago. James’s eyes got wide after he realized that that could have been him getting hit by the car.

“Alex, you just saved my life.”

“Yea I know,” She replied back her face still white from the shock of what could have happened. They kept walking and finally found the movie theater. They went in, and saw Stolen 2; it was an action movie. The seats were lumpy but very comfortable to the touch and Alex fell asleep during the movie, in James’s arms. When she woke up the movie was still playing and James was running his fingers through her hair. Her hair was so soft and silky to him; he couldn’t stop running his fingers through it. He kept brushing it out of her face while watching the movie. He didn’t regret watching this movie with her one bit. The movie ended and they stood up; he hugged her tightly before he said bye. They walked out and got in their separate cars and left.

Later on James texted Alex and they talked about the movie. James suddenly texted her saying “I broke up with my girlfriend because I wanted you more. Alex will you go out with me?” And Alex’s heart stopped and restarted and she became indecisive about it; was she ready for this?
She replied back saying “I just don’t know if I’m ready yet though.”
“Please give me a chance I’m different.” Alex sighed she was so frustrated now she didn’t know what she wanted anymore it was all piling down on her so fast she almost couldn’t think anymore.
“I just don’t know anymore.”
“Make your choice; now or later.”
“….Now but I’ll need time to fix myself ok?”
“Ok, I’ll be there to catch you when you fall.”

*Monday morning* James walked into the school bubbling with excitement. He couldn’t wait to see her again. And Alex suddenly walked around the corner and when she saw him she smiled as it lit up her whole face including her eyes; they looked like a light brown and hazel color they were beautiful just like her. James’s heart skipped a beat when she smiled; that smile is just for me he thought to himself. Monday and Tuesday passed quickly. It was after school on Wednesday, James and Alex were video chatting and Alex finally worked up the nerve to tell James about her past. *Last year* Alex was looking at her pre-algebra notebook; struggling to hold back her tears. She had done it again; the girl bullying her had gone and done it again. This time it said “Go and kill yourself already. You’re fat and ugly no one wants you here you freak.” She raised her hand and asked to go to the bathroom and she ran out of the room as soon as the teacher said yes. She hit the bathroom stall and slide down to the floor tears were rolling down her face nonstop now and there was nothing in the world to stop them or to make her feel better. She stood up slowly; shaking and trembling from the effort. She raised her eyes up and looked in the mirror in front of her. ‘Tiffany was right. I am fat and ugly.’ She thought to herself as she looked in the mirror and saw her tear stained face with tears still falling; her eyes were full of sorrow and pain. She honestly wanted to die now she just didn’t care anymore. ‘Maybe Tiffany will get her wish now.’ She thought bitterly to herself; it only made the tears fall harder and made the depression worse she just wanted to get out of here she couldn’t wait until the day that she got out of this horrible school. *End of flashback* after she finished telling him she looked up and was shocked to find tears rolling down James’s face.

“I’m so sorry you had to go through that Alex I’m so sorry,” he repeated like a broken record. His voice sounded so worn and hollow because of how sad he was. The next day comes and they go to the fall sports awards. Soon after that happens they tell Rosie that they and dating and she is super happy for them that she can’t stop smiling. Alex, James, and Rosie get closer and closer as friends and eventually they leave Mike behind.

Weeks passed and to Alex it seems like all of her bad memories and bad experiences are all just a bad dream. She finally can wake up smiling because she has something to look forward to now. She can look forward to someone enveloping her into a hug. But to James when he sees her smile and laugh because of him it makes his heart soar; all because he knows that he put her back together finally and he won’t be the one to tear her down. Every time he sees her smile he can’t help but smile back because to him she was the most beautiful girl ever. When she smiles her eyes like up and her whole face lights up; her eyes were so beautiful. They were a brown- blue- hazel color and her hair was a blonde color with purple, pink, and blue in it.

Soon enough before Rosie can realize it she’s left behind too. Alex and James had fallen for each other hard enough that no one could pull them apart; there were no secrets. He always looked at her and smiled when she was acting silly and sweet.

“I love you Alex, always,” He would tell her. Her face would get red and she would get shy but would giggle quietly.

“I love you too James, forever,” She would whisper. He did what everyone said was impossible and what everyone gave up on. He put her back together and made sure that no one would ever hurt his one and only ever again. Forever and always he said and forever and always it would remain because sometimes all someone ever needs to hear is that everything is going to be ok. Everyone needs someone to be there to catch them when they fall… “The prettiest faces always tell the saddest stories.”