Sorry it took so long for this request. xD Brainstorming. o_o But I was able to write this in one sitting. :D I have a test tomorrow, so I should go to bed now. =)

"You know what?" I shouted angrily. My temper was up. It was the last straw. I couldn't take it anymore. "I've had enough of this trash! You're always making goo-goo eyes at every girl that we walk past!" Driven by a bunch of mixed feelings, I got to my feet and stomped towards the front door.

"Pan, I can explain!" Trunks called, but I was already nearing the door. I didn't even dare to look back at this two-faced jerk.

"Explain? What is there to explain?" I let out a cold-hearted laugh. "We're over." I stopped in the threshold of the doorway, waiting for Trunks to reply.

"We were just hanging out, Pan. No need to overreact!"

"Hanging out? Hanging out?!" My voice rose and it felt like the room shook. Hurt, I quickly turned around to face my cheating ex-boyfriend. Warm tears swelled in my eyes, but I held them back as best as I could. "You call kissing Danielle 'hanging out'?"

With one last look, I ran out the door and up into the dark embrace of night. I would never forget that look on Trunks' face. For once, I think he actually cared about me, but I know that was just one of my childhood fantasies.

I raced as fast as I could to the comfort of my best friend of all –Colm. Never once has he said anything bad about me or not say things to make me feel better when I was down or not listen to me about my boy problems with sincerity. He is a friend any person would ever ask for.

My vision was blurred by the blobs of teardrops that were streaming out of my eyes, except I dried them when I landed on Colm's roof. There, I lightly tapped a certain pattern –sort of like Morse Code –on Colm's bedroom window. I tried to look natural, like I haven't been crying the whole way there; however, once Colm opened his window, I dived in and wrapped my arms around him and cried again.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Colm said, his tone a little surprised and a little anxious as he closed his window. "What's wrong?" I stood there, silent except for my occasional sobs.

I continued crying into his shirt and inhaled the smell of the fresh ocean. A few minutes passed and I finally let go and sat up on his bed. Wiping my eyes, Colm sat down at his desk and waited for me until I was ready to talk. His expression was soft and gentle. It made me feel a lot more confident and calmer.

"It's about Trunks," I whispered so low that I didn't think Colm would hear.

"Oh, I see," he said. His head turned here and there like he was looking for something. "Sorry, Pan, I don't think I have any tissues. Don't worry, I'll go get some," Colm said as he stood up half way until I told him I didn't need any.

"I'm fine."

He sat back down.

Once again, the room was filled with silence between the two of us. I checked his alarm clock and it read 10:01.

My eyes flickered down at my shoes.

"Did you guys, you know, break up?" Colm asked.

I nodded, even though it was barely a nod.

"Why?"

"He's a jerk."

Silence.

Then I added, "He cheated. That's what. He's a liar and should die and rot in the underworld where Frieza, Cell, the Red Ribbon Army, and all those villains are!" I swung my legs like a child throwing a tantrum, but Colm didn't seem to mind.

I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to hold back any oncoming tears, but something unexpected happened that made me open my eyes. Like a butterfly, Colm gently brushed his lips against my forehead.

"Pan, you've always got me, your family, and your friends," Colm said. His voice sent shivers throughout my body. He was so close and his breath was mint-fresh. I didn't notice the firm grip he had on my hands until he squeezed them.

When I arrived at home, I wasn't met by the warm feeling of home; I was met by yelling Grandma Chichi and Mom. I walked past them.

"It's 10:10 at night! You've should've called if you were at the Briefs'!" Grandma Chichi shouted.

"Pan, what's going on?" Mom asked worriedly.

Dad was sane enough to stay back as the women shouted at me.

I shrugged them off and ignored them.

They weren't going to destroy the jittery butterflies that I felt in my stomach when Colm kissed me. It was nothing like I've ever experienced before. Yeah, Trunks kissed me a bunch of times, but this was different. It wasn't an empty, half-hearted kiss, it was a real one. A kiss worth of a prince.

I strode happily into my bedroom and locked the door was a satisfying click. Belly-flopping happily into my soft sheets, I thought for a moment whether this day was good or bad. In ways, it was the worse day of my life, but at the same time I felt a weight had been lifted off my shoulders. Also, I felt the strange feeling of happiness coursing through my veins, deleting that break-up feeling from my memory entirely. Closing my eyes, I thought to myself: Colm is the one.

The next morning, I shot straight up in bed when my apparently-too-loud alarm clock went off. My curtains were still open from the previous day, so the sunrise showed bright and yellow through my window. Slowly, I slipped off my bed, grabbed a change of clothes, and headed to my personal bathroom for a long, hot, well-needed shower.

When I stepped out, I checked myself in the mirror. I've never done this a lot, but I noticed a lot when I actually looked closely. Was my orange bandana getting old? Is black hair attractive? Do I need to ask Mom if I could wear some make up? All those kinds of questions bounced around inside my head. It was confusing. In addition, I didn't like it one bit. Who cares what I look like, anyway . . ?

I blow-dried my hair after I pulled on my clothes. Then, I tied my orange bandana around my head and rotated in different angles, just for the heck of it. I wouldn't say I'd define beautiful, but I definitely didn't define ugly.

I stepped out of the bathroom, unlocked my door, and walked into the kitchen where my parents were at the dining table sharing cups of coffee.

"Good morning, Pan," Mom said like nothing happened yesterday.

"Uh, morning, Mom," I said back. Uncertainty lingered in my voice. Literally, inside, I was jumping and ready to dash off to school to see Colm.

"Pan," Dad began and I got nervous, "don't forget your homework." I sighed of relief and plucked my homework off the counter and stuffed it neatly in my backpack that was hanging on the back of the chair.

"Bye," I said, a little too quickly.

"Bye, have a nice day at school," Mom and Dad both said in unison.

I closed the door behind me and smiled. I did a little dance inside, but focused on getting to school instead of being overpowered by happiness.

I took off into the blue sky towards Orange Star High, where my parents first met and went to school. It was where practically all my family-friends attended too.

When I landed, I found out that the gossip had already spread about Trunks and I. The rumors that went around weren't true though! Trunks had twisted the tale in his favor. He fueled the fire that was already burning inside of me.

My ears only picked up bits of the story, but I can use my brain just fine to know that it wasn't good at all. As I walked through the hallway, kids sneered at me, stuck their tongue out, and grinned. I was going to kill this rumor –from the source.

"Pan," Colm said, "Can I talk to you?"

I spun around on my heels to find myself face-to-face with Colm, not exactly. He was about two heads taller than me, but you get the point.

"Sure. . ." I answered, but wasn't sure myself.

He slipped his hand into mine and led me down the hallway and into an empty dead-end.

"Pan, it's not safe for you here," Colm whispered as he cautiously looked around.

"Why?"

"The students are manipulated by Trunks, basically. They're all against you. It's not a safe environment."

Was he saying that I couldn't stand up and fight? He knew me too well to not know this already.

"I can just fight them, can't I?" I asked and held up my clenched fists. My fingernails dug into my palms.

"Scars and bruises and words hurt, but only words will not heal. I'm trying to protect you, Pan," Colm said. His eyes were pleading and his voice as well. "Please do get away from this school. Trunks is only out to hurt you," he whispered.

I blinked several times, astonished, but nodded. Colm let out a breath he had been holding and hugged me.

"Go," he whispered so low, I might have thought it was the humming of the air conditioner. I released from his embrace and ran down the hallways and leaped into the air and headed home.

In the evening, as we ate dinner, Mom turned on the TV to the news channel, which I found very boring, but today's broadcast was horrifying.

A cameraman in a helicopter was filming live of Orange Star High.

I let my chopsticks drop onto my bowl with a loud clank and rushed to the front of the TV.

"An outbreak burst just at the beginning of the day at Orange Star High School. A young 16 year old boy was killed during this fight. It's said that he was beat to death by his fellow classmates and students. All students are to be questioned why this happened and who was the head of this," the reporter said. My heart sank.

I took steps back and tripped over the edge of the rug, but regained my balance. My eyes were locked on the television, waiting for a name.

"Just in!" the reporter said. My eyes grew wide, eager to know the name of the victim.

"The young victim who was killed in the beating is Colm Feshinwier."

All time stopped. All I could do was . . . cry. There was nothing left. Happiness vanished in the blink of an eye. Hope was demolished.

I

Couldn't

Breathe.

"No!" I shrieked.

Mom and Dad straightened up and rushed to me as I cried hard into my hands.

Just yesterday everything was fine. Now, everything was in ruins.

He promised me.

Colm promised me.

That he would be here, forever and always.

Just yesterday . . .

His smile. His accent. The curls of his blonde hair. His sea-green eyes. All gone. All just to protect this scrawny, raven-haired girl.

I felt lost. I felt empty. My soul was gone. I'm just one of those living dead.

My life was over.