Marley walked across the football field with a bottle of vodka in her hand. It was easy enough to get, all she had to do was a little flirting with the cashier to distract him while she paid so he wouldn't ask for her ID. Marley wasn't drunk, she had only taken a few shots at a bar with Santana a couple blocks away from the store where she bought the vodka, but she was planning to get drunk. She thought that maybe her feelings would go numb and she would feel better, at least feel better tonight. Marley walked to the middle of the bleachers and laid down, looking up at the stars as she put the vodka down on the next bleacher seat. Marley let a tear roll down her face as she grabbed the vodka and took a sip, letting it burn it's way down her throat. She set the bottle back down and continued looking at the stars.

Jake knew Marley was hurting, all because of that ass who dumped her. So when drove to Santana's house, he wasn't surprised to hear that the two had been drinking together. They'd been doing that a lot lately, so he walked to Santana's house to see if Marley was there. That was how Marley was dealing with all of this, by drinking, and he had tried to convince her to stop but she only got angry and yelled at him. He was surprised however when Santana asked why she wasn't with him.

"What are you talking about, Santana?"

"Look, she said she was going over to your place because she felt bad for yelling at you the other day. She said that she wanted to apoligize to you." "When did she leave?"

"About a half hour ago."

"I only left my house five minutes ago, she would've been there by now."

"Well, I have no idea where she is. But, she did mumble something about school before she left, I wasn't paying attention." When Santana said that Jake knew exactly where Marley was.

"Thanks, Santana. I've gotta go."

"Whatever." Santana said as she slamed the door. She was obviously mad that Jake wasted her time, he didn't care, though. He needed to see Marley before she got hurt or hurt someone else. He got in his car and drove to the school, the bleachers to more precise. When he parked, he saw Marley laying on the bleacher's with something in her hand. He ran across the footbal field and walked up to the first row of bleachers. Marley was at least ten more rows up and when he got there he saw she had a half full bottle of vodka.

"Marley." Jake said hoping to catch Marley's attention, and he did.

Marley jumped a little when she heard Jake's voice.

"Damn, Jake. Are you trying to give me a heart attack?"

"Marley why are you drinking?" Marley looked at him, still laying down, and let out a humorless laugh.

"Because I am worthless."

"No you aren't Marley, put the bottle down."

"Fine." Marley threw the bottle a few feet away from Jake and it broke.

"What the hell, Marley?!"

"Whoops." Marley said sarcastically. Jake walked up to where Marley was and sat down.

"Marley you can't do this to yourself. Especially not over that ass hole, Ryder."

"I'm not doing this because I still love him, I hate him. I'm doing this because the way he made and the way he makes me feel."

"How does he make you feel, Marls?" Jake said scooting closer to Marley, grabbing he legs and putting them across his lap. Marley let a few tears fall down her face.

"Like I'm nothing. Like I can't offer this world anything, like I'm worthless and no one will ever love me. He made me feel used." Jake hated hearing Marley say she felt this way, he hated hearing that the girl he loved felt this way.

Jake wasn't there when they broke up and Marley didn't really tell anyone what happened. All Jake knew was he saw Marley and Ryder walking down the hallway holding hands one day, and the next it was Ryder and Kitty.

"What happened? What did he do to make you feel like that?" Marley removed her legs from Jake's lap and sat up. Jake looked into her beautiful blue eyes that were filled with tears.

"Jake, I don't want anyone but you to know. Do you promise me you won't tell a soul. My mom doesn't even know, and you can't tell her." At the moment Jake would promise her anything, just so he could know what wrong so he could fix it.

"I won't tell. But, if I have to beat Ryder's ass I will." Marley smiled when Jake said that.

"Thank you. But, I don't think hitting him will change anything now." Jake took Marley's hand in his own and looked at her reassuringly.

"Tell me what happened."

"When he first asked me out I was surprised. I didn't think anyone like him would like me." Marley stopped talking and looked out into the football field. "What happened, Marls" Marley still wouldn't look Jake in the eye.

"We dated for a while and he made me feel good about myself. Told me I was beautiful, amazing and kind, and smart and that I had a great voice. He was even nice to my mom."

"What went wrong?" Jake said, he was curious as to why what seemed like the perfect relationship went bad.

"A few weeks after we started dating, we were at his house studying..." Marley said looking down before continuing. "...and he kissed me, and kissed me. When he stopped I laughed and said that we should be studying."

Ryder kissed Marley then pulled away from her.

"Ryder we need to study." Marley said laughing.

"Okay, you win." Ryder said taking his seat across from Marley on his bed. An hour later Ryder couldn't think anymore.

"Marley, my brain hurts. Can we take a break?"

"Sure, what do you want to do?" Marley said closing her school books and pushing them aside.

"This." Ryder sad before leaning in and kissing her. She laid back on his bed.

"Marley you didn't." Jake said looking at Marley once she told him some of what happened.

"No. I didn't" Marley as she looked at Jake for the first time since she began talking. There were fresh tears in her eyes and on her face.

"Is that why he broke up with you?" Jake said wiping a few of the tears that were streaming down her face

"Yes. It turned out that was all he wanted."

Ryder was still kissing Marley and started tugging on her shirt.

"Ryder stop." Marley said pushing his hand away.

"Why?" Ryder said going to kiss her neck. Marley pushed him off of her and sat up.

"I'm not ready, Ryder." Ryder sat up too and continued kissing Marley's neck.

"Come on, babe." Marley pushed Ryder off once again.

"No, Ryder. I don't want to, I'm not ready." Ryder stood up, Marley could tell he was angry.

"Why not? I have needs and if you're my girlfriend you have to fullfil them." Marley stood up too.

"I don't have to do anything. I'm not ready, can't you respect that." Ryder walked around Marley and picked up her books.

"Get out." Marley didn't know what was going on.

"What?"

"Get out. We're done." Ryder threw Marley's books at her feet. Marley let a tear roll down her face before picking up her books and leaving.

"Marley, I am so sorry. Why do you feel worthless though?"

"Because of what happened at school the next day."

Marley walked up to Ryder who was standing at his locker.

"Hey, Ryder. Can we talk?"

"Why?"

"I-I just wanted to see where your head was at. After last night."

"My head is in the exact same place it was yesterday. My friends said you'd be easy to crack, but they were wrong. They said if I told you nice things and was nice to your mom, you would sleep with me in no time. That sure as hell didn't work."

"W-w-what?"

"All I wanted from you was sex. It was harder than I thought. Just get away from me, you're pathetic and not worth my time." Just then Kitty walked up to them.

"Hey, babe." She said kissing him on the lips.

"Kitty, here is worth my time. At least she's not poor."

"I-I thought you loved me."

"Yeah, right. You. Are. Worthless. You're disgusting, why would anyone love you?"

"Unless they're blind. You're going to end up just like you're mother." Kitty added stepping a little closer to Marley.

"Was any of it real?" Marley said looking past Kitty at Ryder.

"No, I just wanted to get in your pants." Marley felt the tears coming to her eyes, she turned and started running towards the door.

"That's why I feel worthless." Marley said as she looked doen and cried silently. Jake pulled Marley into a hug and let her cry on his shoulder.

"I'm going to kill him."

"Jake, don't. He'll still be an ass. I don't care about him anymore, the only thing that bothers me is the way he made me feel that day and the way I feel whever I see him with Kitty."

"Everything is going to be okay, Marls. I promise." Jake said kissing her forehead.

"Thanks, Jake." Marley said. Jake stood up, grabbed Marley's hand, and walked down the bleachers into the football field. He laid down in the grass.

"Come here." he said as he patted the ground next to him. Marley laid next to Jake with her head on his chest, he was playing with her hair.

"One day Marls you'll get out of here and you will inspire people with your voice. All these little people won't matter anymore."

Marley was still buzzed from the drinking and was tired, she sleepily said "Only if you come with me."

Then she shivered from the cold. Jake sat up and took of his jacket before laying it over her. Marley thanked him before falling asleep in his arms. About twenty minutes later Jake saw that Marley had dozed off, so he carefully picked her up bridal style and carried her to his car. He gently laid her in the back seat and shut the door, then he got in and started the car. Jake knew that Marley's mom knew she had been getting drunk and was worried about her, so on the way home he called her.

"Hello?" Millie answered, he could tell she was tired.

"I'm sorry, Ms Rose. Did I wake you? It's Jake."

"No, no Jake. I was just waiting up for Marley. Have you seen her?"

"She's with me. She drank again tonight and I found her at the school bleachers."

"Is she okay?"

"She's okay. She told me what happened with Ryder and it's pretty bad."

"What happened?"

"She asked me not to tell you, I think she'll tell you soon. I don't want to betray her trust."

"I understand. It's nothing too bad I hope."

"Nothing I can't take care of."

"Thank you, Jake. Is she around?"

"She fell asleep and I thought I'd call and tell you, plus I wanted to ask you something."

"Okay, what is it?"

"I was wondering if I could take Marley to my house. She was still upset when she fell asleep and I want to make sure that she's okay tomorrow. I know you have to go into the lunch room to prepare Monday's lunch and I didn't want her to be alone."

"That's fine, Jake. I trust you and so does she, just take care of my angel."

"I will. Get some sleep, I'll have her call you tomorrow."

"Thank you, so much. I don't know what she would do without a friend like you."

"Yeah, a friend like me." Jake said thinking about he desperately wanted to be more than that to Marley.

"Goodnight, Jake."

"Night, Ms Rose."

Jake hung up the phone and put it in his pocket. He glanced back at Marley and saw that she was still sleeping. When he pulled up to his house he noticed his mom's car wasn't there. Jake walked to the backseat and took Marley out of the car, she had woken up a bit by the time he got her out of the car.

"Jake I'm tired." Marley said with her eyes closed, her head rested on Jake's shoulder and her arms wrapped around his neck.

"I know, Marls"

"Where are we?" She said still holding onto him.

"We're at my house."

"What about my mom?"

"She knows. Don't worry about it, or anything. Just go back to sleep." Jake was carrying her bridal style to his room.

When he got to his room he laid her on the bed, then he went to his closet to grab her some clothes. Jake found her one of his shirts and a pair of his sweats. Jake walked over to the bed and wasn't sure how to do this. He didn't want Marley to wake up and think he was a creep for changing her clothes, but he remembered how many times she expressed that she hated sleeping in day wear. I mean it's not like he hasn't seen her in a bikini, but he was in love with her. How could that not be weird? He decided it was best for him to put the clothes on her. Marley was wearing a dress and a cardigan, Jake gently took the cardigan off of her the saw the zipper for her dress. He carefully slid the zipper down, thankful that she hadn't woke up. Then he slid the straps off her arm and slowly, and gently pulled the dress down her body, revealing her undergarments. Jake thought her body looked beautiful and he wondered why she ever felt insecure, she was gorgeous. He ahook the thoughts from his mind and set the dress next to her on the bed along with the cardigan. Jake then took the tee and slid it on her, he grabbed the sweatpants and pulled them up her legs. Jake loved her legs, but he couldn't get distracted. It was weird enough that he was changing the clothes of the girl that he was secretly in love with. Jake picked Marley up and laid her at the top of the bed, he then pulled the covers over her. He grabbed an extra blanket and pillow out of his closet and headed towards the door.

"Goodnight, Marley." Jake said before walking out the door and down the stairs only to see his mom pulling up in the driveway. Jake's mom knew that Jake liked Marley and Jake was trying to figure out how to explain the situation. His mom knew about the break up and felt bad for Marley.

"Hey, Jake." His mom said walking through the door.

"Hi, mom."

"Why are you sleeping on the couch?"

"Marley's in my bed."

"What? Why?"

"You know how I told you she's been getting drunk because of the break up with that idiot Ryder?"

"Yeah."

"Well I found her tonight, at school, with half a bottle of vodka."

"Oh my. Is she okay?"

"She told me what happened and I could kick Ryder's ass."

"What happened?"

"She asked me not to tell."

"Okay, but what about her mom?"

"I called her and everything is good. I just feel terrible for her."

"I know you do, I can see that you care for her. She's a sweet girl, just don't take advantage of that."

"I won't, Mom. She's amazing, but she wouldn't go for someone like me." Jake's mom walked up and gave him a hug.

"There is nothing wrong with you. She'd be lucky to have you"

"And I'd be lucky to have her. So it's okay if she stays. right?"

"Yeah, it's fine. I have to go to work early tomorrow so I probably won't be here when you wake up."

"Okay. Goodnight, ma. I love you."

"Night, hun. Take care of her."

"I will." Jake said before laying on the couch and falling asleep. Tomorrow he was going to have fun with Marley, and make her feel worth something, because to him she was everything. He was going to show her how special she was.