Emma glared at the little piece of paper in her hand. She had been instructed to write an essay about her love story and how it relates to this tiny piece of paper. She was fuming. She didn't want to write about her tragic love life, and how the one person she ever really loved is in the army and left her about 4 times. And to make matters worse, her boyfriend thinks that he was going to write about him. Great.

The now brunette stalked through campus, crumbling the paper in her hand over and over again. She wanted to make it suffer for what it was doing to her mentally. Sure she could obviously write a paper on Kelly, and fill it with false love and stories about how their love could truly conquer all, but she knew it would be a lie. And she was not a liar, in fact, at times she thought herself too honest.

Sighing as she slowed down her furious walking pace, she unfolded the wrinkled paper and read it silently to herself.

"When love is not madness,
it is not love.

~ Pedro Calderon de la Barca"

Of course. This was all but dedicated to her love with Mr. Cameron. Their love had been nothing but madness. From the getting together, to the very last breakup to now, it was truly mad love. Her and Kelly were mundane compared, so there really was no choice, she had to write about Sean. This project was not intended to ruin her good relationship, but it was doing a good job of that.

Emma sighed and rubbed her temples in frustration, making her way to her dorm, hoping that Manny would be there at the very least. She needs her dimpled friend's wisdom.

&

Manny watched her friend blankly as she told the tale of the tiny paper, and how it was going to ruin her life. At first, Manny's response had been to through out the paper, and that she as bigger then it so it was most likely more afraid of her. But it seemed that Emma wasn't in the mood for jokes. Emma growled at her friend as she threw herself onto her bed, yelling into her pillow about how only horrible things happen to her.

Manny got up and walked over to her overly distressed friend, rubbing her back in slow soothing circles. Emma lifted her head and retold the story about the paper, the assignment, and about how she had to write about Sean, and not Kelly. Manny looked down at her friend, trying her best to think of something wise to say. When nothing came to her mind, she smiled.

"Em? Who do you want to write about?" Manny questioned her friend softly, hoping it wouldn't set her best friend over the edge and cause her to cry. Emma got up slowly, a blank stare in her eyes as she tried to figure out what she wanted to say.

"I…I don't know…" She was drawing a blank, trying to think about whom it was she really wanted to write about. If she wrote about Sean, she would be honest, and probably get an A for her lovely story. And if she wrote about Kelly, she would have to make things up, but she would still get an A most likely. With Sean, she wouldn't have a bad conscience, and with Kelly, she would.

Manny watched her friend sort through her emotions with a playful smile. She knew that she was going to pick Sean, she always did. Even when it was morally wrong for her to do so. It was Emma's pattern.

&

Emma smiled as she finished writing her paper. It had taken her three days to get every minor detail about her chaotic love story in, but she had done it. The brunette quickly saved the paper and printed it, fully prepared to give it to Manny to scrutinize.

As the paper came out of the printer, Emma felt two semi muscular arms wrap around her. She tensed up completely; she knew it was Kelly, who would want to read her paper, about Sean. Crap.

"Hey love bug. Is this you paper? About us, I presume." He talked in her ear as he grabbed the still warm paper from the printer. Emma didn't know why, but she let him take the paper, and start to read, only turning her head to see his reaction, fearing the worst. She watched as his smile faded and he read the first paragraphs, about how she had only loved one person in her life.

She bit her lip nervously, looking back down at the printer in front of her; she knew he had read all he needed to, at least enough to realize that it wasn't about him. He slammed the paper down in front of her, and stalked off, muttering something about wanting her to be happy with him. She turned around, and watched him leave, feeling strange.

For some reason, she felt as if a weight had been lifted from her shoulders, rather then put on. She didn't feel the slightest bit guilty, which made her feel guilty. She sighed and picked up her paper, making her way back to her dorm room, once again hoping that Manuela or Liberty was there, ready to give her advice.

&

Both Liberty and Manny sat listening to Emma's strange story. Emma seemed strangely happy that she and Kelly appeared to be done with. Liberty pushed her glassed back and questioned her friend about her relationship before demanding to read the story. Emma handed it over and waited patiently with her other friend as the curly haired girl read.

A good ten minutes went by before the studious girl spoke. "Emma, did you ever consider that by writing and reliving the past memories you had with Sean, you, how I put this… Re fell in love with him?" Her words seemed stupid, but they hit home. Emma sat up and looked at her friends, a small smile on her face.

"I think you might actually be right, Lib." Emma looked at both her friends, "I mean come on think about it. I spent three day revisiting my past love, and I don't think I have been this happy since… Since he left." She finished and stared at herself in the mirror, smiling.

"I fell in love with Sean Cameron…Again."

"Like you ever weren't Hun." Manny sighed at looked at her friend. Just like she thought, her pattern could never and would never be broken. Emma Nelson would always love Sean Cameron, even when she shouldn't.

&

Upon that realization, Emma wrote to Sean, sending a letter scented with her Vanilla honey perfume and filled with love. She included to story about him and her, hoping he would get the message. She was glowing when she put the letter in the mail box, and sighed. She would wait as long as it took this time. She was in love with Sean Cameron, and nothing was going to stop them from being together this time. Absolutely nothing

Turns out, that little piece of paper, once thought to be evil, brought her right back where she belonged, with Sean.