Co-authored by: Aly :D

Massie Block slipped on her worn-out Nirvana shirt. Her ripped Hudsons, which she got at a garage sale for five dollars, wasn't tight or too baggy or her. Her coffee-colored hair was smooth and smelled like Cocoa Butter. She grabbed her red iPod shuffled and blasted the newest PATD song. She snatched off her black Dickies bookbag off her bed headboard and scurried downstairs.

She grabbed banana and chewed until her mouth was filled with banana mush. She swallowed it all and brushed her teeth. She checked the time.

7:00.

"Crap!" she cussed at herself. The late bell would ring in 15 minutes. She went outside, unlocked her bike and rode as fast as she could to school. She saw her guy best friend, Derrick Harrington, running to school. Massie felt the urge to stop and tell him to go on the back part of her bike, but decided against it.

She yelped as she slammed into the bike rack and scurried up the steps of her school, Briarwood Octavian Country Day.

"You didn't wait for me!" she could hear Derrick screech from behind and fought back a giggle as she raced to her locker. 238. Or was it 236? And what was her combo again?

"Here." A cool hand grabbed her arm, causing Massie to spin around. It was Derrick, thank god. It wasn't some random kid. "It's got your combo and everything. You usually forget, dumbass."

Massie grinned and decided to ignore the insult. "Thanks," she breathed as she opened her locker. It wasn't unusual for Derrick to do this for her. Or to know what she was thinking. They always claimed they were twins separated at birth.

Derrick slammed her locker door and grinned to her face. "Let's go, twerp-face."

Massie rolled her eyes at Derrick's tireless child insults. She and Derrick scurried to Pre-Algebra class and as they got into the class, the bell rung.

"Massie, Derrick. Get to class earlier next time," Mrs. Kirk firmly said. They quickly nodded and took the only two seats all the way in the back corner of the class.

Derrick immediately slipped on his glasses as Massie blinked, remembering what she had forgotten. If that made sense.

Her contacts. She wasn't wearing them. She was blind.

"You okay?" Derrick whispered, shaking his Shaky Oxi-gel pencil. "You look lost, somehow. And you're better at Pre-Algebra than I am."

Massie squirmed in her seat. "Forgot my contacts," she murmured.

Derrick sighed. "We have the same prescription. Use mine," he whispered.

"Really?" she asked, making sure before taking the glasses.

"Yeah, I can copy off of you anyway."

Massie sucker-punched him and quickly wrote down the notes Mrs. Kirk wrote down on the chalkboard. As Derrick leaned into Massie's desk to copy off her notes, Massie smelled a good, spicy, somewhat exotic scent.

"Are you wearing cologne, Little Miss Thang?" Massie teased.

Derrick turned red. "I'm not a girl," he coughed. "And it's not cologne. It's...uh...soap."

Massie giggled. "Since when does soap smell spicy?" she asked. "Who're you wearing it for?"

"No one," Derrick blurted. "Come on, we need to work on this stuff. So shut up. What's the value of x?"

"It's 8," Massie replied evenly. She flicked the eraser dust off her desk. "Who. Is. It?"

"No one. I swear. And it can't be 8 because I just got the answer and it's 5."

"Nuh uh. I proofed it. And it says so on the board. Now who is it?" Massie stared at her best friend. "Your glasses are uncomfortable..."

"Yeah, they are." Derrick stared off into the distance. "And it's no one."

"Yeah, right." Massie snorted. "Come on, we're biffles." She elbowed him. "Who is it?"

"Uh," Derrick rubbed his eyes. "It's...Alicia."

Massie hesitated to slap him across the face. "Alicia? As is Alicia Rivera??"

"What? Jealous?" he smirked, suddenly having the upper hand.

"No, I'm not. It's just that...I mean it's Alicia. She's been our enemy since 2nd grade when she first tripped you." Massie knocked on his possibly-hollow head. "Don't you remember?"

"No," he lied. "Well, she's pretty. So, why not?"

"Well, I'm pretty too!" Massie blurted.

"What?"

"Nothing," Massie mumbled. "Just self-esteem issues." She glared at her paper. Suddenly the x's and y's were all glaring back.

"You have issues," Derrick laughed. "Don't worry, I have issues, too."

"No kidding." Massie scraped her pencil across her paper, tearing a big whole in it.

"But why do you hate Alicia so much?" Derrick asked stupidly.

"Because she's evil." Massie stared at her best guy friend in exasperation.

"But she's hot," he retorted.

"But she's a bitch."

"But she smells nice."

"What the hell? You've smelled her?"

Derrick stared at the ground. "Maybe."

Massie rolled her amber eyes. "Perv."

"May I catch that again?"

"PERV," Massie repeated, only a little louder.

Derrick scoffed. "Whatever. I really don't know what's your problem, dude."

"It's the fact that you even consider liking her," Massie said, frowning.

Derrick's brown eyes stared into Massie's amber ones.

"You like me don't you?" A big, fat grin grew on his face.

Massie widened her eyes. "Ego, much? And no. I don't." Even if I do.

Where'd that thought come from?

Derrick flared his nostrils. "At least I have a life."

"I do have one!" Massie shot back, not even noticing that the bell just rang.

"Sure, Mrs. Brendon Urie. Whatever you say." Derrick stood up and gathered his belongings. "I'll see you at PE."

She angrily stabbed her pencil in her red spiral notebook. Stupid hormones.

She dumped all her stuff messily in her bookbag and went off to her next class, US History.

Which, may I mention, was with Alicia.

As Massie entered the class, she saw Alicia and her clones—Dylan Marvil and Kristen Gregory—look at her with pure disgust.

"Oh, great it's Pissy," Alicia waved her hand in front of her nose.

"At least my nose hasn't been worked on 20 times," Massie shot back as she sat down on her seat.

"Speaking of, you could really use a nose job. To get rid of that scar." She smirked as the clones giggled. Massie subconsciously touched her nose. Alicia had given her that scar. In second grade. After tripping Derrick.

"Maybe you could pay for it," she hissed. "Considering you did it to me."

"Not my fault your nerdy friend is clumsy," Alicia cooed innocently.

"He's not a nerd," Massie replied icily.

"Ooh, did I hit a nerve?"

Massie ignored her and sat down. Alicia and her nanobots cackled in laughter.

Lunch was complete torture. The 6th graders had taken her usual table, forcing Massie to follow Derrick to Alicia's table.

Alicia looked genuinely surprised to see the two. "Coming back for more, Massie?" she asked in a sugar-coated voice. Massie glared as Derrick stared lovingly at Alicia.

"Actually, I was hoping if we could sit here." Derrick cleared his voice, causing Alicia to notice him. It was as if she had seen him for the first time. Her cheeks grew pink.

"Of course," Alicia purred, making room for one more person. Leaving Massie alone to face the other grades.

By PE it was official--the two were an item. Alicia had obviously fixed up her PE uniform--either that, or it looked unnaturally perfect on her--just for Derrick, who was still lovestruck. Massie sighed as she tugged on her too-big PE shorts.

She noticed Alicia take her spot next to Derrick, occasionally helping her to do a work out move. When she didn't even workout. All she did was socialize with her stupid friends all the time.

She evilly squinted her eyes at Alicia, who was giggling like mad when Derrick was holding down her shins.

Then, Massie's heart shattered.

She was waiting at her locker for Derrick--as usual--when she saw them. Kissing. In the hallway.

It was as if Massie didn't exist anymore. Alicia would probably force him to stop being friends with Massie. He'd have to delete every memory--playing at the park, finding out her phobia of ducks, that one time when he dropped a popsicle down his pants--and become one of Alicia's brainless boy toys.

Meaning Massie would have to start over.

Massie hung her head, her now-sweaty hair covering her face. She stuffed her hands in her Atryu hoodie and kicked as many rocks as possible to her next class, English.

She closed her eyes and sang very, very softly to herself, her and Derrick's favorite Secondhand Serenade song, Fall For You. As she continued to hum it, she knocked into Derrick. She looked up, his arm clasped by a manicured hand.

Her eyes watered, she looked away and walked down the hall.

Derrick's eyes darkened. He hesitated to follow her.

"I'll be right back," he said.

"No, babe. We gotta go," Alicia tugged on his arm, and he followed her like a slave he was destined to be.

English was the last period of the day, and the only class Massie had where she was isolated from both Alicia and Derrick, giving her time to think.

He doesn't like me anyway. Why go for him? It's obvious he likes Spanish bitches with perfect everything, Massie sighed as she waited for Mrs. Alan to explain their writing assignment.

"Your assignment for today is to write to a loved one," Mrs. Alan started, causing Massie to gape. "He or she can be a lost love, a dead grandparent, or even just your mother or father." A few kids snickered. "You will be given one week to complete this task. You do not need to send the letter unless it is necessary."

Massie started to write. She knew who she'd write to, of course.

Dear Derrick,

I've had feelings for you since the day we met. The memories of us baking cookies, holding hands and even when I kissed you on the lips in 3rd grade because it was a dare. When you told me you liked that whore earlier, you don't even want to know how bad that felt. When I saw Alicia I wanted to tear out her hair and stab her brown eyes. Sorry for the gory display. But...

I think I love you.

Your friend (who wants to be so much more than a friend)

Massie

Massie contemplated throwing the paper away. It was just too risky. Turning it in would be good, but there was a slight chance that someone--Derrick--might find it. She sighed and stuffed it into her binder as the bell rang.

"Massie!" Derrick ran up to Massie and enveloped her in a hug. "You okay?"

"What do you think?" she snapped, struggling to escape the hug. What am I doing?

Derrick let go. "Oh. Sorry." He lowered his voice. "Is it...you know...your time of month?"

Massie glared into his eyes. "No."

"Oh, well...why are you acting like this?"

There was only one thing left to do. "Well, you tell me. Do you want to stay friends and never know the reason or know the reason and lose me as a friend?"

He stared at her in silence.

"Kids? The bell rang, time to go home," Mrs. Alan said. They quietly walked out of the classroom.

"Well?" she said.

"Just tell me. But I want to stay your friend."

"Pick one."

Derrick sighed. "This'll be the hardest thing ever to say," Derrick's eyes actually filled with tears. Massie couldn't believe herself.

She went through her bookbag and took out her binder, pulling out the love letter. She unceremoniously stuffed the it into his arms. "I expect it to be in my locker tomorrow. Not another word to me after this," she sniffled.

And she walked away.