Love.

"One day someone will walk into your life and make you see why it never worked out with anyone else."

Massie Block always loved Derrick Harrington. All the girls did, but for the wrong reasons. They loved him for his blonde shaggy hair, his chocolate brown eyes; always wide and filled with a childlike wonder, and his body. She, of course loved him for things on an entirely different scale. She loved him for his charisma, the warmth in his beautiful eyes, the way he always smiled; she loved him for his insides. She believed with all of her heart that they were the same soul that had been split and finally found each other. She had always felt that way. But why tell anyone when he was a player and didn't notice her, he only noticed the cheerleaders. The Pretty Committee split up last year; Dylan, Kristen, and Alicia all went and left her, becoming the cheer squad. All she had left was Claire, sweet, reliable, loving, wise, beautiful Claire. Massie didn't want to love Derrick, but love was uncontrollable. She never told anyone she loved him for the simple reason that he was a drug to her, her weakness, and if he rejected her, which she expected, she didn't want anyone to know. The alarm clock blared, Your Love is my Drug by Ke$ha, and Claire's blonde head popped up from under the purple blanket, and sent a sleepy smile Massie's way. She returned it, and hopped out of bed and into her big bathroom. After taking a shower she walked into her closet and faced the Massiquinn. Dark wash skinny jeans, a black tank top with a rose, and silver flats. 9.7. Massie heard a ping go off on Claire's phone and immediately Claire squealing quietly. Good morning message from Cam no doubt. Probably something sweet and adorable like, Good morning my ray of sunshine. Damn, she thought, I want that. She quickly put on her cloths, emerald earrings, silver bangles, and an obsidian necklace. She went back to the bathroom, curled her chestnut hair, and applied thick coats of mascara and maroon eyeliner making her amber eyes pop, pomegranate lip gloss, and pink blush. She peeked out the door seeing Claire in a pink ruffled shirt and blue jeans. Massie never got her to get rid of the Keds so she had ones with the picture of the universe on her feet. Effortlessly beautiful.

"Cammy text you?"

"Yeah, he said 'Good morning, light of my life', god I love him so much," Claire let the floodgates open. Massie drifted; no longer pleased with being jealous of her best friend, I think they really are in love, not the usual fake shit.

"I'm happy for you. I think you really are in love," Massie murmured.

"Oh yeah, did you know Derrick Harrington is dating Alicia again. Beyond pathetic. He just wants to get into her pants. Like he hasn't before, am I right?" Claire got that out in one breath and the knife Massie's heart twisted. Claire made a joke.

Massie forced a smile, which was extremely difficult, and faked a laugh, "Oh, yeah. Tons of times. You're totally right. Alicia became a major LBR, not to mention a slut." She swallowed and let out a quiet shaky breath.

"And don't get me started on whatever the hell happened to Derrick. He is such an asshat now! Sleeping around and being a man-whore. A new girl every week. He is just ridiculous," Claire ranted.

"Right….. I know. He is really bad now compared to what he used to be," Massie answered lamely, sure Claire could hear the scraping of the knife against her most vital organ.

"Let's get outta here! School will start soon. Cam is coming to pick us up," she said.

"Uh, I think I'll drive myself today. I need a little more time. I'll catch up with you. Go see your man!" Claire looked concerned for a second then walked out the door, toward her other half. After Massie was sure Cam's car was gone, she grabbed the keys to her car and sped off in the opposite direction of the school. About a mile outside city limits she parked the car and walked into her safe haven. The forest. No one knew it was her place, but it was. She didn't want or need intruders. Leaving her shoes in the car, she looked down at her blood red toes. Wiggling them in the damp soil she started toward her place. She ran she finger tips across the trunks like she would at any clothing store. Feeling comforted by the slight scratching, tingling feeling it left. She finally made it, a small clearing filled with pretty little flowers, green grass, and trees surrounding her. It wasn't special to someone else, and most people wouldn't even understand what her attachment was to it. The trees made a ceiling of sorts over the whole clearing, thick enough to shade the whole place, but thin enough that any amount of rain or snow could come through.

She saw the sky darken considerably; preparing herself she lay down on the springy ground and waited. She was home. When a drizzle came down, promising a heavy storm she sprang up and put her phone in a hole in a tree, turning on her music. A dancing song came on, not remembering the name, she ran into the rain and twirled and danced in a way she only did alone. The rain pounded and poured in buckets on her, stinging her skin with the ferocity at which it fell. She squealed joyfully every time she slipped and fell ass first into the mud. She tried to leap gracefully but instead slipped backwards covering her whole backside and her hair in the squishy mud. She laughed hysterically; whooped and hollered. She just let go completely of the hard exterior she held, all her worries being momentarily gone. She was happy. Even Claire, who knew her better than anyone, never knew about these crazy forest benders. She wiped her cheek and saw her mascara running. But she didn't have a fuck to give. She was soaked, her hair carrying a heavy weight when she whipped her head around, and she slipped on every stunt she tried to do. Suddenly a patch of bright light fell upon her, while the rain sparkled under its intense light. She thrust her arms at her sides and spun in guided circles, only in the small patch of sun. She probably looked like some sort of deranged angel, but once again, there was not one fuck to give. She was too occupied with other things to notice that the sun had left and goose bumps appeared. She attempted to do a midair twirl like the ice skaters but once her feet were supposed to touch the ground again, she saw a spider under where her foot would land. She flipped shit in midair. Twisting her body around and swinging her feet in the opposite direction, her arms flailed forward trying to get as far away as possible, gravity hit hard and she face planted into the mushy soil. Now there was not one inch of her body not caked in the dark stuff. She lifted her head from the mud and sucked in a deep breath, "Fuck me!"

"I'd love too," a male voice behind her said. She had to keep herself from screaming at the sudden invasion of privacy. She started shaking, hyper-aware of the face she was head to toe, literally covered in mud, and that her clothes were sticking to her body, no matter how much she pulled it away, it always came back, clinging to her for dear life. She turned around to see a boy her age with golden blonde hair, toned body, and warm albeit at the moment laughter and joking licked in the edges chocolate brown eyes. Oh for the love of all that is holy! Derrick Harrington was staring at her, Massie Block laying in the mud, covered in it. The mud was trying to pull her in deeper, when she pushed herself out of the hole she had made, it made a suction cup noise. Hysteria bubbled in her throat.

"Why are you here Derrick? Shouldn't you be with your new girlfriend?"

"Jealous are we? Well Claire told me to come find you, so I did it," he said with false innocence.

"First of all, why would you do something just because Kuh-laire told you to do so? Second, I will never ever be jealous of Alicia Rivers," she said with hate.

"One because Cam is Claire's boyfriend, and my best friend so I did it for her. I swear they are one being-"Massie's laughter exploded and Derrick couldn't finish his sentence. He started to laugh with her; he had no idea why, he had never felt anything for them before. But now his heart was swelling and he became nervous just being in her presence. No matter how she looked. Which if he admitted to himself, though she looked completely ridiculous, she was beautiful. He walked in on her, in what he knew was her most private moments, and covered his embarrassment with a dumb joke. She was doubled over laughing, and he realized what he was feeling. A special warm, fuzzy, tingle. Love. Oh, my god. The word popped out of his mouth with no instruction.

"What did you just say?"

"Nothing. I didn't say anything," he tried to make her think she was crazy.

"Are you on drugs," he blurted.

"Uh, no. Why would you ask that?"

"Well here you are dancing in the rain, by yourself, covered in mud, singing, slipping. I mean what would you think if you saw someone doing that, completely oblivious to you until you speak?"

"That they were probably on drugs," she conceded, "But I would never do that. Never"

"Alright, well I said love. No big deal," he said.

"Are you with Alicia," she couldn't help but ask.

"Nope. I don't like her. I'm still a virgin," he whispered.

She saw him through completely different eyes and the words forced themselves out of her mouth, "I love you."

His stare remained on her, shocked but steady, "I love you too."

After a minute and electricity bounced between them he said, "How much? Explain to me how much you love me."

She took a deep breath and said, "Love.

Love, a word so carelessly thrown in the wind. Never explained. Never defined. An uncontrollable force acting within two people. Every single story is different but one thing will always remain constant. The feeling. You can feel it in one second. Maybe you love that person because their personality is so bright you can almost feel it, taste it. Or because they have wall after wall built up, that you must conquer, after breaking them down you feel more accomplished and joyous than anything. You see how they act around everyone, then how they act around you, and you can't help but feel like the luckiest person in the world. It could be because she never fails to shriek at the sight of a spider. Or how she always has a witty comeback. Or that her beautiful smirk forever plastered on that angelic face. Or maybe because she has no idea how beautiful she truly is. It is impossible to define, because it's not explainable through words, words will never be enough. It can't be forced, bought, or won. You would do anything and everything for that person. The only word strong enough to describe the feeling is love. And love will never be defined. Love changes you, strengthens you, empowers you, evolves you.

Love."

Then she said, "But I feel that with you. Love."

"I feel it too. Down to my very atoms," he said. In that second after he closed the space between the two of them in one long stride and wrapped his strong arms around her dried mud covered body. She had mostly wiped the mud off her face, and he slammed his lips passionately into hers. Their skin hummed, their heart beats irregular but in sync. Their lips moved together and their bodies fit together like the pieces of a puzzle. Mud was rubbing on him, but neither of them cared. In those moments it was only them, in the whole world. That was all that mattered. A patch of sun came down just on them. A sign, she would have thought if she had noticed. They kissed each other with an all consuming passion. They stayed there. This place had now become their present and future. In this big scary world, they had only each other, and together, they could conquer every obstacle.

~Fin~

A.N.

My first ever story and I think it turned out pretty well! I just needed to write some Massington goodness! Read & Review.

I think this has a big message and take it however you will!

Bye!