Mara POV

I barely got an hours sleep. My mind was whirring, going over the events of the night again and again and again. Mick. Mick Campbell. Mick Campbell...my boyfriend. The title didn't seem plausible in my head. I'd thought it would never happen, I thought he'd be with Amber forever, living a life on 'looking good in photos together'. But this just proved Mick had more than just his good looks, he obviously wanted something more out of a relationship, and for a reason yet unknown, he liked me. Me. Mara Jaffray, the shy science geek. It was a bad rom-com waiting to happen, but I loved the fact I was living it.

Amber had been right. Everyone fancied Mick Campbell. He could have had his pick of cheerleaders, pretty blonde girls. They practically fell at his feet. I was stunned at the idea that maybe for once in my life, people might be jealous of me. No one had ever been jealous of me before. This could well be the first day of the rest of my life, and what a good life it was.

I woke up with a jolt, despite the absence of sleep. Patricia smirked at me, having been told everything the night before. She didn't really care, that was obvious.

"Really, Mara?" she had said. "He's bad news, just get over him!"

I'd barely heard her. It wasn't true anyway, she'd just never been very supportive of the idea of me and Mick as a couple. But at least she seemed to appreciate that I was happy, which was good. She was a good friend.

After running down the stairs, I arrived at breakfast, where Mick, Jerome, Fabian and Nina were sat. It looked slightly awkward.

"What you so smug about, Jaffray?" Jerome said slightly maliciously.

Ah, Jerome. Back to his old ways. It was hard to believe there'd been that brief period where he'd actually been nice, he'd been social, he'd talked about his past. That all changed pretty much the instant Mick got back, and I'd never understood why, though I'd never asked. Jerome was an enigma to everyone, no one had any clue what was running through his mind, and when for a moment I thought I was getting it, he switched personas once more, and I was baffled.

"Life is good, that's all," I replied, shooting a quick grin at Mick, who replied with an equally big one.

"I have anything to do with that?" Mick said cheekily, and I giggled.

"Maybe..." I said, raising my eyebrows, and ignoring the sick noises Jerome was making.

Me and Mick stared at each for a second, before Jerome's voice broke the silence that had engulfed the room.

"Seriously, Mara? Campbell? I thought you'd have learnt your lesson after that little scheme he pulled. Never knew he was a conniving cheat, did you?"

"Watch your tongue Clarke, you're not one to talk!" Mick cut in, angrily.

"Ah, touché Cambell, touché, though I wasn't talking to you. Nice that you don't let your girlfriend speak up for herself, or are you worried she may agree with me?"

"Oh shut up Jerome!" I said angrily, shooting him a vicious glare. "We don't need your stupid little opinions!"

That wiped the sneer right off his face. He shot us one more disgusted glance, and then turned to fully engross himself in laughing at Alfie, who had just walked into the room with his school blazer on inside out.

Jerome POV

Just laugh. Just laugh along with the rest of the room, and pretend that you're not bothered by it, that you're not bothered by her. Pretend that it didn't hurt.

But it did hurt. I'd hardly ever heard an angry tone come from her mouth, but here it was, and it was directed fully at me. She hated me, that much was clear. I'd somewhat lost her as a friend when I'd asked her out that time, when Mick came back, when she –like everyone else- had abandoned me. I guess you could say it was my fault. My fault for saying nasty things about Mick, for continually trying my best to break them up...well I was paying for it now. Mara had finally deemed me worthless.

I could have been nice to her. I could have been accepting of Mick and kept her as a friend, but I couldn't. Mick Campbell had always angered me, how he would sail through life on his looks and sport skills alone. He never needed anything else, and he had girls falling for his apparent 'charm' everyday. None of them saw what was really underneath his mass of blonde hair, but I did. In fact, most of the guys at school did, which was way he was deemed the 'ladies man'...he just didn't have many guy friends outside of the football pitch.

And now, when I had to watch her look at him like that? It was beyond painful, but I had to let it slide, I had to at least give the impression that I wasn't bothered by it. That was why I'd made those snide comments, why I'd opened my mouth and let the harsh comments come out. It was what I'd have done before, it was what I'd have done to anyone else, so I did it to her. If she didn't know how I really felt, then it would be easier. Because I knew what would happen if she knew that I liked her. She'd feel horribly guilty, the others in the house would find out, give me sympathetic looks, and it would make me feel worse than I was already feeling.

"Nice look you've got there Alfie!" I said, breaking back into reality and laughing along with the others. Alfie looked confused, checked out his clothes, and then laughed along with us.

"Well, you know me," he said as he flipped it the right way round. "Always striving to do something different!"

Alfie knew about Mara. Well, at least he did, he'd guessed back at election time. But he probably thought I was over it by now, like with every other girl I'd gone for. A year ago, being shot down by a girl wouldn't affect me, I'd have just smiled and moved on the next one.

But things change in a year.

Throughout the day, I found myself always sitting annoyingly near to Mara and her meathead boyfriend. I would have to listen to them say sickening comments...

"Mick, I had a really nice time tonight!"

Or "I'll miss you when I'm training later babes!"

Or "I'm so lucky to be going out with you!"

Every time I was exposed to this, I couldn't help but clear my throat and mime being sick when they turned around. And every time I did, Mara would glare at me with sheer passion. I was really pushing my luck, but I didn't care. Seeing them together hurt so damn much, that mocking it was the only thing that made it slightly bearable.

Mara POV

Jerome had been doing my head in. It would have been a perfect day otherwise, hanging out with Mick, finding out I had got an A on the last biology essay. It all made for a brilliant day, but then there was Jerome, always nearby to make rude little comments or gestures. It had put a downer on the whole day, that was for sure, but he never gave up.

It got worse later on, when Mick headed off for football practice, and I felt a hand on my shoulder.

"What do you want Jerome?" I asked without looking. I knew it was him, back to annoy me some more.

"Just wondering if you needed some company, now Mick's abandoned you and all..."

"He hasn't abandoned me, he'll be back in an hour. Don't be so melodramatic." I said, finding it hard to conceal the anger in my voice.

"Touchy much? Was only a joke Mara!"

"Well everything's a joke to you, isn't it Jerome?"

I was beginning to lose my temper with him. It wouldn't normally have happened, I never lost my temper with anyone, but he'd been pushing it all day. When he looked confused, I carried on.

"It doesn't matter about how other people feel does it? As long as you get some amusement out of it? What happened to other Jerome? He wasn't like this, he was kind!"

"I told you before Mara, I am not kind."

And then he walked away.

Jerome POV

I could be kind. I could easily be kind. But I could never be kind to Campbell, and I could never be kind about their relationship.

Listening to her ranting at me, it would have been easy to stop her, explain how I felt. But that wouldn't solve anything, I had to be man up and deal with this, in my own way. And if that meant being cruel to her and isolating myself from my feelings, then that was what I was going to do.