A/N: Hey, guys! So, I think this is the chapter where some of you might stop hating me for not having Dez and Mel together. :) It will happen, though, I promise. As usual, reviews are awesome and enjoy!
It had been a while since my first date with Jeff. And yes, that did mean there were others. We were now considered a real couple in school. I had taken some shit at the beginning, but then again, so had Boo when she a Carl started dating, so I figured it was some sort of rite of passage. Dez glared at me every time he saw me in the hall. I think he was legitimately angry with me for picking Jeff over him. Not that I could blame him, but if he really liked me as much as he said, he would… okay, yeah, I couldn't picture him doing anything other than what he was doing. But that was besides the point.
I was happy with Jeff. It had been two months. Dez should just… move on.
But even thinking it caused a little hole to rip in my heart.
"I can't believe she's doing this to me," Dez said, walking down the hall next to Charlie. Charlie knew what he was talking about without having been told.
"Dude, she gave you a chance and you messed with it," Charlie shrugged. "It's your own fault, man."
"Why don't you have a problem with Jeff? You had a problem with me." Dez looked confused and slightly offended.
"Because unlike you, Jeff has never hurt my sister."
"Oh, bullshit. You had a problem with me before I was stupid." He rolled his eyes.
"Okay, fine." Charlie turned to face him. "You were my best friend. I hoped that you would know I could never stay mad at you forever, and that you'd stand up for Mel. But you didn't. Jeff did."
"I hate this," Dez grumbled, looking like a raincloud hung over his head. "We need to get you a new girl, dude," Charlie shook his head and headed down the hall. Dez stood, rooted to the spot for a few moments. He knew, on some level, Charlie was right. He couldn't stay hung up on Mel forever. So he made a choice. To let her go for real.
"You're what?" I asked, dumbfounded.
"I'm breaking up with you," Jeff said, uncomfortable and shoving his hands in his pockets. "This… Mel, I can't do it anymore. I can't sit here and pretend it doesn't bother me that every time we talk or hug or kiss, you're thinking about him. I can't do it."
"But I'm not I swear!" I felt the tears threatening. True, my feelings for Jeff couldn't compete with my feelings for Dez, but I had come to accept that me and Dez would never happen. I wasn't lying when I said I wasn't constantly thinking about Dez. I honestly liked Jeff, and I really didn't want it to be over. "I haven't been thinking about him in a long time." Jeff shook his head. "You and I both know that's not true, Mel. Hey, don't worry though. We can still be-"
"Friends," I said, my voice trembling slightly and I knew I had to get out of there before the tears really did come. I, Melanie Segal, could not be seen crying in the middle of the hallway. That would just completely ruin my reputation. "Yeah." I turned and hurried to the nearest bathroom, where I sunk down against the wall and bawled my eyes out. A time later I heard the door open and Sasha, Boo, and Ginny's familiar voices as they sat down around me to comfort me, but my twice-broken heart couldn't hear anything but it's own pain.
And it wasn't like I could blame this on anyone else. This was entirely my fault.
"It's Frankie, right?" Frankie turned around to come face to face with Charlie.
"Yes, I'm Frankie."
Probably not the best answer on his part, because instead of a response from Charlie, he was met with a fist to his gut and then a knee to his face.
"What the hell, dude?" Frankie asked when he could breathe again.
"You hurt Ginny," Charlie accused, staring at him like a little boy defending his dog. "Now I hurt you. We're square."
"We're square? How did I hurt Ginny?"
"You slept with her and now you won't even talk to her! That's how you hurt her." Charlie looked like he could tear the New York phone book in half, so Frankie stayed down and cautious. Even though Charlie looked like a pit bull, Frankie didn't peg him as the type of guy who would kick someone while they're down.
"Look, I didn't mean to hurt Ginny." Frankie held up his hands. "I thought she understood that what we had wasn't any kind of emotional connection. It was purely physical."
Charlie shook his head. "You're an asshole." He started to walk away, but when he heard Frankie get up, he turned around and kicked him right where it hurt the most.