I woke up with dread.

When I first opened my eyes to greet the new day, I felt dread take over my body, as if I weren't looking forward to it. It was like I was anticipating something – something bad – to happen.

I sighed and shut my eyes, my fingers digging into my pants. This was becoming too much. It was driving me crazy. What was there to worry about? Absolutely nothing! I was healthy and I was in New York. I had wonderful friends and an amazing boyfriend. So, why was it that I kept feeling paranoid and nervous?

But maybe that was it.

Today was Dallas and I's six-month anniversary. It was actually the exact day. And maybe it was nervous jitters. Mind you, I was excited, but for someone was new to dating, it was normal to feel nervous, right?

I hoped so.

I opened my eyes and took a deep breath. That was it. I had nothing to worry about. I was going to be okay. I was going to have a wonderful day with Dallas. That was all. The more I kept reassuring myself, the more I became convinced. I was eventually content in the end.

I stood up and grabbed Dallas' present, smiling to myself. Trish was still sleeping. I hoped Dallas wasn't. Gently opening the door, I stepped out. The hallway was quite silent. I closed the door behind me and made my way to the elevator, pressing the floor button. My heart drummed and my body tingled.

"Six months," I mumbled to myself. "Huh."

When the elevator doors opened, I stepped out and took a deep breath. I took slow steps towards Dallas' room until I found myself standing at his door.

I smiled. This was it. I reached up and rapped on the door. A moment later, the door opened, and before I could say something, a pair of arms snaked around my waist and scooped me up.

I laughed and Dallas put me down. He leaned down and kissed me, his fingers caressing my cheeks. I always warmed at his touch. My body tingled in excitement.

"Happy six-month anniversary," he breathed, our noses brushing.

I grinned. "Happy six-month anniversary!" I pulled away and gestured to the bag in my hand. "I got you something."

Dallas warmly smiled and gently took it from my hands. He took out the box and unwrapped it, peering into the box. His eyes widened and his mouth hung open.

I tucked a stray hair behind my ear and fiddled with my fingers. "You...you don't like it?"

His head snapped up. "I love it. God, I love it." He put down the box and kissed me again.

That was a relief.

"I also got you something," he whispered in between kisses. Dallas walked over to the closet and pulled out a bag. He walked back to me and smiled, handing me the bag. I blushed and pulled out its contents.

"Oh, my God," I breathed. I went through the vinyl's – all of which belonged to some of my favorite bands. "Oh, my God!"

I put down the bag and pulled Dallas in for a hug. I squealed in delight. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

Dallas laughed and traced imaginary figures on my bag. That never failed to soothe me. I smiled. He pulled away and grabbed my face. "I'm going to go out and see that all of what I have planned is set, okay? I want this day to be perfect."

"Okay," I beamed. "I also have something planned. I want to show you something tonight."

"Great," Dallas breathed. He kissed my face and I laughed.

This day really was going to be perfect.

"Guys."

"You are the biggest idiot I have ever met!" Trish snapped.

Dez glared at her hotly. "And you are hot-headed and tempered and rude!"

"Guys."

Trish clenched her fists. "It's your presence that activates this side of me."

"Guys."

"What did I do? I never do anything but you always end up screaming at me and I'm sick of it!"

"GUYS!"

Trish and Dez snapped their heads towards at me. "What?" they screamed in unison.

"It'd be nice if you saved your bickering for later," I said. "I'm trying to find something nice to wear for tonight but you're not helping!"

Trish sighed and folded her arms across her chest. "Just pick any dress that's appealing to you. That's all you need to buy. I know for sure you're not going to wear heels."

True.

Trish and Dez quickly went back to arguing and I sighed in defeat. I turned back to the rack and sorted through the dresses. I didn't want anything elegant or too fancy. I wanted something simple. I was far from elegant and fancy. Plus, if I did choose to wear heels, Dallas and I would end up spending our anniversary in a hospital.

"Alison?" a familiar voice asked. It sure as hell didn't belong to Trish or Dez, whom I could still hear bickering.

I turned around and locked eyes with Catherine. Austin stood beside her. He shifted uncomfortably, his hands in his pockets.

I smiled. "Hello!"

Catherine smiled back, showcasing her straight, white teeth. "How are you?"

"I'm fine," I replied. I pointed a thumb at the dresses. "Just looking for something to wear."

Catherine beamed. "Oh! Do you have a date?"

"I do," I said, nodding. "Uh, it's...it's my boyfriend and I's six-month anniversary."

"Oh, that's lovely!" she exclaimed. "Do you need any help picking out something to wear?"

"Well, that's why I brought along Trish and Dez along—" I began, pointing at the furious Dez and the even-more-furious Trish. "—but they're sort of busy."

Catherine laughed. "I'll help you, don't worry."

I smiled gratefully. "Thanks."

"So, do you have anything specific in mind?" she asked.

"Uh, well, I'm hoping for something simple."

She nodded and began to sort through the dresses. When she didn't find anything, she raced to the other racks across the room and I laughed. I turned my head and glanced at Austin.

"You okay?" I asked.

He locked eyes with me and nodded. "I am."

"Good," I said, smiling.

"I found something!" Catherine shrieked, attracting some unwanted attention. She raced over to us, waving the dress in the air. She was beaming and I couldn't help but laugh.

I looked over at Austin and I found him staring at her, his eyes swarming.

She was a lucky girl.

"Here!" Catherine smiled. "Oh, you just have to try it! It's simple yet beautiful. Come on! Go on. The dressing room is over there. We're right behind you!"

I turned around and walked to the dressing rooms. After picking a vacant room, I gently closed the door and stripped my clothes off. Without even sparing the dress a focused glance, I put it on.

"Woah," I whispered, checking myself in the mirror. Catherine was right. The dress was simple. It was black with straps and didn't cling to my body. It just sort of flowed about and stopped before my knees.

I smiled.

"Alison, are you ready?" Catherine's voice asked.

"Yeah, just a second!" I replied, my eyes never leaving the mirror. I sighed and smiled again. This was sort of different. I never really wore dresses. I always stuck with pants. I liked this dress, though. It looked good on me.

I opened the door and stepped out. Immediately, Dez and Trish's arguing came to a halt and they stared at me. A wide smile made its way onto Trish's face. Dez shot me a warm smile and crossed his arms.

Catherine beamed. "You look absolutely amazing, Alison! The dress is a perfect fit and it...you look beautiful! Oh, let me go see if they have some accessories!"

Catherine scurried away and I laughed again. She was quite cheerful. I guess she had a new perspective on life. She was trying to make things work. That was nice.

I glanced at Austin while Trish and Dez argued. He was sitting, his eyes locked with mine. His face held an expressionless look.

I raised an eyebrow and smiled. "Is the dress that horrible?"

"No," he spoke in a low and soft voice, shaking his head in disagreement. "You look great."

I smiled wider. "Thanks."

"Okay, so they didn't have anything," Catherine said, flailing her arms around. "We can always look around, though!"

"No, no," I said, smiling. "It's okay. I'm going to buy this dress. Thank you so much for your help. I appreciate it a lot!"

Catherine smiled back. "No problem. I hope you and your boyfriend have a wonderful and romantic night!"

My stomach clenched in dread. I bit down on my lower lip and shoved away all bad thoughts. I shouldn't be nervous. I was happy with Dallas and tonight was going to be wonderful. It really was going to.

"Thank you," I smiled, nodding. "I hope we do, too."

"You're okay, Ally," I said to myself. "You are okay and you will be okay! You're going to have a fantastic night with Dallas. You're going to be very happy."

I stared at myself in the bathroom mirror. When I came back from shopping, I took a shower and freshened up. I took in a deep breath and sprayed more perfume so that it could last longer. Trish decided to fix my hair up but in a simple manner. She grabbed some strands and tied them in the back, letting the rest fall down. I decided to ditch the makeup but Trish insisted on some lipstick. I smiled widely, my stomach dancing in excitement. My heart did leaps and my mind raced.

"Let's do this."

I exited the bathroom and Trish looked up from the television.

"You look wonderful," she said, beaming at me. "Have an amazing night, Ally."

"Thank you," I said. "I'm kind of nervous."

Trish rolled her eyes. "Don't be. Dallas is a sweet and loving guy and you guys have been together for quite some time now. Before you know it, you two are going to be be married. Now go."

"I wouldn't take it that far—" I interjected.

"Go!" Trish screamed.

Laughing, I walked out of the door and gently closed the door behind me. I squealed and composed myself. Before I knew it, I was skipping down the hallway. I skipped all the way to the lobby and out of the hotel. A cold breeze hit me and I smiled.

Tonight was going to be beautiful.

Dallas told me to meet him on the terrace of a specific building. He said he had a surprise for me. I grinned and walked faster, my anticipation growing impatient. So I walked and walked and I was finally able to breathe when I took in the building Dallas told me about. It loomed over me, its bright lights illuminating the streets. I could hear laughter and chatter and from the way it looked, I guessed it was pretty fancy.

I walked in and informed the receptionist about whom I was meeting. He smiled and told me the floor Dallas was waiting on. I smiled back gratefully and took the elevator, tapping my foot impatiently. Time seemed to drag on. My stomach continued to do leaps and cartwheels and my heart began to hammer in my chest that I was sure the lady next to me could hear it. I closed my eyes and smiled. When the elevator doors opened, my eyes snapped open and I stepped out onto the terrace.

I took in the round tables covered by white cloths and the band of musicians playing a beautiful symphony and how the sky was a mix of blue, purple, and pink.

I was in absolute awe.

Grinning, I rounded the corner, knowing that Dallas would be there.

But he wasn't alone.

I stopped dead in my tracks when I realized Abby was with him. I didn't know why I stopped but something was pulling me back, telling me to wait.

"Abby, I don't know if I could do this anymore," Dallas said. "She doesn't deserve any of this. What we're doing...it's fucking cruel. I can't go through with this."

They...they must be talking about Diane.

"Oh, for fuck sake!" Abby seethed, crossing her arms. "Are you catching feelings for Dawson now?" I froze in my place, my body going numb. "Do I need to remind you about the plan? Do I need to remind you why we're doing this? This is all about proving one damn thing and it's that you can have any fucking girl you want. You have every girl wrapped around your finger and then Austin came along and Dawson was instantly attracted to him like a magnet. You're ruining the whole fucking plan when it's actually working. Dawson is head-over-heels in love with you. It's pathetic but it's good. What's not good is that you're backing out now. I've seen Austin and Dawson together – outside of school. They're always together. He's growing fond of her and that's what's ruining the plan. So just lead her on for a couple of months, get into her pants, and you're fucking done."

My body was cold and numb. I couldn't function properly – I couldn't move. My legs felt paralyzed and I felt as though my heart was lodged into my throat, choking me. I was trembling, my hands shaking even when I tried to clench them into tight fists. My heart dropped and hot tears stung my eyes. It was like those moments where you're told that one of your parents was sent to the hospital or your friend got into an accident and you end up going numb, asking yourself, Why did this happen to me? You'd feel like your world just came tumbling down in a spiral of heartache and sadness and no matter how much I hated it, tears were running down my face. I was about to drop. Bile rose in my throat and I slapped a hand across my mouth.

Abby stopped talking, her eyes locking with mine. It was as though my finding out about the plan didn't affect her. A sly smirk etched itself onto her face. Dallas' body stiffened and craned his neck, frowning. He turned around and those eyes I fell for locked with mine. The frown left his face. His eyes widened in fear and horror.

"Ally, I can explain—"

I vigorously shook my head and backed away from him. I bumped into a table and some of the utensils fell off. But I couldn't seem to care. Normally, I would have picked them up. But I was in shock and I hated myself in that very moment. Dallas took steps towards me while Abby continued to smirk at me. It was too much for me.

So I took off running, not bothering to wait for the elevator. Dallas was right behind me so I ran faster, stumbling down the stairs while tears continued running down my cheeks. My vision became blurry and I furiously wiped at my eyes. I felt a lot of things that night. I felt anger, disappointment, and betrayal. I was hurt and I was stupid. I was stupid to think that a guy like Dallas could go for someone like me. I was stupid.

A hand curled around mine, spinning me around. Dallas was panting.

"Please, Ally. I can explain. I—"

I yanked my hand from his and backed away, shaking my head. "Screw you. Screw you."

I took off running and this time, he didn't follow. I ran down the stairs. My legs burned but I didn't stop. I didn't want to stop. I ran out of the lobby and people shot me worried glances. Who wouldn't? I was a mess. I came in with a smile etched onto my face and five minutes later, I was running out with tears streaming down my cheeks with a broken heart.

I continued running.

I didn't know where to go. I ended up running to the hotel. I didn't want to be around people. I didn't want to be around anyone. I just wanted to be alone. How could I be so stupid?

I stumbled into the lobby of the hotel. People shot me looks but I ignored everyone. I was out of breath and the elevator was crowded with people. I was not taking it. I never intended to.

"Ally? Oh, my God, Ally? Why are you crying?" Dez asked.

"Ally—" Trish's worried voice interjected. Her hand curled around mine but I pulled away from her grasp, running towards the stairs. More tears continued to flow and I clenched my fists. I had to grab on to the railing to keep me in balance. I could hear Trish and Dez behind and all I did was run faster. How could I face them? Six months of complete and utter lies. All he did was lie to me and all I did was fall for him harder. I made sure to show people how happy I was with him and for what? I felt humiliated and embarrassed.

I thought it was real.

A sob escaped my mouth and I slapped a hand across my mouth. I took more and more steps until I ran into something sturdy. It almost knocked me off my feet and down the stairs but an arm wrapped itself around my waist, pulling me back.

"Jesus, why are you running—" Austin began but stopped, his eyes widening. He took in a sharp breath. " Are you crying? Why...why are you crying?"

I escaped from his grasp and continued to run. I heard Austin call out. I could hear him running behind me. I could hear Trish and Dez's faint voices. But all I could focus on was what Abby had said. I was hoping it was a nightmare. I was hoping it was just something I could break out of. But it was real.

I stumbled into my room and slammed the door behind me. I was being a fool but I didn't care. I slid down the door and wiped my face.

"Stop crying," I whispered to myself. "Just stop crying."

The doorknob twisted but I pressed myself harder against it. A part of me didn't want to lock the door.

"Ally," Austin's voice called out.

I froze and my eyes widened, my heart clenching. My name. He called me by my actual name. But I didn't reply. I pressed myself against the door even harder and ignored him. He knocked and called out and tried to open the door but to no avail. Eventually, I heard his footsteps disappear.

A sob escaped my lips. It was just a joke.

"Ally, open the door," Trish said. "Please. What happened?"

"At least tell us why you're crying," Dez piped in. "We're worried about you. Open the door. We just want to talk. We're here for you."

I was still trembling but I managed to get up. The door opened behind me and I shut my eyes tightly, holding up a hand to my mouth.

"Ally," came Trish's worried voice. "Who do we have to kill?"

I couldn't keep it in anymore. Sobs continued to escape from my lips and I turned around. I was a mess. Trish and Dez ran over to me and hugged me.

I was an idiot. I was such an idiot. I was a fool – a blinded fool. I spent those six months pouring out the love I felt for him and all he did was lie and fool around. All he wanted was to get into my pants. All he wanted was to feed his ego because he knew it was being threatened. I was only used. I was a joke. Everything was a joke. It became harder for me to accept. I couldn't accept it. Was this how love felt like?

"It's going to be okay," Dez whispered. "I promise."

Was it really?