CHAPTER 5: FINALLY AN "OUT"?!

As the days progressed, Wayne and Mallory were doing a lot together. They were going to each other's houses to either do homework, have dinner with one another's parents, or to watch some TV. Mallory's parents were optimistic that she was finally over Dominick once and for all, and she was finally moving on. Only a select few were apprehensive, though.

Lucy, Cobra, and Rattler had also noticed that Mallory and Wayne were together quite a bit. While Cobra was relieved that Mallory now had someone else to be interested in, besides Dominick, she was still wondering if she would relapse.

"I know I should be happy that Mallory is finally moving on," she said to her friends. "Even though I told Wayne about her, he still wanted to see the good in her, and I can't blame him for that. It's just with the history we had with this girl, I still feel like I need to protect Dominick from her clutches."

"We totally get it, Cobra," said Lucy. "But from what Linus told me, she seems serious about wanting to move on and hopefully get something going with Wayne."

"This could be a good thing, Cobra," said Rattler. "With Wayne keeping Mallory company, she won't even THINK about going after your man again."

"Trust me, no one more than I, except maybe Dominick himself, wanted Mallory out of the picture and dating someone else," Cobra replied, "but I'm afraid she may try to weasel her way back into our lives through Wayne, even though he has nothing to do with that, at all."

"All we can do is continue to be vigilant," said Lucy. And the girls watched as Wayne and Mallory talked and laughed together. They did hope that Mallory wanted to leave Dominick behind, once and for all, but they were still on guard, at least for the time being.

Later, Mallory was walking up to a house. She knocked on the door. A young African-American girl with thick dreadlocks sticking up in the air opened the door.

"Hello, Mallory," she greeted.

"Hey, Sondra," Mallory greeted back. "Is your brother home?"

"Yep, come on in." And Mallory walked in. At that moment, Wayne walked into the room.

"Hey, Mallory, how are you?" he said, happy to see her.

"I'm good, Wayne," said Mallory. "Can we go somewhere to talk?"

"Sure, we can go in the backyard on the deck." And the teens walked to the backyard so they could have some privacy to talk.

Mallory and Wayne shared the swinging bench. She wanted to pour her heart out for her potential new suitor and let him know how she felt.

"Wayne," she began, "ever since you told me you liked me and wanted to go out with me, I felt like I had another chance. Another chance to prove that I'm more than that crazy girl who tried to break up Sylvia Martinez and Dominick Kendall because I used to date Dominick and wanted him back for myself. I was completely selfish when I did that and didn't care about any consequences. When my folks grounded me for the summer, I had a chance to think about my actions and everything that I did. I was wrong to do what I did to them. Even though I don't think they'll ever forgive me, let alone not even being able to talk to them due to me being banned from going near them, especially Dominick, I do want to make things right with them and apologize to them for what I did. I just don't want this stigma of being a 'man stealer' anymore.

"Which is why I'm so glad, and shocked, at first, that you wanted to be with me, in spite of my past. I don't know what will happen with us in the future, but I do want to show you that I'm not that girl who wants to go back to her ex, and the fact he's already dating someone else be damned. I want to show you that I am a good person. That I can be decent. Someone you can fall in love with."

Wayne took in what Mallory was saying. Finally he said, "Mallory, if I didn't think that you had any good in you, I never would had approached you. I know you have good in you. And I know I can make you forget all about Dominick and move on from him."

Mallory smiled and a tear ran down her cheek. Wayne wiped it away and caressed her face. She laid her head on his shoulder and they watched as the sun began to set. With any hope, Mallory would be okay and finally be free of her desire for Dominick. And Wayne would be the one to help her do so.

THE END