I forgot to mention that the tree chapters are three fairly short chapters. The next one may be a bit longer. I'm so excited about finally writing it! (I've had it planned since before I started writing this story!) So I will get that up as soon as I can.

Oh, and if you want s little music to go with this chapter, I've taken a lot of ideas from What a Girl Wants by Christina Aguilera (Okay, I admit it, I was a teeny-bopper.)

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Monday couldn't have been more perfect. The sun was bright, it wasn't too hot, and we had more than enough time for me to work on my tan. Plus, the whole way there, I got to sit next to spin- in shorts and a tank top. It, for once, was a perfect day. And I didn't have to sorry about Dean showing up around the corner or sneaking up behind me. At the beach, we set up our towels and I pulled out a tube of sun screen.

"Sun screen?" Spinner asked in feigned disbelief as I handed it to him.

"What about it?"

"Why do you want me using that?"

I leaned over and whispered in his ear, "because I don't find you nearly as sexy when you look like a tomato."

He shrugged, then pulled off his shirt. "Fine." I squeezed a bit into my palm, then rubbed his gently into his skin. He let me for a little while, then pulled my hand and kissed it. I smiled, then brought my mouth to his. One of the teachers shot us a dirty look.

"Let's get out of here," he whispered. I nodded, and he stood up, then helped me up. He took my hand and we walked down the beach in silence. Finally, we came to a deserted spot and sat down, with the water coming up onto our toes.

"Spin-" I finally said just as he said my name. We both smiled. "You go first."

"It's not going to sound as good now."

I looked at him and smiled. "What do you mean?"

"I was planning on sounding like I was being thoughtful. At least I think that's the right word to use."

"What is it?"

"I was just. . . you've been through a lot this year."

I cocked my head to one side. "Where did that come from?"

He shrugged. "I've just been thinking, that's all."

"Gavin Mason, thinking?"

"Hey, that's Mr. Gavin Mason to you." He smiled. I loved seeing him smile. "But seriously. I thought about that, and I was thinking about how much you changed."

"What do you mean?"

"You've changed this year, Paige. Good changes. You had to grow up way faster than me or anyone else I know, but you still did it."

I smiled and laced my fingers through his. "There was something else."

"What?"

He let go of my hand, then reached into the pocket of his shorts (in a typical Spinner move, he had forgotten his swim suit at home). He pulled out a small jewellery box and handed it to me.

"What is this?" I asked once I finally found my voice.

"I considered a promise ring, but that just sounded too corny, so I decided against it."

I opened the lid. Inside was a perfect, cursive, silver P, attached to a silver chain. He looked over for my reaction.

"It doesn't stand for what you think, though."

I looked at it again. What else could a P stand for? Fortunately, he read my mind.

"It stand for promise. I know what you went through with Dean, and I know how badly it hurt you. And I never want to hurt you like that. So this is my promise that I never, ever will treat you like that. I will never push you to have sex. And I'm always going to be here for you. No matter what happens."

I looked down at the pendant, then back at Spinner. Spinner, the boy who had a crush on me from elementary school. The boy who I'd stood up on the worst night of my life. And the man that I loved. I put my hand to his cheek, just to make sure that he was real.

"Thank you," I whispered.

"So what did you have to say?"

Just as Spinner had planned what he was going to say, I knew what I had to as well. "After everything that's happened this year. . . I can't really think of the right word. You're right, I've been through a lot, and it was hard on me, but it was almost as hard on you. And even when I went crazy, and when I was pushing you away, you stuck with me. Someone else might have left, but you didn't. You just stood by me, and you waited, and you let me figure things out. And that's not something I ever thought I could find. After everything. . . I just lost faith in people. Not just guys, but people in general. And you changed that. You let me hate the world, but you loved me in spite of it. So the only thing I can think of saying is thank you. I know it's not enough after everything you've done, but. . . it's a start." I smiled. "You're exactly what a girl wants."

He smiled. "Now how come the other girls never realized that? Back when I was single?"

"Because they were just as blind as I was." He laughed, then stood up, and pulled me up. We started walking down the beach again, hand in hand. There was something different this time. Somehow we were closer. We understood each other. There was a new level of intensity between us. Suddenly, he stopped, turned to me, and wrapped his arms around me.

"I love you," he whispered.

I rested my head against his chest. "I love you too."

"Good." He paused. "I just wanted to make sure you knew."

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"What do you think changed when granny died?" I asked Dylan that night. I still hadn't started on my report for English. I had to do a five-minute presentation on an event that changed my life. I chose my grandma's death.

Dylan sat down across from me. "I realized that we were all mortal." He popped a handful of chips in his mouth out of the bag he was carrying, chewed, then continued. "I hadn't really known anyone who'd died before, and it was a slap in the face. We're all going to die. Is this for your English presentation?"

I nodded. He laughed. "That was a brutal presentation."

"What did you do it on?"

"That was when I came out. Oh, Michelle asked about you today."

"What did she say?"

"She wanted to know how you were doing. And if you'd help her go shopping for. . . something or the other. Some sort of make-up thing, I think."

"Sure. Tell her when exams are done."

"What else do you have for your report?"

"Not much. Just about how close granny and I had been, and how hard it was when she was sick."

"How do you think it changed you?"

I shrugged. "I don't know if it's a life-changing experience, but I didn't know what else to do it on."

"I can think of something."

"I'm not talking to my whole class about it."

He shrugged, and ate another handful of chips. "Just a suggestion."

I felt bad. "It's not that it's not a good suggestion, it's just. . . I'm not ready yet."

He nodded. "That's fine. Talk about finding out she had cancer."

I nodded, then decided it was time to work. I had no idea how I was ever going to get a full paper done. Damn highschool.