Dear Ashley,

I know you probably hate me right now and never want to talk to me again. I know that what I did to you was horrible and wrong. I also know that I probably don't deserve forgiveness. But to 'err is human, to forgive divine', right? That said, I want to deeply apologize for cheating on you. It was one of the biggest mistakes of my life and I wish I could take it back. I never wanted to hurt you. Your poem was true- I was selfish and ended up losing everyone- including someone very special to me, someone who was there for me when I needed them the most. I probably wouldn't have gotten through the summer without you. You've been amazing to me and I never returned any of it. We can probably never be friends, or anything like that, but I just hope with this letter that maybe you don't have to hate me.

Craig

Dear Manny,

What I did to you was unforgivable. I know that. I'm not writing this letter to ask for forgiveness. I just want you to know that I really did care about you and the last thing I wanted was to make you feel the way I did. I'm sorry for all the lies. I'm sorry for leading you on, making you believe something that wasn't true. I was just a coward and couldn't do what I needed to do. You didn't deserve to be treated the way I treated you. I hope that you will find someone who will treat you like the beautiful person you are.

Craig

Craig read the letters over one last time before heading outside to deliver them, unable to wait the day or two it would take to mail them. He carefully slipped the letters into each of the girls' mailboxes, crossing his fingers.

+++

"Here." Toby tossed some mail onto Ashley's floor then left. Ashley shifted the phone to her shoulder and picked it up.
"Oh, Ellie, I got those pictures I sent out weeks ago, finally." Ashley riffled through the rest of her mail until she reached a plain white envelope with just her name on the front. Curious, she tore it open quickly. Her eyes scanned the bottom of the letter and she nearly dropped the phone, seeing Craig's name.
"Ash?"
"Oh sorry, El. Um, listen I hafta go. I'll call you back later." She hung up the phone then proceeded to carefully read the letter. Then she read it again, unsure of what to think. She still was furious at him for what he had done to her. She had never been so hurt or felt so foolish. But she had to admit the letter did show that he cared and was sorry.
Still, she didn't want to forgive him. He had hurt her badly and it wasn't something she could just forget.
On a whim, she got up, went over to her drawer and pulled out an envelope. In it were pictures of Craig that she hadn't been able to throw away. She flipped through them slowly and couldn't help but smile at some of the goofy faces he had made. There was one picture that made her pause. It was at end of the year dance from last year and had been taken as they were slow dancing. Her back was to the camera but she could see Craig's face. It was filled with sadness and she couldn't help but feel bad for him all over again. He had been through so much.
Still that doesn't give him the right to do whatever he wants. Ashley reminded herself. Then she sighed, falling back onto her bed. It was so much easier to hate him.

+++

Manny lay curled up in her bed, a blanket over her. She was thinking back over what had happened to her over the last few months. She guessed it had started when she changed her image. She hadn't meant to change anything else but her look, but now she realized that she had changed. Not only did her attire become more risqué but so did her personality. She had gone for Craig, knowing he had a girlfriend, broken JT's heart and stopped being friends with Emma. She really didn't have any friends anymore. The only guys she hung out with were there to drool over her and the girls thought she was a slut. That had made it hurt even more when she found out Craig had been lying to her. The one person she had left had deceived her.
After a while, she got up to go downstairs and make herself a pot of tea. She glanced out the window and was surprised to see Craig walking up her walkway. She quickly ducked down so he wouldn't see her, but peeked through the curtains to watch him put an envelope in her mailbox. Once she was sure he was a safe distance away, she dashed outside to get the letter. Tearing it open, her heart beating quickly, she read it. Before she could even think of its meaning, the phone rang, startling her. She picked it up, expecting it to be her mother.
"Manny?"
Manny frowned. The voice sounded familiar but she couldn't quite place it. "Who is this?"
"It's Ashley."
"Oh. Hi."
"Listen, um, I wanted to ask you something. It may sound a little weird, but did you-"
"Get a letter from Craig?"
"Yeah. So what do you think of it, because, honestly, I have no idea what to make of it."
Manny shook her head. "I don't know. It sounds pretty sincere, I guess. I mean, I'm not ready to go knocking down his door and declare that I forgive him, but."
"Yeah that's pretty much what I was thinking. All right, well, um, thanks."
"No problem." Manny hung up the phone. Well that was awkward. Then her eyes fell back on the letter and she sighed. She wished she had someone to really discuss this with. She couldn't help but feel her old feelings for Craig returning.
I loved him so much, she thought miserably. But he lied so much. I can't forgive him. I can't.