A/N- Okay, as it turns out, all except the first part are turning out shorter...but that's okay. They'll just be short and...errr...sweet? No, that doesn't fit...umm...angsty! There we go, angsty. Heh. Yeah...well, I'm sorry this took so long. o.O My life has been hectic with the death of my aunt, school getting harder, preparing for and taking PSATs, and starting driver's ed, but I'm trying my dears. :) And again, replies to reviews are at the end.

Disclaimer- Don't own, don't sue.

-Part 3-

Words echoed in his mind as he walked around the park, autumn leaves floating gracefully through the air, paying no mind to the shadow of broken heart in their midst.

The dying grass beneath his feet crunched, and he couldn't will away the deep-set frown on his face. His eyebrows seemed permanently furrowed, and his hands were glued to the lining of his jean pockets.

Linda had broken up with him for the third time in the past four years...this time it was for good.

The first time had hurt, but he had tried to move on and hadn't been extremely attached. They had only dated for a few months, and it wasn't anything too serious.

The second time seemed to cut deeper because it had been their two-year anniversary.

He knew now that he should have cut it off there. Stopped it before it could get any worse. Shed the shell of his underclassman relationship and moved on to something more productive for the both of them.

Turned out they had both been playing their parts. Turned out she wasn't as interested in him as he had thought for his entire high school career. Turned out his relationship hadn't been as perfect as he liked to pretend it had been.

She was apparently bothered by the amount of time he spent on hockey...They had discussed it time and time again, but he wasn't sure if she understand how much he needed it. How he couldn't just ask daddy for the money and be whisked away to college on a white horse. It wasn't going to happen. Everything depended on getting a hockey scholarship. It was as simple as that.

Not that it mattered anymore.

He sat on a bench and propped his elbows on his knees, staring forward.

The gaping hole in his chest seemed to grow larger just thinking about it. He had put everything into the relationship...tried harder than he obviously should have tried. Tried to force it into some perfect mold that it would never fit in.

But it didn't fit...she made that perfectly clear in action, even if not particularly in words. Apparently the whole time she had a growing thing with Banks. They had done a project together, and it seemed his obsessive-compulsive behavior over hockey didn't bother her one little bit. Surely not enough to refrain from seeing him on the side for several months without saying anything, thus leaving it to be spilled by Connie, who was feeling bad for knowing about it and coming to the conclusion that it was her duty to let him know.

One-upped by Banks once again.

As much as he appreciated Connie, he really wished he could have heard it from Banks or Linda.

But as it turned out, sometimes you don't really know people as well as you thought you did.

Just when you open your heart and allow yourself to be vulnerable, someone crushes your heart. Just when you think you've found someone to love you and give you the acceptance you pretend you don't need, they turn their back on you.

And just when you learn to trust someone with your innermost thoughts and feelings, the truth comes out.

Seems that you'll never add up. You simply aren't enough.

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Sarah- Thanks! :) Glad you liked it.

Mary- Hee. I guess I can forgive you. Lol. Bwahaha...I angst that boy like crazy. Poor thing. XD We're terrible. Heh. But he at least gets happiness in the RPG; I'm not TOTALLY mean. Lol.

Agel15- I'm glad you like this one too! Thanks for the review, hun.

Blonde-brain- ::beams:: Thanks, I'm glad you like the snapshot idea.

Banksiesbabe99- Whee for McDonalds. XD I'm glad you feel the angsty-ness! So glad you it. ::hums the McD's tune for you:: Hee hee. Thanks again, hun.

Preciousbabyblue- Lol, I know right. :P

Quimbers- ::dies of shock:: I made you feel sorry for Charlie? I feel so...so honored. :P Hehe. But really, thanks for the review. I feel absolutely elated that it was sad enough to evoke the sympathy of Q. Lol. Poor Charlie. He's so mocked...;) ::giggles::...Heh, well, shh. The whole Fulton err...doesn't count? XD Well, thanks again for the review, Q.

Quimbahs to the Second...Review...o.O Pretend that made sense...- Hee. i"m leik t0tal33 srry, d00d. i f331 leik s0 n-kompitant. 4giV m3?/!11? ::clears throat:: Yeah, anyway...I'm glad that you find it worthy of a temporary break from Charlie-mocking.

Stef- Lol...I'll try hard. :P There really is a lack of D1 stories around here...because everything is freaking about Adam. ::is not bitter coughhack:: I know right! Charlie/Connie, totally the OTP. Nothing else holds a candle to them anymore. XD And Tammy/Jesse and Julie/Peter have definitely entered the cuteness list...though Charlie/Julie will always hold a special place in my heart. Lol. Thanks hun.

Katie- Yay! ::claps and dances for you:: You poor thing! Glad you liked it, and I thanks for the review, babe. :)