God, what is it with me and these shortened chapters? I seriously want to give you a long one, but my inspirations come in short bursts. Please don't hate me!

[No]

[Hear me out now]

[You're gonna listen to me]

[Like it or not]

[Right now]

            Ray knew that this day would be awful. He just didn't know how to get through it. He didn't want to see Lily, Travis or Robbie ever again but how could he go through high school being a pathetic loser with no extra curricular's and no friends? He wandered down the hallway, wondering where he could escape to during lunch period. The art room? No, he was never much of an artist. Music Room? Chances are, he'd run into Lily. Science Classroom? Too dorky. He saw the door to the gym open and Lee Johns and a few other guys were shooting hoops. Ray walked in and dropped his bag.

            "Hey Brennen! Want to join?"  Lee asked as he threw the ball at Ray's chest. Ray caught it and stared at the ball for a second, then smiled back up at the guys.

            "Sure." He shot the ball at the hoop and it swished in.

            "Nice shot." One of the guys said. He was a sophomore and played on the team. "You're on red with us. We need an extra player anyway." Ray nodded as the guys began the game.

[I am]

[A little bit of loneliness]

[A little bit of disregard]

[A handful of complaints]

[But I can't help the fact]

[That everyone can see these scars]

            Meanwhile Audrey was in the art room, lazily using her watercolors in a sad looking abstract painting. Deep in thought, she piled on the violet and blue around the bright orange spot in the middle. Sort of like the sun, alone, in an empty universe. Or sort of like herself. She circled the orange filled brush around in a similar colored circle next to the original. Now it was her and Ray, alone, them versus everyone else. A sad smile crossed her lips. .

            In the doorway, Travis stood watching her. She had such amazing skill and such incredible beauty. He moved slightly and Audrey looked up, her face turning from peaceful to angry in less than a second. She quickly masked her anger and turned back to her painting.

            "Yes? What do you want?" She said in her well-practiced snobby tone.

            "Audrey, I just want to make sure there are no…hard feelings." Travis said, unusually nervous. He had gotten this treatment from Audrey twice before, once when he stood her up, which was technically two times, and just a few days before when she broke up with him.

            "And why would there be any hard feelings?" She asked sarcastically. She dropped her paintbrush and looked up at Travis. "You only cheated on me with my best friend." Travis stepped inside the room and Audrey stood up.

            "It doesn't have to be like this. Can't we at least be on good terms?" Travis, the peacemaker, questioned. Audrey looked up at him.

            "I suggest you leave, Travis, because frankly right now, I would rather not talk to you." She sat back down in front of her canvas, blocking him from view. She heard Travis stand there for a few seconds and then slowly walk out. That was when she pulled her knees to her chest and began to cry.

[So I let go]

[Watching you]

[Turn your back like you always do]

[Face away and pretend that I'm not]

[But I'll be here]

[Cause you're all I got]

Ray's team won the basketball game. He high fived the guys on his team and sat d own with them on the bleachers for some water.

            "You're good, Brennen, you should go out for the team next semester." The sophomore complimented.

            "Nah," Ray said, acting modest, "I'd never get any playing time."

            "Well you were competition to me." One of the other guys said, standing up. The rest of the guys followed. "Later."

            "Bye." Ray replied, wiping his forehead off with his shirt.

            "Nice game." Someone said, approaching him. Ray looked up. It was Lily. Her long blonde hair was hanging loose. Her lanky figure approached him and sat down on the bleachers. Ray stood up. It was painful to look at her, let alone sit by her.

            "Thanks." He said ungratefully as he moved across the gym.

            "Ray, I'm sorry." She said to him.

            "So am I." He said coldly, his back still turned. He heard Lily get off of the bleachers and come up behind him.

            "I know that what Travis and I did hurt you, Ray," She said gently. Ray turned around. "But we didn't mean to."

            "Before I said you never did anything to hurt anyone your entire life. But, Lily, you did this again!"

            "I wasn't thinking…it was impulse…" She stuttered.

            "Do you like him?" He asked her.

            "What?" She asked in shock.

            "Me or him, Lily, you can't play us both. We can't go back to RFR and to being friends like nothing ever happened! Things are going to change. Your actions have consequences." Lily breathed in deeply.

            "I don't want our friendship to end, Ray. This is too much to give up."
            "You do. You like him." Ray said bluntly.

            "Ray, please, don't do this to us. We're best friends." She pleaded as he walked away.

            "Were." He corrected, shaking his head. "I don't get it." He mumbled as he grabbed his stuff and left.

[I can't feel]

[The way I did before]

[Don't turn your back on me]

[I won't be ignored

[Time won't heal]

[This damage anymore]

[Don't turn your back on me]

[I won't be ignored]