A/N: Sorry it took so long to update, i was in Houston from Wednesday til Sunday afternoon and all my stuff was on my comp back in MA. Thanks for all the great reviews!

Ava opened the door. It was raining out, and Melani was soaked through and through. She had been walking and thinking, it was really ironic that it was raining on the 1st day of school "Bradin" Ava called "Melani's here"

Bradin walked down the stairs "Hey, what's up?"

"Can I talk to you for a second? I promise that's all it'll take" she said looking at him

"Sure" he led her into his bedroom. "What's going on?"

"I have a problem and I need your help." She said "First off, did James apologize to you today?"

"Yeah, why?" he said

"No reason. Now here's my problem. I really really like you. I'm really happy I found you because you make me feel really happy, for the first time in a long time. When I kissed you last night, everything felt perfect." She stopped talking and looked at him, waiting for a reaction. He did nothing so she continued "Ok, so I lied that's not my problem. This is the real problem. I want to be with you, like really be with you, but if I even bring up the idea of breaking up with James, you're dead" she sighed and looked at him. He had the most amazing green eyes she had ever seen.

"What do you want me to say to that Mel?" he said "It looks like you have the answer right in front of you, it's the choice you need to make."

"Ok, you're not helping at all" she sighed "I can't leave him Bradin, but I can't not be with you. I think about you all the time, this is such a 360 of how I felt when we were little" she lied

"Mel, I care about you, but I'm not going to be second best to this guy. If I'm going to be with you, I want to know that I'm the only one in your life"

"Well then I guess you can't have me Bradin. I can't leave him. We'll both be in bad shape if I do" she sighed "It was a bad idea to come here, I gotta go" she turned to and started walking to the door

"Wait!" Bradin yelled "What do you mean we'll both be in bad shape?"

Mel turned around and looked at him You can't tell him, you just told your best friend like 4 hours ago, how can you just let him in? You really have fallen for him. "Bradin, it's complicated." she replied

"Try me" he said, taking her hand. He led her to his bed, where he sat her down, then sat down.

"Bradin, I don't want to tell you because you might do something stupid"

"I won't, promise" he said

"Trust me, you can't promise that" She stood up and started pacing the room back and forth

"Mel, sit." he said firmly. She sighed and sat down next to him again "Now please tell me, I can't help unless you do"

"Ok, but it's a long story, ok?"

"ok" he said

"Ok" she sighed "Well first you need to know how I ended up with James, because that's the only reason you'll understand half of why I stay with him" he nodded so she continued "when we started high school as freshmen, we didn't know each other at all, he went to Central and I went to South. We were the only freshmen to make Varsity sports, myself in cheerleading and him in football." She looked at him and saw he was paying close attention "So, the night before homecoming we went to the annual football/cheerleader party, only varsity players allowed. I was really scared because I had a bad feeling about what I was expected to do now being a high school cheerleader. So I hung out with the 2 sophomores that were there and I ran into James. He seemed just as scared as I was; which was a huge relief to me. We ended up talking and we got along really well. Everything seemed great, till his captain came up to him and my captain came up to me and literally pushed us into a bedroom together. I totally freaked, like was borderline in hysterical tears, freaked and ya know what he did. He hugged me and told me not to worry, that he wasn't like that and we fell asleep talking about our lives. He doesn't seem so bad right?"

Bradin nodded "Not at all. He seems nothing like the monster I encountered last night"

"He wasn't. So we started dating and we were dubbed the perfect couple." She rolled her eyes "And I fell for him so bad, it was unbelievable, so when he asked me to do stuff, I just did it because in my mind I was in love with him, little did I know that you can't be in love at 14, you just can't. And i'm little, i'mone of the youngest people inour grade, i just turned 16 like a week ago.So anyway, one night he was really drunk and he wanted to have sex, but I knew he had been drinking, so I told him 'no'. That was probably the biggest mistake of my life to this point. He hit me so hard I had a cut on my face for a good two weeks. That was February of freshman year."

Bradin looked at Melani. He could tell how hard it was for her to tell him this story. "So if that was in freshman year, why are you with him now, we're juniors"

She laughed "Because every time he does it he promises he won't do it again. I stayed with him in the beginning because of what he did that night at the party, I kept hoping he would transform back into that guy. I'm not that naive anymore. I guess part of me still wishes he'd change, but he won't. The real reason I stay with him is because I'm afraid to leave him. Does that make any sense?"

"Honestly, not really" Bradin said

She looked him in the eyes, but quickly turned away "I'm scared of what he'll do to me if I tell him I want out, and I'm scared of what he'll do if I start dating someone else to him and me, but most of all I'm scared of what he'll do to the next girl if I leave him" she sighed "Wow, that was the first time I've told anyone that whole story."

"Well I'm happy you told me Mel." The two sat in silence for a while. Mel shivered, which was the first time Bradin realized she was soaked from the rain "Let me grab you something dry to wear" he said getting up

"No it's ok, I should probably head home, my mom's probably going nuts, I got home from school, dropped off my car then left. She's probably having a heart attack as we speak" she smiled and got up "Thanks for letting me vent on you Bradin, I really was on track when I had a crush on you when we were little"

"No way, you hated me" he said defensively

"Haven't you ever heard little girls are mean when they like someone? After all, how could I get over you, you were my first kiss" she winked at him as she walked out of his door, leaving him very confused

"Wait a second" he called "I'll walk you home, ok?"

Melani smiled "Whoa, slow down farm boy" she laughed "who said I want you to walk me home?"

"I did" he replied "Let's go" he wrapped his arm around her waist

She looked at his arm as they walked down the beach toward her house. She redirected her vision from his arm to his eyes "Bradin, can you promise me something?" she said quietly

"Anything" he said looking at her

"You have to promise you won't tell anyone about James, or do anything to try and stop it. I'll pay for it in the end"

"I won't do anything that would hurt you Mel" he replied

"That's not what I asked Bray, please promise me this"

"I promise Mel"

They walked in silence till they got to the back door of her house "Thanks Bradin, you really helped me today" she said

"It's nothing, really I'm glad we talked" She hugged him. He felt something wet hit his shirt "Don't cry Mel, please don't"

"I just want to be with you so bad, I cant get over it, but I just cant and it really sucks" she whined

"Well then, let's be together" he said looking at her in the eyes

"How is that possible?" she said

"No one has to know but us. You can't leave James, and I can't make you, but when you said you can't be without me something clicked, cause that's exactly how I've been feeling"

A smile spread across her face "Well, aren't I a slut, having two boyfriends?" they laughed "No, this works for me, I can have the man of my dreams and still protect the innocent girls of Playa Linda" she leaned over and kissed him quickly "To keep you going till we can be alone again"

"I'm going to need something more than that" he said laughing. He pulled her in and passionately kissed her.

Fireworks flew in front of her eyes He's something special. She thought I just hope this doesn't end up hurting both of us. She reluctantly pulled away "See ya tomorrow farm boy" she said smiling and walked into her house

This is going to be an interesting year he thought as he walked back to his house I'm now helping someone I used to hate be an adulteress.