I clutched the piece of parchment tightly as my eyes wandered aimlessly. I couldn't believe that I didn't recognize half these people. I mean I had been going to this school for four years now, you'd think I'd know who these people were. I skimmed over the crowd once more, hoping to see a familiar face but to no prevail. I felt immensely tired and all I wanted to do was go home but I couldn't without my ride.

This whole day had been exhausting. I had gotten up this morning, planning to take it easy before the ceremony but unfortunately my friends had other plans for me. We ran all over town, getting ready for commencement. We had manicures, got our hair done (which was completely unnecessary) and then we went up and down the street looking for Mariah's favorite shoe store. She heatedly told me that one couldn't graduate without the proper footwear. Seeing as I was as tried as hell, I didn't argue.

After my continuous nagging, they finally gave in but we were late, as I had predicted. So we ran into a gas station restroom and changed into the required uniforms. We just made it.

I felt a sudden tap on my shoulder and I briskly turned around. My search was over, as soon as I realized who it was.

"Hey", I said drowsily.

"Hey, gorgeous. I'm so proud of you", he said. He hugged me and kissed me on the forehead and with all the strength I had left, I hugged him back. "Tired?"

I nodded my head slowly but I didn't want to let go of him. I felt so warm whenever I was around him. He made me feel like somebody. He was all I would ever need.

He had long, blue hair, tied back and he always had a sincere and understanding expression but the one thing that made him like that were his eyes. His truthful, trustworthy eyes. Just one look into his soft brown eyes told me everything.

"Congrats Hilary". I turned my head, only to see Mariah and Emily, grinning at me.

"Hey guys", I said, this time I actually sounded enthusiastic. I smiled shyly at the two boys standing next to them. The blue-eyed boy instinctively said a carefree 'what's up?' to him.

"Congratulations, Hil". I cringed. The blue-eyed boy spoke so casually to me, as though we had been friends all our lives.

"Yeah, Hil…um…we're really proud of you"

"Thanks Ray…. Max". They both blinked at me. Max looked surprised for a second. He was probably feeling weird around especially since he was one of the very few people who knew. Once the wave of awkward silence had passed us by, Mariah began her aggravating chattering.

"So, who's going to the party tonight?", she asked, excitedly.

"We'll be there" Max said, grinning as he put his arm around Emily.

"Yeah we will be there too"

I raised an eyebrow and looked up at the blue-haired man who had his arm around me.

"We will?". I was obviously a little taken back by this. For one, I was completely unaware of the fact that we had plans other than renting a few romantic movies and ordering pizza for the night. And secondly, nobody even told me about this party!

I felt that same uncomfortable feeling erupting amongst us again.

"Of course we are", I said stupidly.

"I thought it would be a good idea since we haven't spent any time together in a long time", he explained. A long time? It was more like the entire year.

"That's great, Hil". I cringed again. That was the third time. Hil….Hil…Hil. I shut my eyes. I haven't been called 'Hil' since the team broke up, since I left it all behind, … since I left him behind. "Is something wrong?". I opened my eyes, and saw concern on Max's face.

"No, I'm just really tried, that's all", I said sleepily. "So, where's the party?", I questioned only so I could change divert everyone's attention.

"My grandpa's, hon", my so-called hero smiled at me. I couldn't believe this. He was gonna get it as soon as we got into that car.

"What?", I said sharply. He opened his mouth to sooth my anger but I felt something vibrate in my robe.

Ignoring him, I flipped open my phone.

"Hello" I waited for an answer. I pushed a piece of my brown hair out of my face. I heard a muffled hello.

"Hello?", I repeated. "Mom?….Mom?'. I pushed Mariah out of my way and continued to ignore him as I heard him ask who it was.

"Hold on, mom. Bad reception". I pushed my way through the stream of navy blue robes and caps. It was so hard to hear with everyone gleefully shouting and congratulating each other in the courtyard. So I headed for the school doors.

"Hold on" I said hurriedly as my hand struggled to reach for the door through the mob of graduates. I pulled the handle and stepped in to the sophisticated institution.

My school was extremely old and with it's age came respect. Yes, my school was highly respected. It was one the top schools in the nation. It was also very rich. The walls were made from pure dark oak and the floors, marble. The door I had just entered was also oak. A very thick, heavy oak. It was a dark hallway with only a few beams of sunlight coming through the high windows, which were in the direction of our ancient courtyard. I was standing in front of our school's prestigious dark chocolate, wooden grand staircase which of course, lead up to the front entrance. Painted pictures of old famous men stared down at me. This place never ceased to amaze. Every time I think I learned every bit of history this school has to offer, something new presented itself.

"Mom?…Mom? Are you there?"

"Honey, I have been trying to reach you all day"

"I've been waiting for you", I said after the long pause.

"I'm sorry sweetie. I got tied up here at the office and….:"she sighed, knowing that I didn't care about listening to her excuses. I leaned against the antique banister and waited for her to say something because I didn't have the courage to." So…what are you thinking now?" she asked me. I didn't say anything. I was afraid that I would say something hurtful.

"Honey?"

I bit my bottom lip. "What…what am I suppose to say mom?", I said, choked up.

"Look, honey I'll make it up to you. We'll…."

I shut my eyes as I heard the familiar beep, beep, beep on the other end. Sighing I turned off the phone and slipped it back into my pocket. I sat down on the bottom step and rubbed my eyes. I kept my hands on my face. Before I could grasp it, I broke down. I began to sob; taking advantage of the fact that no one was there.

I was so tired, every part of my body ached. I hated this. Everybody looked at me as if I was this girl with the perfect life, the perfect grades, the perfect boyfriend and the perfect everything. This made me feel like they expected it from me. They expected me to be perfect but I wasn't. They saw me as something I wasn't.

I stopped as I realized that somebody was coming down the hall. I could hear someone's footsteps. I wiped my tears on my sleeve, as I tried to pull myself together. I looked down the hall, hoping that the person hadn't have heard me blubbering.

I took a sharp intake of air as I saw the person. I was such an idiot as I stupidly stared at him in awe like he was some kind of god. He grinned at me and I shut my mouth quickly.

"Hey". I had intended to sound joyful but my greeting came out as a soft whisper.

"Hey valedictorian", he said in return. "What's the matter? Not celebratin' with your boyfriend?", he asked me in his cocky voice. Ouch, that was a little harsh. I didn't say anything. Instead I stared in to his eyes. They were so deep….but no. No they weren't. They were nothing. He-was-nothing.

There were only two people in my life, who talked to me in such a way that I had nothing to say back. Those people were my mom and him… Tyson Granger, the so-called most popular and wanted guy in our school. He had his long blue hair, tied back as usual, this cute smile and those… eyes.

"So what's up?" he tried a different approach.

"Nothing" I answered. I avoided eye contact and stared at my feet.

"Tired?". My head shot up at that question. The same question he had asked me earlier but for some reason him and Tyson did not sound the same at all. In fact they didn't even look alike. That's probably because he took after their dad and Tyson took after their mother.

I nodded my head slowly but then quickly averted my head. I was now hoping that he would leave but he didn't. He sat down next to me and I had a bizarre feeling. But it wasn't unfamiliar.

Excluding the past year, I haven't talked to Tyson in three years. We just grew apart but then again we were never really close to begin with. These past three years we just walked by each other, acting like we had never met. We never said 'hi' or 'what's up?'. Although it might sound strange but Tyson and I were the ones who grew apart the most. I even talked to the other guys at least a few times a week and Kenny and I have been in the same classes all through out high school. After our little beyblade team officially broke up, we all moved on. Well, I moved on. Tyson, Max, Kenny, Ray and I think even Kai are still best friends. How do I know this? I realized this through out the course of hanging out with them this year. They were there for each other for everything and whenever one of them needed help they would all show up, unlike the people in my life.

"Hey…". He touched my arm and I looked at him. He took a deep breath. "Hil—lary…um…about what happened . Shouldn't we talk abou-"

"I don't want to talk about it" I said as I cut him. He stopped talking.

"I just wanted to make sure that we…that we're okay. I was just playin' when I said all that stuff about Hiro so…".

"We're not okay. Nothing's changed, Tyson". I wanted to get up and leave. I wanted to be far away from him. I wanted to forget everything but how could I, when I knew Tyson would always be in my life.

"Will you just give me a chance? God! I don't know how Hiro deals with you! He must be crazy".

"He's not crazy! He's just got good taste in girls", I narrowed my eyes at him.

"Feh...whatever", I was way too exhausted for this so I got up and began walking to the door. "So you're gonna hide it from him?". I stopped just as I grabbed the handle to the door. Swiftly I turned around, only to see him standing with his arms crossed with a very solemn expression.

"There's nothing to hide?", he raised an eyebrow at me as I tried to sound convincing.

"Dishonesty is the best method to make a relationship work", he said. I sighed as the guilt poured over me.

"It was nothing. Bye"

Tyson-I could describe this guy in so many words. Loud, rude, obnoxious, lazy and not to mention a total self-centered pig but…why did I do it then? If I hate him so much and I can't stand him why am I driven to him. Why am I attracted to this egotistic jerk! Why is it that everything he says to me impacts my life? Why did he have to let me enter his life again? Why did I do it? Why did I allow myself to get close to him? … to spend this crazy amount of time with him?… to …to develop feelings for him?…

To understand what happened, you'd have to back track all the way to the beginning of the school year. That's where it all began.