She couldn't stay where she was, with her back against the Benedicts' front door, but she wasn't ready to face Jack either, so Missy ran. She ran and ran and ran until she ended up at the park.

It was dark and empty, full of eerie shadows that played off the playground equipment and trees. How different it was at night compared to the daytime when children populated it. Taking a breath and pulling her jacket closer to her, Missy sat down on a swing. The minutes ticked away until after a while she found herself thinking about how much easier things had been when she was younger.

She'd spent her days running around, jumping rope, and gossiping with Jessica. Not the vicious gossip they engaged in now, but harmless stuff. Now, love, sex, and lies had entered the picture. At times, she wished she could go back, but of course, she knew she couldn't, she'd grown too much for that.

Sighing, she backed up the swing and pushed herself off. Up, up, up into the air she soared, the cool night breeze ruffling her hair.

"Our father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done …." She'd been born into a good Christian home. Her father was a minister so she'd been raised with the Word. Yet, she'd succumbed to temptation. And as she'd struggled, she'd watched in horror as her sins started piling up: disobedience, pre-marital sex, lying. How had she strayed so far from her faith?

But more importantly, how could she redeem herself?

She'd have to tell Jack the truth. What she'd done had been deceitful and treacherous. And though it would take a long time for him to forgive her, if he ever did, any hope of things ever being right between them was dependent on her stepping forward, especially before Courtney did. As the night breeze calmed her, she began to see a way out, a pathway to reclaiming her soul. Slowly she rose and began her journey to Jack's house.

Upon reaching his house, she let herself in. With as little sound as possible, she crept up the stairs and down the hall to his room. Softly, she knocked on his door.

"Yeah?"

"It's Missy. Can I come in?"

For a second, he said nothing, then, "Sure."

She opened the door.

In most ways, his room looked like that of a typical sixteen-year-old boy. Clothes, shoes, and CDs cluttered the floor. However, in Jack's room, posters of groups like the White Stripes, the Hives, and the Strokes hung alongside pictures of famous runners she knew nothing about though he'd told her about them: Bruce Jenner, Carl Lewis, Michael Green, and Jesse Owens. His bookshelves, in turn, didn't so much house books as his overflow of track trophies.

"Hey," he said. He sat up in bed, a paperback book in his hand.

"Hi." She closed the door behind her, then leaned against it. She was afraid, more afraid than she'd ever been in her life. She suspected Jack would be angry, devastated, he might even scream bloody murder at her for what she'd done. So be it, there was no turning back now. "I need to talk to you."

"Okay," he said as he laid the book on his lap and looked at her intently.

"I … I," she stammered. She couldn't begin to articulate what she'd done. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay. I should have told you sooner how I felt."

"No. I'm not talking about what happened this afternoon. Though I'm sorry about that too. Look Jack, I never meant to hurt you. There is absolutely no excuse for what I did; I only hope that one day you can forgive me," she said.

"What are you talking about?" he asked as he swung his legs over the side of the bed.

"Don't. Don't come near me. Just let me say what I have to say." She caught her breath. "I wasn't thinking straight. I thought that with enough time, you'd see that we belonged together."

"Missy."

"But I see now I was wrong."

He stood, then he crossed the room and stopped in front of her. He reached out his hand and put it on her shoulder.

"I swear that no matter what, I'll be there for you and our baby."

She hunched her shoulders, steeling herself for the firestorm that would sure to follow. "There is no baby," she said softly.

"What?" Jack asked, his grip tightening.

"You're hurting me Jack," she said as she pulled away from him and began pacing the room. "There is no baby," she said louder.

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"I don't understand," he said, his voice trembling.

"I just wanted you back so badly."

No, no, no, he thought. He couldn't have heard her correctly. But the look on her face said it all and the realization of what Missy had done sunk in. She's not pregnant. It was all a lie.

"Get out!"

"Jack."

"Get the fuck out of here." Suddenly he felt sick. Any minute he imagined puking all over the floor. His mouth went dry and metallic. His heart beat furiously in his chest.

A knock sounded at the door.

"Jack, are you okay?" Bobby asked.

"Get out," he screamed again at Missy. "If you don't leave now …."

She opened the door, almost knocking over Bobby in her rush to get out of the room.

"What's wrong with him?" Bobby asked. As he looked into the room, he saw Jack in a corner banging his fist against the wall, a look of utter horror and pain on his face.

"Just leave him alone Bobby," Missy said before turning and rushing downstairs and out the front door.

Why, he thought as the weight of what had just happened washed over him. One lie and in its wake, his life lay in shambles. He fell to the floor, his body shaking with tears.

"Jack?" Bobby asked as he stepped into the room. "Are you okay?"

Jack said nothing as he covered his face with his hands and cried.

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After Missy had left, he'd sat for hours in the middle of the floor in shock. He couldn't believe that this girl he'd once loved, this girl who he'd defended countless times to Marcus and his mother had deceived him the way she had.

Today, however, was a new day.

He had to tell Courtney and Marcus, but they could wait. There was one person who had a right to know now. He didn't know what to expect from her. He could only imagine her either telling him to go to hell or not speaking to him at all.

He had to at least try to get through to her though. She'd changed him. Before she'd come along, he'd been self-absorbed and hadn't realized it, oblivious to the world around him, particularly, the people in it.

Morning classes went by in a blur. Then, lunchtime arrived. He waited by his locker until finally spotting her at the end of the hallway. Quickly, he slammed his locker door shut and made his way down the hall to where she stood.

"Katie."

"Go away McCallister," she said as she shut her locker door and began walking away.

"Look, I know I'm not your favorite person right now, but I really need to talk to you," he said following her. "It's important."

"We have nothing to talk about. In fact, wouldn't your time be better spent talking to the mother of your child?"

"Missy isn't pregnant."

"What?" Katie asked stopping. She turned to face him. "What did you just say?"

"She isn't pregnant; she made it all up."

He watched as she processed this information, a flicker of confusion flashing across her face.

"Whatever," she said as she turned on her heels and continued on her way.

He rushed to catch up to her. "Katie." He grabbed her hand and pulled her into an empty classroom. "Listen to me. I'm sorry," he said as he closed the door behind them. "If I could take back everything that has happened, I would. But make no mistake; now that I know she's not pregnant, Missy is definitely out of my life."

"Why are you telling me this?"

"Because," he said as he drew her to him. "I love you and I want to be with you."

She yanked her hands away and stepped back, shaking her head. "No. It's better this way."

"How can you say that?"

"We're just so different. Besides, I don't want to be some social experiment or cultural experience for you."

"That's not fair. You know how I feel about you." He felt as if he were drowning. The more he tried treading water, the further he sank. He knew she was deliberately making things difficult for him. She was scared shitless and who could blame her but …. "Take a chance."

"What?"

"Take a chance on me, on us. I know how hard this Missy thing has been for you, but I promise I'll make it up to you."

"How?" she asked defiantly, looking him in the eyes.

"I don't know. I'll do anything. Everything. Whatever it takes."

"We've tried already and it didn't work. We don't make sense together, end of story," she said, after which she walked to the door.

As she turned the doorknob, he called out, "Go ahead, walk away. Just don't end up one of those people who are always running from life."

Without saying a word, she opened the door and walked into the hall. All Jack could do was watch her leave, helpless to do anything about it.

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Katie rushed out of the classroom and down the hall to the washroom. After maneuvering around a group of girls at the sink, she hurried into a stall and locked herself inside. With her back against the door, she let the tears she'd been holding in fall.

Why did he have to come back? Why couldn't he have left well enough alone? They'd had their chance, and they simply weren't meant to be.

He'd changed her too, but she wasn't convinced it had been for the better. Before, she'd been better able to handle her emotions. Now, she was just another silly girl who got emotional over some guy - she cared that he thought of her and what he thought of her. With Jack, she'd felt anxious, self-conscious, awkward, happy, pretty, safe … and loved, things she never could have imagined ever feeling.

But he'd let her down, and she couldn't get pass that.