I...I couldn't believe my eyes. I never thought I'd see Castiel again, but there he was, standing right in front of me!

First Lysander, then Nathaniel, and now Castiel too? Could this get any weirder?

As you probably could've guessed, Castiel was yet another boy I left behind in Sweet Amoris. He was the first one I met there, so I'd always held a special place in my heart for him. There was so much I wanted to say, but I was barely even able to say his name before he pushed past me and disappeared into the crowd. I should've known better than to follow him, but for some reason, I couldn't just let him go.

"Wait!" I shouted out, pushing past the crowd of other students. "Hey, wait a minute!" I kept calling out to him like that, but he wouldn't answer me. Eventually though, I was able to catch up to him. I briskly walked up from behind him and grabbed his arm, only to have him throw me off.

"What?!" He barked, finally turning around to face me. "What do you want?!"

"I want answers!" I yelled back at him. "What are you doing here?"

"Answers? You've got some nerve. It's none of your damn business, so fuck off and leave me alone."

He walked away again, but I couldn't just leave it like that. Castiel was right though. Interrogating him now, after all I'd done, would just make things worse. So, I did the only thing I really could do.

"I'm sorry!" I must've screamed it at the top of my lungs, but I needed him to hear me. I owed him just as much of an apology as I owed Nathaniel, and...well...maybe even Lysander, a little bit...

The hallway was so empty at the moment, even from ten feet away, I heard him snicker. "Sorry? You're 'sorry'? The instability in his voice made me extremely uneasy. The look in his eye made me realize he was breaking. And that last outburst I so stupidly made...sent him crashing down. ...What...just what did I do to him? "Uh-huh." He continued, walking back over to me. "Just like you were sorry when I caught you with Nathaniel, or like you were sorry you couldn't say no to Lysander? Ha...yeah, I don't think so. You're not sorry for me, you're sorry for yourself. You're sorry you got caught. You're a lying bitch, and you know it."

"I..." I tried to find the words I wanted to say, but I was stunned. Everything he was saying was absolutely true, and I just couldn't bring myself to try and defend it or make up excuses. I hurt him, just like the others. There was no excuse for that.

"You know...when you left, I didn't think I could live...but it actually got better. When you were gone, there wasn't as much shit going on at school, and I didn't have to fight with those other guys anymore. Nathaniel got with Melody, and they seemed okay. I don't know what happened to Lysander. After you left, so did he, and honestly, I had no problem with that. You know what? I'm glad you left, because without you there, driving a knife into my heart every time you looked at me the way you're looking at me right now, I could finally breathe again. But now...you might as well have stuck it right back in. And you really don't care, do you? That look you're giving me...you had it every single time. I can't stand to look at you anymore."

"..."

"Oh, and Slim..." He said, as he turned to leave. "Learn how to use a door already, will ya?"

And then he was gone.

…..I could've sworn I saw just the slightest hint of a smile when he left though.

Oh my God, the door mark! I immediately slapped my hand to my forehead and ran to the nearest bathroom to see if it was still there. Sure enough, it was - a huge bruise from the middle of my forehead to the bridge of my nose - a bruise I'd had once before.

Rather than thinking or panicking, or staring blankly at myself...I started laughing – like really laughing – harder than I had in a long, long time.

I can't believe I did it again! Don't worry, Castiel, I'll figure it out someday! X'D

…...

Hopefully. ^w^'

At this point, it should go without saying, but I had a lot to process when I got home. First the student election, then the group change in physics, then clubs, then detention, and then Castiel. Wow. My brain couldn't figure out where to begin. With all that went on today, I was actually amazed nothing happened during my walk home. Now the only battle I had to fight was with myself, and I had so many thoughts to deal with.

What happened with the election? Why did Nathaniel do this? Why is it so important to him? Chris has been looking forward to this for so long, it's just not fair! First the thing with Lysander, and now Nathaniel too! Everyone tied to my past is getting in his way...I have to stop this. But first, I gotta talk to him. For once in my life, I'm going to tell the truth – the whole truth. I don't wanna hide anything anymore. And what happened to Nathaniel? Did he really change that much because of what I've done? Or...did something happen between him and Melody? Whatever the case, I never thought a nice guy like him would end up a petty criminal...

…..

What is it with Lysander's obsession with me, anyway? What's so special about me that he feels like he has to go to all these lengths just to be with me? There must be plenty of girls out there that would like him, if only he'd give them the chance. So why? And...what exactly is he going to do to Chris if I upset him again? I hate to think about it, but I have to know what to expect. Lysander's just so unpredictable sometimes, he really scares me. But still, when he's not in full "psycho mode," he's actually really sweet. He always speaks to me so gently, and he's always trying to fix what's bothering me...as long as it works for him, of course. What he's doing is extreme, but maybe he really is just trying to make me happy. He's just also trying to protect himself in the process. Just like Castiel said, I lied to them all and broke their hearts. Can I really blame Lysander if he doesn't trust me?

…..

Castiel...he's the last person I expected to be here. I thought for sure his sheer anger towards me would've kept him back for good, but here he is again. Why? He never did tell me what brought him to my school. I'm pretty sure I can say it wasn't for me, so then, for what? If I'm just a "knife stabbing him in the heart," then why would he risk being here at all...unless he didn't know? God, there was so much anger in his eyes. I've never seen him so livid. I can't believe he called me...that. But it's true, that's what I am. I can't blame him for hating me, I would hate me too. I do anyway. But still...if he really, truly couldn't stand me, then...why did he even bother talking to me in the first place? He could've just kept walking and he would've never had to speak to me again. He could've avoided me that easily, so why? And...

I put a hand on my bruise again.

Why did he even bring this up? He was leaving, he had made his point, and he was about to get out of there, but he still said something. What was the point of that? What is he really trying to say?

….He even called me "Slim" like he used to...

Seeing me today must've brought back so many painful memories, no doubt about it...but now I know it also brought back some good memories too – this is proof. The Castiel I knew back then is still in there somewhere. I'm so relieved. I wonder though...did the others really change for good, or are they just hiding behind walls too?

I wonder...

The next morning, I woke up feeling refreshed. With all of that out of my system (for now), I could finally just relax for a bit. I spent a blissful five hours watching TV and playing games, and nothing else. I didn't even think of anything else.

I. Just. Chilled.

*RIIIIIIIIIIIIIING*

And if I were anyone else, I could've kept enjoying my day. But hey, I got a role to fill here, so...you know...

I looked at the Caller ID on my phone, but it wasn't anyone I knew. Still, I decided to answer it anyway.

"Hello?"

"Julia, is that you?"

"Uh...yeah, it's me. Who are you?"

"Oh my god, this is the right number! Yaaaaay! It's me, Rosalya!"

"Rosalya? How did you get my number?"

"Um...uh...not important! What is important is the dance! I still have to take your measurements for the costume I'm making you! You didn't forget, did you?"

"Uh..." The truth was, I did forget. Like, completely.

"Oh my god, you didn't..."

"Well..."

"Ugh, no way! This is so important, how could you forget it?!"

"Well Rosalya, you never said exactly when we're doing this!"

"Well we're doing this now! I'm on my way over to get you. I hope I have your address right..."

"Okay..."

"Great, see ya!"

-click-

…...

...Wait, WHAT?!

I had no idea how Rosalya got that information, and honestly, part of me didn't even wanna know. All I knew was that she was coming over, so I had to get ready to go out. At least I got to have a few hours to myself before something like this happened. Heck, I was lucky if I ever got one. It didn't take too long for Rosalya to show up and whisk me out of there. I didn't understand why she was in such a hurry, but then, I knew better than to question it. She seemed really excited about this, so I decided to let her have it. After all, I was getting a free costume out of it. Not too bad. It didn't take us very long to get to what I assumed was her house, but...it wasn't a house. It was more like a mansion! Just by looking at it, I could tell it was at least three stories high, and it had so many windows, there had to have been at least ten rooms on each floor!

"Wow..." I said, looking around in amazement as we got inside. "This is your house?"

"Yeah!" She replied, cheerfully. "Well, technically, it's my boyfriend's. He owns a very successful clothing store."

"Oh, really? He must sell a lot to afford a place like this."

"Oh, he does! But it's actually more about the quality. He sells the more expensive stuff because he believes all people should wear nice clothes."

"Well in that case...why make it so expensive then?"

"Because! Those materials don't come cheap, you know! He wouldn't make any money if he sold them for less."

"I guess that's true..."

Rosalya opened the door in front of us and brought me into a huge room full of fabrics, mannequins, and sewing equipment. Once again, I was in awe. Even though fashion was never really my thing, I liked all the pretty colors and textures, and the fact that they had something like this in their house was amazing in and of itself.

"So...how do you wanna do this?" I asked Rosalya, who was already busy picking out some fabrics. "I mean, I don't know how this kind of thing works, so..."

"Oh, don't worry about it!" She replied, bringing over everything that fit in her arms. "I'll take care of everything, all I'll need you to do is answer some questions."

"Questions...? Like what?"

"You know, about the costume! Well this is a school dance, so obviously I'm gonna make you a dress, but it's also Halloween, so what's your favorite Halloween creature?"

"Um, I dunno...all of them?"

"Well I can't design a dress based on all of them! Just pick a few, maybe like two or three."

"Okay...then I pick...witch and vampire."

"Ooh, a vampire-witch, I like it! Next, what colors do you like? I mean, we need to have black, that's just a given for witches and most vampires, but what else?"

"Hmm..." I thought. "I like green a lot, but I also like red too. And blue."

"...Sure, sure. I could work with that. So, black, green, red, and blue? That sounds like an interesting challenge. What about the material? What would you like the dress to be made out of? Oh, and patterns! What kind of designs do you like the most?"

"Well...as for material, I like silky things. They feel nice on my skin. Pattern-wise, it's not really important. But you know...I kind of like those glittery things over there."

"Those? Okay!"

We kind of went back and forth like that for a while. Last, but not least, was measurements; that's what I went there for. But honestly, it took the least amount of time compared to everything else. I don't know if it was the mansion or Rosalya's passion for this kind of stuff, but I was starting to get a little excited. I looked forward to seeing the finished costume, since I had no idea how it was going to turn out. Maybe this dance thing could be fun, after all, who knows? By the time I left Rosalya's house, the sun was already starting to set. I knew I'd been there a while, but I didn't think I was there that long. Luckily, her place was only about a fifteen-minute bus ride from mine, so it didn't take me too long to get back.

I got back to my apartment to find Chris sitting right next to my door. He didn't look too good; he was slumped over and had such a miserable look on his face.

"Hey..." I said quietly, walking over to him. "How long have you been sitting there?"

He didn't respond.

"What's goin' on?" I asked him, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Are you alright?"

"Oh, hey." He answered, picking himself up off the floor. "Uhh, nothin'. Nothin' really. Sorry I didn't call, I just...I wanted to talk to you. I didn't know you had plans."

"Oh! No, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you wait here on the floor. Honestly, I didn't know either."

Chris smiled sadly. "So you forgot something, huh? That's just like you."

"Wha–I didn't forget!"

He just stared at me, and I could feel myself starting to smile. "...Okay, well maybe I did forget! So what?! ….But that's not why you're here, is it?"

He sighed and looked away. "No...no, it's not."

"Well...why don't you come inside, and we can talk there?"

"Sure." I led him into my apartment and closed the door. "So what's up?"

We walked over to the couch and sat down. "What's up? What's not up? You saw the results today, right?"

"Yeah, I was gonna talk to you about that too." I put a hand on his shoulder. "How are you feeling?"

Chris just shook his head. "I dunno. How am I supposed to feel? I feel...numb. I can't believe that happened. How did that even happen?! I was right up there! You saw!"

"I know..."

"How did Nathaniel beat me so quickly?! How did he get that many votes?! No one's ever gotten that many votes before!"

I understood Chris's frustration. Worse yet, I knew the reason why. But...

If you tell anyone about this, I'll tell Lysander things you might not want him to know.

I couldn't. If I told Chris now, even if he swore not to tell anyone, how could I know the secret wouldn't eventually get out? If Nathaniel ever found out I told someone about him, who knows what he'll tell Lysander about me? He could tell him anything, even if it wasn't true. And Lysander would believe it, because...as much as I hated to admit it, he was right; I can't be trusted. Every time someone left me alone, someone else was right around the corner, so all Nathaniel would have to do is tell him there's another guy in the picture and boom: everything falls apart.

"...Julia?" Chris looked at me with concern. "Are you okay?"

"Uh, I–I'm fine! Anyways, don't worry, it's not over. That was just a preview post, so you still have a chance here, Chris."

"Oh c'mon, Julia, you know how these things go. This was the second-to-last results post. The next one will be final! I can't make up a hundred votes in a month, and he might even get more!"

"You don't know that! ….I mean, sure, it seems likely, but...you can't give up! Chris, you were meant for that role, I know it! And don't let anybody tell you otherwise!"

Finally, I got him to smile, like a real, genuine, happy smile. "...Thank you. You know, you're always there for me, right there, supporting me, and I just...what do I do? I moan and complain and yell at you when none of this is your fault. I'm such a jerk."

I smiled back at him. "No, you're not. You're just telling me all your problems, and that's fine. I'm always here to hear you out; that's what friends are for. I'm actually glad you trust me enough to tell me these things. I'm just sorry I don't know how to help."

"No, don't worry about it. Just talking to you helps a lot. Hey...could I ask you a favor?"

"Sure, anything. What is it?"

I didn't notice until that moment, but Chris was now incredibly close to me. Was it my imagination, or had he been inching closer this whole time? I had no idea. In the ensuing silence, he pulled me towards him and wrapped his arms tightly around me in a warm embrace. Softly, he whispered, "Promise me you won't change. Promise me you'll stay by my side. Please."

"Of course." I answered right away, without hesitation. "I'll always be here for you. I promise."

"Thank you..." He trailed off, as we enjoyed a few more moments like that together.

And then...he kissed me. Woah... I thought to myself, as I drowned in the moment. I never knew he felt this way about me. I should've seen it coming, but I had no clue. Nevertheless, I really liked Chris, and this feeling was so nice...I wanted it to last forever.

But...

Eventually, it was really late and Chris said he had to go home. I walked him to the door and let him out. He didn't say anything else as he left, just looked at me and smiled, and I did the same. I closed the door slowly behind him and let out a sigh.

Why are things always so easy when I'm with him? They were never like that with anyone else.

With a relaxed mindset and a glowing smile, I got ready for bed. Today had been a long day, but it was a good one. I couldn't wait for more days like that~.