Author's note - sorry for the delay. I've had a serious writer's block - not just this but I can't write at all, and it's pissing me off. But I owe you guys another chapter - I haven't abandoned this story - and now I hope you guys haven't either. I haven't updated any of my other stories either. I'm sorry, I'm just going through all of the plots and stuff in my head, and I'm trying to write - so hard. So if the writing in this chapter sucks - I'm SO sorry - it's just, it's been like two months. And if I don't update soon then the significance of this story and the commitment I once had to it will disintegrate, y'know. I don't want to give up on it. This is short. But it is Jackson/Melissa - and it sets up a tragedy and a heroism. The next chapter will be SOOOO much longer.

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Kissing. It is perhaps the first step into a real relationship. Holding hands, hugging - that's child's play. That's the type of shit you do with your friends...if you're a girl. Melissa didn't have those friends. She hadn't ever walked down the hall of school, hand in hand with another female who was so much closer to her. She didn't have friends like. She had Erik, and Nathan. And people knew her - they knew who she was, they just weren't interested in meeting her; they didn't care for her.

Jackson cared. Melissa couldn't have imagined herself with anybody - especially not somebody quite so attractive, so caring yet hard as nails. Melissa kissed Jackson again. Jackson had initiated the kissing - he initiated the touching, and the physical side of the relationship, but now Melissa was done with being so overwhelmed. Jackson liked her, and he proceeded to kiss her - it wasn't the end of the world.

She kissed him again. "Are you okay?" Jackson asked her when she pulled away.

Melissa shrugged. "I know I'm a sophomore but - I'm totally inexperienced, Jackson. I've never kissed anybody before you, and nobody's ever held me like you. There's so much I want to do before..." Before what? Melissa hesitated; she didn't want to put Jackson off. How could she possible proceed to live and still be so freaking pessimistic?

"Before what?" Jackson asked her.

Melissa didn't answer. What could she possible say that would somehow convince Jackson. How could she lie to him? How could she ever lie to him? He was so calm, so collected - he seemed capable of seeing past some dumb lie. "Jackson," Melissa began quietly, somewhat withdrawing from him.

"I won't break up with you, Melissa," Jackson told her, grinning slowly. "Not if you don't break up with me. This isn't some charade. We're dating. It's how it is. Are you okay with that?"

Melissa smiled. It was a sheepish smile, but she couldn't stop it. She couldn't stop smiling. She was dating somebody - not just somebody, but a boy, a real - live, breathing boy. Sure, he was troubled and abused, but he was alive, and that's always a positive. He was Cody Jackson. She kissed him again.

"What's up, people!" Melissa and Jackson jerked apart at the intrusive voice. "I'm a freebird, man!" It was Eric.

"That's good to hear," Melissa responded cheerfully.

"Yeah," Jackson mumbled. "Why don't you go tell it to somebody else in a different room far far away?"

Eric frowned slightly. "Am I interrupting something?" He asked innocently.

"Always," Jackson told him. "Thanks though - do you have a purpose in here...other than to gloat?"

"Yes, actually," Eric answered, ignoring Jackson's hateful tone. "Do you know where Beaver is?" He asked.

Jackson raised an eyebrow. "Why?" he asked.

"I just want to talk to him," Eric answered nonchalantly. "Do you know where he is...where he's living? Where is that lil bugger living?"

"Lately," Melissa began -- "In the hospital. With his best friend who sacrificed himself, for you. But when he's not here, he could be at my house."

"That's lovely," Eric answered cheerfully. "I'll be back in a bit, to check up on you, okay, buddy?" Jackson frowned at the condescending tone.

"Okay, buddy," Melissa murmured when Eric had left. Jackson shook his head.