The sun set over Wrightsville Beach casting an angelic purple and orange hazed glow across the horizon. Bevin sighed as she nestled deeper into her boyfriend's embrace. It was times like that when life was perfect. There was no noise or distractions, no interference or the threat of prejudice rearing its ugly head. It was just two people madly in love.

"What are you thinking about, baby?" she asked.

Skills sighed.

"Nothing, Ma."

"Nothing?"

He shrugged his shoulders, staring out at the coast.

"I don't know. I guess I'm just thinking about how good we got things."

"What do you mean?"

"I talked to Mouth the other day. Shelly Simon broke his heart. It was pretty bad. I know he was really into that girl. The sad part is, I think she was into him too. I guess sometimes stuff happens and people can't control it and it just gets in the way."

"That's too bad."

"Yeah. Anyway, I'm just glad you and me are cool."

Bevin looked up at him.

"You mean that? Baby, are you really happy with me?"

"Yeah, Shorty. You happy with me too, right?"

A smile spread across her face. She had never had doubt in the first place but hearing his words and being in his arms only solidified what she had already been feeling.

"Of course, I'm happy."

"Good. So I was thinking…they having the senior sports banquet at school Friday. You know, they always have somebody, usually a cheerleader, come down and present them something. So I was just wondering, since me and you are together anyway, if you wouldn't mind."

Bevin's heart skipped a beat. The senior sports banquet was always a big deal at Tree Hill High. For Skills she knew it was especially important with him being one of the basketball stars. He could have chosen anyone to walk and present to him but he had chosen her. It was a testament of how much he cared about her and she couldn't have been more thrilled but the joy was short lived.

"I can't," she blurted out.

Skills narrowed his eyes.

"What do you mean, you can't?"

"I just can't. I mean, I'm honored and of course I want too but I hear they're doing things a little differently this year. It's already been chosen randomly and stuff."

"Oh. You sure?"

"Sure I'm sure but it's no big deal. I'll still be there cheering you on anyway."

Skills frowned and Bevin hoped he hadn't been able to see right through her phony reaction. She hated lying to him but it had just come out. She felt she had no choice.

"Your folks gonna be home after school tomorrow?"

"No."

"Want to hang out at your crib? Maybe order a pizza and do some homework?"

"No!"

"No?"

"I mean, we could hang out at the River Court and stuff."

"Yeah we could but um, we been hanging out there a lot lately, especially in the past week."

"So?"

"So it's cool but um, you've been acting kind of strange."

"Strange? Who? Me? Strange? No way, babe."

"Yeah you've been strange, alright. At school and at the games. I hardly ever see you between classes. We haven't been hanging out at your house and we don't go out anymore. In fact, we just chill at the River Court or out here."

"Baby…"

He turned to face her.

"What's going on, Bev? Something ain't right. Talk to me, Ma. What's up?"

Bevin took a deep breath. She had been dreading telling him the truth and in her fairytale mind had hoped it would never come to that but now it was time to come clean. There was a reason she had been standoffish in public and Skills had a right to know what was really going on.

"My parents found out about us."

"Found out what?" he made a face.

"I don't know. It's stupid really and embarrassing. I don't know how to say it."

"Just come out with it."

"Okay…I guess some of my nosy ass neighbors saw you at my house all the time and they told my mom and dad. They flipped."

"They flipped because I was there when they weren't there or they flipped because I'm a brother?"

Bevin couldn't even look him in the eye.

"The second part," she mumbled.

Skills sighed.

"I knew it."

"Baby…"

"I thought you said they were cool."

"I thought they were cool. I can't believe they're being like this."

"So what now? What did they say?"

"They…they said we can't see each other anymore."

"And what did you say?"

"I told them that I love you and that I won't let anything tear us apart. Then they said I'd be grounded forever and they'd take my phone and car and credit cards and everything else away."

"Damn," he shook his head. "That's pretty deep. So now, you calling their bluff or what?"

"They're not bluffing, baby. I don't know what has gotten into them."

"They don't know we're still together?"

"Hell no!"

He turned to look out the opposite window.

"So that's why we been sneaking around town? That's why you never come around at school or at the games and that's why you can't walk with me at senior banquet. I guess that's also why we don't go out in public no more where people will recognize us."

"Sorry but that's the way it has to be for now. Pretty soon I'll be 18 and we'll be graduating and then it won't matter."

"But it matters now."

"What?"

"I told you this would happen. I told you," his voice got louder and louder.

"Baby, don't be mad at me. It's not my fault."

"I don't want to be sneaking around like we're doing something wrong."

"What was I supposed to do?"

"I don't know. Stand up to them, maybe?"

"Skills…"

"Oh wait a minute. That would have cost you your Neiman Marcus card and we can't have that."

Her eyes grew wide.

"That's not fair."

"And this is?"

"They were threatening to take away my whole life! I'd never be able to see you or anybody. I did what I had to do."

"That's right, Ma. You made a choice."

"A choice, huh? So you think I chose my car and everything else over you?"

"Basically."

"That is so stupid and so not true! I am doing what I have to do in order to keep my boyfriend and still have a life without causing trouble at home. Don't turn this around on me! I'm not doing it for me, I'm doing it for us."

"If that's what you think, then you're just lying to yourself, girl."

"Skills!"

"You know how I feel about you, Bevin, and I thought you felt the same way. I thought we had something tight, something real."

"We do. You know how much I care about you."

"Right now I just know how much you ashamed of me."

"Don't say that," tears welled up in her eyes.

"Why? That's what's up. I'm just keeping it real. At least one of us is."

"What do you want me to do? I mean, I didn't expect this. You knew off the bat your parents would be pissed which is why you didn't tell them that I was white in the first place. You were ashamed to tell them about me. I try to protect our relationship so we can still have one and you jump all over me? That's not right and you know it. What's so different about what I've done and what you've done?"

He looked her right in the eye.

"You want to know the difference? I'll tell you. A few weeks ago, I came clean. I told my family that I had a white girlfriend."

"You what? What did they say?"

"They tripped. They told me they weren't having it."

"And what did you say?"

"I told them to get over it, that I respect them as parents but they can't tell me what to do when it comes to the Shorty I'm down with."

"Skills, why didn't you tell me?"

"I guess I was waiting for the right time."

She stroked the side of his face.

"Babe…"

"What we got is serious enough for me to stand up to my mom and dad. You think that shit was easy? But I didn't care. I didn't want to deny you. I thought me and you were on the same page about that."

"We are but it's complicated."

"It was complicated for me too."

"It's not the same, Skills and you know it."

"Why not? Cause I ain't got a fancy car for them to take away? Credit cards? Then if that's the case, you're right. All I got is a cell phone that I work and pay for myself. But even if I had all that bling they was footing the bill for, it wouldn't matter. You more important than that stuff."

"So are you," she cried.

"It don't feel like it."

"What do you want from me?"

"On the real?" he made eye contact. "Go back to Mommy and Daddy and tell them I'm your dude."

Bevin was silent for a few seconds.

"You know I can't do that," she finally spoke.

"Can't or won't?"

"Skills, please don't be like this."

He nodded.

"Okay. It's cool. If that's the way you want it."

She smiled and wiped her eyes.

"It's gonna be okay, you'll see. I know it sucks now but it will get better. I want to thank you, baby, for being such an understanding boyfriend. I promise we won't have to be like this much longer."

"You're right," he said, opening the car door.

"Skills, where are you going?"

"Home."

"Home? You're gonna walk?"

"Yeah."

"It's like 20 miles."

"So?"

"So?"

"So I'd rather walk 20 miles than ride with you right now."

"Skills!"

"We're done, Shorty."

"Why?" she wailed. "Because you don't understand?"

"No, because you don't understand. I care about you a lot and there's stuff I'm willing to put up with but sneaking around because you're ashamed to be with me ain't one of them. I don't respect that and I can't respect you any more because of it. That's what it is."

Hands in his pockets, pride in his heart and anger in his head, Skills walked away and didn't look back, ignoring the heartfelt tear strained pleas and sobs of the girl he loved. Opposites had attracted and true love had bloomed but in the end, their differences had proved to be too much. Skills had always known there would be outside resistance to the union and he had been prepared for the long haul. He thought Bevin had been too. But the words put into her head had gotten to her heart and Skills refused to live like that. He'd have to end it no matter how much it hurt, he thought as he looked down at his cell phone ringing yet again. When he saw it wasn't Bevin, he decided to answer it.

"Skills, what's going on, man?"

He let out a relieved breath.

"Luke, man, am I glad to hear your voice. You think you can get your mom's car?"

"Yeah. Why? You need a ride."

"No doubt."

"Where's Bevin?" Lucas asked.

Skills closed his eyes. He could hardly believe the words he was about to speak.

"It don't matter. Me and Bevin are over."