If it hadn't been for Eyeball, I would still be going with him now. I liked him at the start but then he got controlling. Every time I did something wrong I got a slap.

I knew he was cheating on me. I could see it in the cobra's faces that they knew he was taking me for a fool.

The thing was I didn't dare ask him. I was too afraid.

He was nasty to me and he had begun to hit me. Even when I didn't do anything wrong. Sometimes, he'd just be mad and he'd hit me. I don't know how I managed to keep it from Mom and Dad.

During those months I dated him I became really good friends with the cobras. His best friend especially. Eyeball and I just had a laugh together, we were so alike…

He spent so much time with Ace and I that he could see what was happening. He didn't tell me if Ace was cheating on me or not but I knew anyway and I knew he would never tell.

Eyeball worried about me and he noticed every new bruise when I took my jacket off or every time I flinched. He seemed to care so much about me and he wanted Ace and I to be over.

I guess Eyeball was the only one I could turn to then. That's a big part of why we became so close and that's why we got together that night. Even though I was dating his best friend…

I remember Ace and I were arguing about something stupid. He had slapped me across the face and I couldn't stand there and take it any longer.

"Ace. I want to go home." I told him quietly.

"Well, you can't fuckin go home." He replied, gripping my arm, tightly.

"I feel kind of sick. Please, Ace, honey. I'll see you tomorrow. I just feel sick. Please." I pleaded, hoping he would believe me.

He nodded. "Alright," and with that he walked back over to his cobras.

I could feel the tears well up in my eyes and I felt pathetic. I blinked the tears back and took a couple of deep breaths. I slowly walked over to Eyeball and Vince. I could see Eyeball looking at me out of the corner of his eye.

"Eyeball," I spoke quietly, "can you take me home?"

He nodded, bouncing off the wall he had been sitting on. He set his bottle of beer down and pulled out his car keys.

"I'll be back soon, Vince." He said and we walked to his car.

We had been driving for a while before Eyeball spoke, breaking the silence.

"Why do you let him treat you like that?" His tone was one of exasperation.

"Eyeball, don't…" I really didn't need to hear that.

"Damnit Cassie. Stop protecting him. We all see him hit you. We hear the slaps. He shouldn't do that to you."

"What can I do about it?" I asked frustrated that he was blaming me for the way Ace was treating me.

"We can't do anything if you don't say anything, Cassie. We all like you but we just can't get involved. If you would just… speak up… We could…" He trailed off searching for what to say.

"You couldn't do anything either, Eyeball. We're up against Ace. Ace always gets his way."

"That's not true, Cassie. Stop making excuses damnit!"

"Fuck off, Eyeball! Y'know what? Just let me out! I'll walk the rest of the way home!" My temper flared up.

"Cassie. I'm trying to look after you here, damnit." He shouted.

"Well, why the fuck do you care so much?" I shouted back.

"You're so fucking stubborn!"

"Like you are so fucking perfect!"

"I'm just fucking trying to help you."

"Why?"

"Just why!"

"No. Why?"

"Because you're better than that! You're so damn pretty and you're too fucking good for him!" He yelled.

I sat quietly for a minute or two, thinking about his words.

"I'm pretty?"

"What?" He glanced at me, confusion evident on his face.

"You think I'm pretty?" I questioned him softly.

"Well, yeah." He pulled the car over and sat staring straight ahead for a few moments.

He slowly turned toward me, "I think you're beautiful."

I smiled happily for the first time in ages and he slowly leaned toward me, giving me the opportunity to move away. He kissed me softly and slowly at first and then it became more impassioned.

Suddenly, he pulled back and he stared at me. He turned away, putting his head in his hands. "You're Ace's girl."

I looked down, suddenly ashamed of myself.

He turned back to look at me. "Please leave him, Cassie. Please leave him."

His eyes pleaded with me. He buried his head in my shoulder and for a long time, we sat in his car like that, trying to figure out where to go from there.