A/N: Hey, guys! Last chapter was also cheesie and kinda short, I know. I promise this one is better. Next chapter will be the final one, I'm sorry to say...but enjoy this one nevertheless!

MARK'S POV:

Mark was very relieved as he stepped into the warm May air. It was finally getting warmer again—and it wasn't raining. It had rained almost all April...and when it hadn't been raining, Mark thought bitterly, it had been horribly cold outside.

He was in a very happy mood, and not just because of the weather. His grades for the year were above average. This would be the one time he'd be excited to get his report card for the end of the year. Issues at home weren't bad either; Cindy actually stopped calling him a twerp for one full day...And, of course, life at school couldn't have been better. He and Maureen weren't picking on each other as much. Tom and Joanne were on great terms, as were Mimi and Roger. And Angel was happy for everybody and with everybody, as he usually was.

So, as he entered the schoolyard on a normally dreary Monday morning, Mark was happy. And he hoped he would be happy for the rest of the day. He walked over to his friends with a smile on his face to find that everyone else was frowning.

"Hi, guys," he said. Everyone was silent, crowded around Maureen. Mark didn't find that shocking. People were always crowded around Maureen.

"What's up?" Mark attempted to strike up a conversation once again. Angel looked up at him, his brown eyes full of sadness. "...What happened?" Angel grabbed his arm and pulled him off to the side.

"Maureen's grandma. Y'know, the one that always makes cookies that Maureen brings to lunch?"

Mark nodded. Maureen had shared some of her grandmother's cookies with him at one point, and they were good.

"She...died. On Saturday. And Mo's really sad." Angel glanced over at Maureen, who was curled up sitting on the concrete.

Mark stared. "Aww, man..." was all he could say. "I feel...really bad...Is...she..."

"Just go talk to her," Angel said. Mark nodded once again and walked back over to his friends huddled around Maureen. He literally had to shove Roger out of the way to get to her.

"Dude, where's the fire?! Gosh."

Mark ignored his best friend and ran over to Maureen and knelt down beside her. "Maureen...hi." He briefly acknowledged his friends dispersing as to leave the two of them alone. "I'm...really, really, really sorry about your grandma."

Maureen sniffed. Mark was afraid she wouldn't talk to him. He always found himself stuck in these awkward situations.

Finally, she spoke. "Marky, I miss her a lot."

"Yeah...yeah, I know. If you wanna...talk, you can just talk to me 'cause...uh..." He paused, gulping. "...'Cause I don't want you to be sad. When you're sad, I'm sad." Mark, that was so corny. You should just shut up. Right now.

Maureen looked up at him in such a way that made Mark's heart skip a beat.

"Thanks, Mark." She'd called him Mark. Not Marky. Just Mark. And then she stood up and hugged him, resting her head on his shoulder. Mark was startled at first, but then stiffly put his arms around her as well.

Were hugs with girls supposed to be like this? Mark felt as if he'd faint. Maureen was always loud, hyper, and desperate for constant attention. Now, there she stood, crying in front of quiet, shy Mark Cohen.

She broke away from him and said quietly, "Sorry, I think I got your shirt wet and stuff."

Mark glanced down at his shoulder, covered in wet tears. "No, you didn't."

ROGER'S POV:

"Angel, what the heck is that on your lips?" Roger cried loudly.

Everyone at the lunch table had been discussing something or other and had stopped and turned towards Angel. His lips were an unusual shade of pink.

"It's lipstick," Angel said nonchalantly. The group went silent.

"...Lipstick?" Joanne finally questioned.

"Uh-huh. I just put it on here so that Mrs. Wright wouldn't catch me in class."

Roger just blinked. "Girls wear lipstick, dude. Hate to burst your bubble."

Angel just turned to him and replied, "Oh, I know girls wear it. What's your point?"

Tom, who was sitting beside him, stared with wide eyes. "Angel...where'd you get that stuff?"

"My mom's dresser."

Roger blinked. Angel had always been...feminine. But he'd never worn lipstick before.

No one knew what to say. Maureen had been silent all day, yet she was the one to say:

"Angel, you look awesome."

Once she'd made the comment, everyone started shouting words of encouragement.

"You should try a different color tomorrow!"

"Matches your complexion. Totally."

"Can I borrow that?"

Mimi nudged Roger's elbow, signaling for him to say something. He sighed, and thought for a moment on what to say:

"It's sooooo shiny. Seriously, dude. Seriously."

Angel came into school with bruises on his arms the next day. Roger wasn't left out of the loop that time. For once, he knew why.

"I forgot to take the lipstick off when I got home..."

That was all anyone needed to hear. Roger glanced over at Mark.

He wasn't smiling like yesterday.

Roger could only hope the school year wouldn't end like this. June was approaching.