Chapter One

Valentine's Day is coming up in about thirteen days, and the school makes sure you know when it is. It gets annoying when the student council has tables set up, and try to encourage you to buy a Valentine's Day Gram, for your, 'special someone'. This school is nothing but money hungry and I know it. They throw crappy ass dances, sell cheesy Valentine's Day Gram sayings, and the worst of all, the people who are in the student council are the popular kids, and that means, they're rude to you and sometimes, they'll also mock you. Like Flash. The guy that beat the crap out of me right in front of Gwen, when I was trying to stop Flash from bullying that poor kid. I'd rather get the crap beat out of me any day and not that kid. I never got a 'thank you' from that nerd, at all. I do good things, I get bad things in return. I do bad things, I still get bad things in return. Never have I ever, got anything good out of anything, besides my relationship with Gwen.

This school sometimes makes me sick, just thinking about it. My life makes me sick thinking about it, also. I've been through so freaking much, I can't believe I haven't killed myself because of all crimes I have been fighting, from all the people I have lost in my life, from almost losing Gwen as my partner, because of my stupid actions.

Right when Captain Stacy was on his deathbed... or should I say, death roof…? Or, something like that, but anyways, when Captain Stacy was dying, right in front of me, seeing him take his last breath and then go limp, really screwed with me. During his final moments, he told me to promise him something and that I must stay true to his promise, basically telling me I have to promise him this, whether I like it or not. He told me I must keep Gwen out of it. I must stay away from her, so she doesn't get hurt too. I tried staying away from her, but we always somehow found our way back to each other. And, not being able to stay true to my word, I always have this pang of guilt wash over me. And...and when I go to break up with Gwen, it seems like she found out her father died for the first time. And it kills me, seeing her like that. That's why I can never fulfill my promise to him.

As I'm getting things out of my locker and putting stuff up, from the corner of my eye I can see a blurry figure make its way towards me, and I can't help but turn my head and see Gwen, denying Valentine's Day Grams from the tables as she walks by them. I can't help but smile and chuckle as I move my gaze down to my bad and continue to do what I was doing.

When Gwen reaches my locker, she shuts it and looks at me, eyebrows cocked and a face plastered on her, as if she is going to kill someone because they were being annoying. I can tell she was annoyed by something, by the way she looked at me.

"I swear, if I get asked to buy another Valentine's Day Gram again, I'm going to kill someone." She says, releasing a breath of air as she leans her back up against the locker beside mine, resting her head against it as well. I chuckle at her and smile at the fact of her killing someone. "It isn't funny, Parker."

"Instead of using violence, why don't you just flip the table instead?" I ask, opening my locker door again. She sighs as she turns her body, facing me now. She just stares at me with a face asking me, 'why?'. "What? It's a serious question." I say, moving my hand out of my locker to put a book in my bag for my next class. Gwen's hand moves up to my locker door, and quickly shuts it before I can react. I look over at her, giving her a face that says, 'why?'. "Why do you keep doing that?" I ask, as I put in my combination again and open it.

"Why haven't they asked you to buy those stupid Grams?" She asks, looking at me as she moves closer to me. "I have seen you all day and I have not once seen someone from the council ask you to buy a Gram from them. Are you avoiding them?"

I scoff at the questions, and move my gaze over to Gwen. I wait for her to shut my locker door again but it never happens. I zip up my back and throw on strap over my shoulder and motion for her to shut it, because I know she's dying to do it. She shuts it louder than before, and looks up at me.

"Believe me when I say, I have been asked more than plenty, to buy a stupid Gram from them." I say, adjusting the bag on my shoulder. "Don't they know people can go to the store and buy a card for ninety cents and not ten bucks with a cheesy saying written in it?"

Gwen shrugs her shoulders as she looks behind her, looking at the big, blue double doors. I look at the back of her head confused. She turns back to me, looking at me confused. I raise my eyebrows, asking the question I've been wanting to ask all day.

"I'm fine," she replies, running her hand through her thick, golden hair. She lets out a deep breath as her hand come back down to her side. "I'm just tired and ready to go home. Thank God it's Friday. I have so much stuff to do this weekend."

"Yeah, me too." I say, wrapping my right arm around her shoulders as we make our way to our next class. "Last class of the day. Last day of the school week. I think we can make it through another ninety minutes."

Gwen sighs as she leans into me, wrapping an arm around my waist, and getting odd looks and smirks from people we walk by. "I know. I think we can too."

Ever since Gwen and I have gotten back together for the second time, the whole school will just stop what they're doing and just stare at us, as they whisper to whoever is near them or to their friends, as we walk by them. So far, I haven't heard any rumors about Gwen and I nor anything about our break up and getting back together ordeal.

"What are you doing this weekend?" I ask, letting go of her as I lean up against the wall next to the class Gwen has next. Gwen lets go of my waist as she makes her way in front of me and looks up at me.

"Uh, well, we have two more months of school left after this month, so I was asked to give a graduation speech on graduation day. I might be working on that all weekend." Gwen sighs, as she looks away from me. I take a step closer towards her. I reach my hand out and gently grab her chin, lifting it slowly so our eyes meet. She looks at me, her eyes lighting up as a smile spreads across her lips. "What are you doing?" She asks in a low whisper.

I lean my head in closer to her small lips. "Let me come over this weekend. I'll help you with your speech." I say, moving away from her lips and look into her emerald green eyes. Her lips form into a thin line. "Come on. Let me come over. I'll behave. I promise."

"It's not that I'm worried you won't behave, it's just that…" her sentence fades as her gaze looks away from mine. She sighs as the warning bell rings. "I better get going. I don't want to be late for class. I'll see you after school. I promise."

She goes to walk away but I grab her wrist so she can't leave any further. She stops and looks back at me, confusion written all over her face. "What is it?" I ask, pulling her closer to me.

She sighs before saying, "my mom won't let you come over anymore." She whispers. I look at her confused. "It's complicated. I shouldn't of told you right now. Now you're gunna want to know more details and that's going to make me late for class."

I look at my watch and see we have a good amount of fifty seconds left. "We have a good amount of fifty seconds left. Make it quick if you don't want to be late." I say, dropping my hand back down to my side. "I thought your mom actually like me, unlike your dad?"

"I did too, but, after the funeral of my father, she lost it. She thinks that, since I'm still dealing with a loss, she thinks I don't need a relationship on top of it. So, the other day after school, when you walked me home, she seen it, and told me that I'm not allowed to see you anymore." Her eyes started to water as she tells the story. She goes to wipe the tears away but I pull her into a hug before she can even process what's going on. I wrap my arms around her tiny shoulders, as hers go around my waist.

After a while of silence, which was only ten seconds, Gwen pulls away and looks up at me, as she wipes away tears. "You okay now?" I ask, receiving a nod from her. "So, what are we going to do?" I ask, but Gwen does nothing but look at me. I know the answer, and my heart drops. "Is this what you want?" I ask, but all I get is still nothing.

I nod my head, as I kiss her, one last time, on the forehead and go to walk away, but I'm forced to stop when she grabs my hand. I look back and see her shaking her head. "No. This isn't what I want. This isn't what I want. This is what my mom wants and I'm not giving it to her. Peter, I love you, and I can't lose you again, for the third time. I can't lose you. I can't. I love you too much to let go." She says, as she pulls my closer to her. "I can't lose you...not again. I love you, Peter. I love you. Don't go."

"Hey, I'm not going anywhere, unless you want me to." I say, softly. "I love you too much leave." She smiles up at me, before planting a kiss on my cheek. "So, I take it as a, no-go about me coming over to help you?" I ask, causing her to shrug her shoulders.

"I dunno," she sighs, as she looks at her watch. Her eye widen when her gaze meets it. "The bell is gonna ring any second. You need to go before it rings. Remember what Mrs. Farrel said when you were tardy to her class last time?"

My rye widen when I remember what she told me. I quickly kiss Gwen on the lips, not even thinking about it, before I run down the hall to my next class. "I love you. Meet me at the front of the school!" I yell, as I run down the hall.

When I arrive at my next class which is, American History, I make it in time before the bell rang just seconds after I take my seat. When the bell rings, the class goes quiet, and Mrs. Farrel makes her way into her classroom with a clipboard in one arm, and her coffee in the other. She has her red glasses on top of her head, her long, raven black hair pulled back into a messy bun, not wearing any makeup today, dark bags under eyes meaning, she didn't get a good amount of rest last night or she's been really stressed.