The floor was cold beneath me, my clothes laying haphazardly to the side—but they lay forgotten, just fabrics against the canvas of dark sky. It was cold, but I could feel nothing except his warmth. The sounds of the crickets and forest were muted, as I could only listen to his soothing, seductive voice.

"I love you, Amy. Ever since I first...saw you...I knew...I would...I always have..." His whispers tickled my ears, and all I could do was let those words crash over me. All I could do was let those words lull me into euphoria and bliss. His caresses were gentle, soft, loving. All I could feel was his heart beat against mine, skin against skin, girl and boy. It was just me and him.

Me and him. Me and him. Him and me. Him and me. It was like an incantation—like a spell—it meant something. It was like if I kept saying them over and over, I would believe this wasn't a dream...I would know this was real. This was real.

"I...I...lov—" He placed his mouth upon mine, before I could utter another word—and our tongues started dancing to a silent melody. I don't know why but I was thankful for it. Soon, his touches grew rougher and I could feel the smirk that formed as he kissed me His lips burned against mine, sending sparks through my body. He was kissing me. Kissing, kissing, kissing me—really kissing me. Ricky Underwood was kissing me...me...me...

But suddenly, all happiness seemed to disappear as pain shot through me, and before I could feel anything else, it was over. I lay there, my breathing shallow—I was confused, hurt, perplexed. I was naked. I could feel him lifting off of me, his eyes glistening with the hint of accomplishment. It suddenly felt cold, and all of reality came crashing down on me. I couldn't say anything. All I could do was stare at the eyes that looked down on me.

Those three words were a lie. All a lie. I was a joke. Just a joke. Always had, always been...

He wasn't someone different. He wasn't the one. He was Ricky Underwood. Just a boy.

And I...was just a girl. Another girl. Just Amy.

I jolted upright from my bed, my facing sweating, as the sounds of the night surrounding me. The house was dark, silent, pitch black. Shutting my eyes, I could still see my dream, my nightmare. I could still remember it all. I didn't want to. I tried so hard to erase everything, every second of that one night—but I never could, for I would forever carry a souvenir of that night.

I rubbed my stomach gently, staring into the girl that I saw in the mirror. Who was she? She was pregnant, she was scared, she was fifteen, she had a boyfriend, she had a dysfunctional family, she had no true friends, she had enemies—she was me. Me...me...me.

I stared at my reflection, not moving, not blinking, just looking. Suddenly, I heard a car horn outside my house. Tiptoeing slowly towards the window, I peeked through my curtains. He was there. Standing by the driver's side, his arm placed against the horn, his hair dark hair ruffled up, and a smile placed across his lips—he was there. I gulped down the lump I felt in my throat.

How could his eyes be so cold, then so welcoming the next?

I pulled my curtains aside and just stared down at him, not smiling, not frowning, not crying. He looked up at me, and smiled, silently gesturing me to come down. My phone rang.

Pls. I need to talk to you.
Gimme 5 mins.

Ricky.

Lately, all he ever did was ask me for a talk. All he ever did was talk. Why could he just not listen? My phone rang again.

Please.

I slowly pulled my curtains back together. Picking up a sweater that was lying on my floor, I walked through the hall. Upon reaching the lobby, and opening the door, I found him there. He was still waiting.

"Hey," he called out. Lifting a hand as he walked towards me.

"Hi."

"Umm, look..."

"I trusted you Ricky, then you take off for a week?! Ben was there for me! He always has and probably always will be! But you! You, after begging, and pleading, and asking, and speaking—you out of nowhere decide to take off and abandon this problem again?! Gosh Ricky!" I was hurt. I didn't want to admit it, but it took a whole lot of my strength to hold back the tears, that were forming in my eyes.

"Hey...I know it was wrong, I mean...out of nowhere, but let me explain."

"Explanations are getting old. I'm so tired of th—!"

"I saw my dad."

Those four words seemed to suffocate the air. Silence. My lips were glued shut, as an eerie feeling rushed through my body, "You...what?"

"My dad. Yeah. He's an asshole and what not...but I guess I had to do it..."

"He hurt...but, how...why..."

"I'll be honest with you, Amy. I am freaking scared to have this child. I didn't want to end up like him. I never want to be like him. That's why I had to see him. I left last week to find him. And when I did..." It shocked me how Ricky's eyes seemed to be welling up with tears.

"Ricky," I reached out for him, placing a hand on his arm.

"I'm nothing like him, Amy. I'm fucking glad I'm nothing like him!"

"Ricky, you will never be like your father. You have a heart Ricky."

"N..no I don't Amy. If I did I would have never done that to you." He shrugged his shoulders, making my hand fall off of his arm. Once again he was brushing me off.

"B-but, Ricky...it's my fault too. I shouldn't have been so stupid to let you do it." I tried cheering up, tried making a joke.

"Nah...but...yeah, that's all I had to say. I know you have Ben there for the kid, I just thought that..."

"Thought what?"

"Nothing. It's just...this whole situation got me thinking, and yeah. I mean...I've never had a father, Amy. I've never had a family. That's why...that's why I'm not sad that you picked Ben to be a dad. He'd be a better one than me, it's better for him, or she...whatever sex the baby is. The baby deserves a happy ending. And like you said, I can't give it that."

A long pause. Silence.

"Anyways, thanks for listening Amy." He walked away, with a wave of his hand, he turned around and slowly walked back to his car.

I was barefooted, it was cold, and rain was no pounding to the ground. Wind blew gently, blowing my hair in odd directions. My breaths escaped my lips as clouds, and I wrapped myself up tighter in my clothes. I was stupid to let him have sex with me. I was stupid for not telling my mom right away. I was stupid for believing in lies. I was stupid to try to get an abortion. I was stupid for always making the wrong choices—except now.

Without a second thought, I ran from where I was, running against the cold ground—for once making a right decision.

"Ricky!" My voice echoed down the barren streets, and in a second he turned around and looked at me.

"Amy, it's cold, what the he—"

"You're right. You can't be a father. You're inconsiderate, reckless, stupid, a flirt, an asshole, a cocky jerk, and a sex freak. Ben is one hundred times better than you. He's smart, funny, and has always been there for me. He wants to marry me, and wants me to be a part of his life. He's kind and sensitive and loves me. Really loves me—not some I-want-to-have-sex-with-you love, he like adores me. He cares for this baby and loves it just as much as I, kind of, do."

He just stared at the ground, my words filling his head. He wouldn't look up, he wouldn't speak.

"But...even if you can't be the best father, you are not your father. You're Ricky Underwood. You're the daddy of this baby, and even if you can't be a 'true' father to him or her, you can always be a friend. You will always be my friend."

Before he could speak, I engulfed Ricky in a hug. I shut my eyes and just hugged him. Once upon a time in a land far away, this boy hurt me. He took something that I could never take back. He left me in pieces, he broke my heart—but that 'once upon a time' was a while ago. I couldn't change the past—but I could choose my future.

This was reality, not some fairy tale. Not all wishes come true, not all endings are happy, but just once, I wanted him to smile.

It felt like forever, but soon I could feel his arms wrap around me, as he held me tightly towards me. That nightmare was only a memory, and these past months, things had changed. No longer did he hold me as a possession, another one to scratch off the list, he held me as if he cared.

And in those moments, I chose to believe that.

"Amy..." His voice broke the silence and the thoughts that swirled in my mind, "I gotta go now."

"Oh, umm, yeah..." I leapt backwards from him, suddenly feeling the snow that fell on me.

"You should get inside, it's getting cold. I don't want you getting sick." And as sappy as it seemed, it sounded like he meant it.

"Yeah, well, good night then." I said, smiling brightly.

"Yeah, 'night."

I smiled, and walked back towards the house. As I turned around his car had already started up and he waved one final time—then he disappeared into the distance, the light of his headlights fading as he turned the corner.

Slowly I opened the door, only to realize that someone had been waiting for me. With a smile placed across her face, and with eyes that twinkled in delight, she stepped closer to me and boldly spoke, "I knew you cared for him." With those words spoken, she sauntered up back the stairs. Even if I couldn't see her face, I knew her 13-year-old mind was working and she was silently laughing to herself.

But, in that moment I didn't care.

Sluggishly, I leaned against the door and slowly fell to the floor. Even as the hallway was still filled with the cold air that had rushed in from outside—I felt warm. The warmest I had ever been in a while. I smiled. Ricky Underwood...my friend? It sounded a little weird, but then again, what part of my life wasn't.

With the rain falling to the ground and the wind whistling—all I could do was smile.

"Thanks," he said as he walked away. As his figure disappeared into the darkness, all I could do was sit there and wrap myself tightly. The warmth I had felt only a while ago, I could never imitate. It was gone. My short lived fairy tale had ended. Walking back to the camp, tears streamed down my face—but even if he had left me, alone, all alone—I couldn't help but smile at the last words he had said before he left.

"I'll see you around, Amy."

And secretly a part of me hoped he'd keep that promise.