I hope he didn't see that, she thought in her mind as she headed towards the bathroom to check on her cover up from the bruise she'd been hiding from Jackson. When she reached the sink she pinned her bangs back that had been hiding what was left of the bruise that couldn't be covered up. When she was leaning over the sink; to get a closer look at the bruise, she heard the doors to the first entrance open up, and then squeak closed. She ducked into the closest stall, not wanting to get caught.

"Can you believe how hot Jackson has gotten since last year? It's like he had been going to the gym all summer for me." One of the voices said, although Dakota knew exactly whose voice it belongs to.

"Oh I know, it's so hard to stop from staring." Said another voice, as they neared the second door to the bathroom Dakota stood on the toilet and then squatted so that they had no idea she was even in there. When Claire Harvard and Samantha Queens stepped into the bathroom she shrunk down even further.

"I hate how he's always hanging around that one chick, what's her name? Isn't it like Dakota or something like that?" Claire said as she walked in front of the mirror Dakota had been just seconds before.

"Yeah it's Dakota Newcastle, but Claire you knew they were hanging out. They have been since a little before summer; it never bothered you before, why now?

"I don't know, I saw them earlier looking really cozy with one another and it freaked me out. What if he really is over me, I'm scared that I won't get my chance that I really want."

"Claire you know he's over you, and I'm tired of him hurting you. You know how he can be, he's controlling and he doesn't let you have your own freedom. You know I will always be here for you, and that I love you right?" Samantha asked Claire, as she walked over and gave her a hug.

"Yeah I know you love me and will always be there for me, it's just painful to watch the guy you love, love someone who isn't you. I know you say I didn't really love him, but I did. I know cheating isn't a way of showing that but he just wasn't giving me what I wanted. I love Jackson, with all my heart but you know what a girl needs things too. I gave him two months to think about that offer he just never gave in, and then he breaks up with me, someone had told him I had cheated on him and that he wasn't going to be with someone who cheated."

"Well you know cheating isn't a great thing, I know you only did it because he wasn't giving you what you wanted but honey you have to realize that he wasn't going to because he was already in love with someone else."

"How do you know he's in love with someone else?" Claire exclaimed loudly jerking out of Samantha's arms.

"Sweetie it's noticeable, haven't you noticed the way he looks at Dakota?" Samantha asked walking back over to the second mirror fixing her lip gloss again.

"No I haven't noticed, why how does he look at her?"

"He looks at her like if she were the last person in the world, like she's the only one who exists in his world." Samantha said in a dreamy voice, closing her eyes slowly.

"How do you know all of this?" Claire asked shaking her head as if she didn't believe anything her best friend was telling her.

"How I know is I pay attention, unlike you, who is completely oblivious to the world because you think it revolves around you."

"Excuse me; I do not think the world revolves around me. I am not that kind of person, I used to be but things changed."

"Really, then why won't you let Jackson be happy with who he chooses and not worry about figuring ways to get him back?"

"I am not trying to figure a way to get him back, because I know he is willing to return. If he even thinks about being with that Dakota girl his reputation at this school I'll go downhill fast."

"You don't know that Claire, he's the star quarterback and a star athlete he's well liked just because he isn't with you doesn't mean his reputation and his picture at this school will lose its fame. He is popular without you; you two just happen to be the most popular in the school, doesn't mean you two need to be together."

"Why are you acting like this Samantha, you are supposed to support me in my decisions and be there for me. You just got done saying you'll always be there for me, what happened to that girl."

"You're right, I'm sorry. I love you like a sister and I want you to be happy either way, I just don't want to see you get hurt again. I was there remember, forever and always; sisters by friendship. You deserve to see happiness too, and I'll be there right by your side."

"Thank you, really I thought we were going to have another one of our no talking fights, I got really scared I hate when those happen."

"Well just know I don't agree with how you are going about to get what you want but I will be there for you, always."

"We better get going, don't want to be late for science, again." Claire said smirking and walking to the door. Samantha put her lip gloss back in her purse and threw one last glance in the mirror and then walked out the door behind Claire.

Dakota waited for at least two minutes to make sure that they were gone before she unfolded herself and stood up straight. With her head full of what she just overheard, she unlatched the door and walked back out into the clearing, unpinned her bangs and walked over to the door. Hoping she didn't run into anyone along the way.

When she left the bathroom a throng of people were there moving from their lockers and heading to their next class. Great, I missed my first class of the day. My dad will have a field day about that when I go home, joy. She ducked passed a few jocks and then went straight to her locker to get her textbook for her next class which was with Jackson, and that was geometry.

When she looked up from the ground she noticed Jackson waiting for her by her locker, she smiled at him and then winced in pain from the bruise. A flash of pain crossed through her eyes, and she knew he had seen, because he looked worried when she was in front of him.

"Hey are you okay?" He asked he gently running his fingers down the left side of her face.

"Yeah I'm fine, I just have cramps." She lied moving to unlock her locker.

"Really because that bruise you have doesn't look like you're fine." He said moving in closer to her so he can pull her bangs back.

"It's really nothing, I promise you I walked into a pole." She lied quickly hoping it would stop him from asking where she got it from.

"You can tell me anything, you know that right?" He asked turning her around and pinning her back to the locker.

"I know I can, and I did. I ran into a pole, I'm a bit of a klutz at times." She said smiling, and then wincing again.

"You should have put some ice on this so the swelling could go down, it wouldn't hurt you so much if you had."

"I know but I wasn't able to because I had a lot of unpacking to do and my mom was going to take me shopping for school clothes after we got home so I wasn't able to."

"Dakota you know you are a terrible liar, but I won't pressure you into telling me until you are ready, I promise." He said wrapping his arms around her waist, she leans her forehead on his chest and wraps her arms around his neck. Since he is taller than her she kind of has to stretch, but she manages.

"I will tell you eventually, but I'm really not ready to tell you right now."

"I know, I have all the time in the world to wait for you. I missed you this summer Dakota, I really did." He was rubbing her back when he felt something strange, it was bumpy and not at all how he remember her back to be. "Dakota, are you eating?"

She tensed up and that gave her away.

"Dakota please tell me you are eating," he said pulling back with a pained expression on his face.

"I-I-I'm not eating!" she said and leaned back into his chest hoping for comfort. He encircled his arms around her small waist and then she passed out.