.

"There was a party, and there were drinks, and I wasn't drinking… I mean I wasn't thinking… and… I didn't mean to, I swear, but I had so much beer, and one thing lead to another, and look, I'm so sorry, but me and Ally-Rose, well. Look, I slept with her. And I know this doesn't' mean much but I do love, I just I fucked up is all."

His brown puppy dog eyes look at her pleading. Running his hands though his golden hair roughly, he nervously searched her expression trying to decipher what she's thinking.

"But… babe… babe… we can, we can fix this. I can fix this. I love you, and that's what matters and I'll do better, I swear I will. Mass?" He's tripping over his words. Sober, but his tongue is drunk.

"Okay"

Her voice is steady and even, as if they're talking about a math test or biology homework, or something equally boring and unimportant. Amber eyes are blank, pale lips still in an even unrevealing line. Posture is poised, and her hair perfectly smoothed down. She doesn't look disturbed by the news at all.

Derrick remembered being in this exact scene it seems only a few months ago. And everything is the exact same. The excuses, her response, the only difference is the girl he cheated with.

.

.

When homecoming comes around every boy but Derrick shows up with rose corsages, dozens of the deepest reddest ones in Westchester to be found for all their dates. Derrick brings Massie a purple daisy he had his maid hand dye and then dipped the very tips in glitter. It looks a little tacky and the glitter will get all over her thousands of dollars custom made lilac Valentino, but the brunette wouldn't trade it for anything else in the world. He remembered her favorite color, her favorite flower, and for her that was as close to proving he cared, as she needed. Grabbing his hand, the two headed toward the limo for what was to be a perfect night.

.

.

"Massie, I just don't understand you. You don't need him. You're too good for a guy like Harrington. In a matter of minutes you could easily find another boy who wants a sweet girl like you."

Alicia says it in such an exasperated tone as Derrick walks away from confessing to cheating on the amber eyed beauty yet again, this time with some redhead underclassman named Ellie something-or-another. Massie just pushes the thought away with a flick of her wrist.

"He made a mistake Leesh, people tend to do that sort of thing. I'm not going to dump Derrick just because he messed up. He said so himself, he's sorry," Massie exclaims patiently, giving the same speech she's given ever since her relationship with Derrick began a year and a half ago.

"Mass, it was a mistake the first time back in freshman year. We're effing juniors now, and how many times has he cheated? 13 times? The boy can't be that sorry," Alicia retaliates.

Sighing, Massie pulls out a chocolate bar and splits with her best friend before reminding her, "It was 9 times, I don't count the time he made out with Nina because he was really drunk and I was there."

"Tell me your fucking kidding me. Derrick was 'really drunk' every time he fucked up. You need to dump that boy on his ass."

Massie gave Alicia a small but honest smile.

"He's not perfect, but he's in love with me."

The Spanish girl raised her eyebrow, "Really now, how do you come up with that?"

"He comes and confesses every time he cheats."

.