Disclaimer: I still own nothing.

Chapter 3

Lucy's POV

I took a deep breath as I slowly walked into the school. I knew I had to find Mike and explain why I had run out on him last night. I left his house in such a hurry and now I was worried about whether or not our friendship could survive my craziness. We haven't even known each other that long, not even a year. What kind of friends just has sex with each other? Well friends with benefits do, but Mike and I are not that kind of friends. Are we? Does one night of sorrowful sex make us friends with benefits? I considered the thought for a minute as I stood in front of my locker. Do those types of relationships usually work out? Probably not. I don't see how that type of relationship could be healthy.

"Luce?" I was brought from my trance by his voice. I focused my vision to find the very person I had been looking for standing next to me.

"Sorry, I guess I kind of spaced out there." I apologized, slamming my locker shut.

"Yeah, you kind of spaced out last night too." He half smiled at me.

"Yeah, about that," I started, looking around the hallway. This wasn't a conversation I wanted to have with him here, not with all the ears potentially listening in. I was the good Camden girl. Everyone expected me to act like it. I couldn't risk having that compromised by one night of passion. "Do you think we could go somewhere more private to talk?"

"Sure," he grabbed my hand and led me into an empty classroom around the corner. "Okay, let's talk. Why did you freak out on me last night?"

I sighed. "I was scared."

"Of me?"

I shook my head. "No, of what we did."

He nodded. "How exactly is that scary? What happened between us is a natural thing." I blushed as he said those words. Sex may be a natural part of human nature, but it certainly wasn't something I thought would happen to me now.

"I was afraid of you," I admitted.

"Of me? I thought you said it wasn't me?" I'm sure he was becoming frustrated.

I sighed. "Well, not of you per say, more like of how you would react. What happened between us may have been natural, but it is also very serious. Sex isn't some casual thing that I can just shrug off. It's a real thing with real emotions and real consequences."

"You think that it is that casual for me?" Mike asked hurt.

I took a deep breath. "Honestly, I don't know how you feel. That's what scares me. I don't want to lose you as a friend because of a stupid mistake."

"You're not going to lose me as a friend," Mike told me. I breathed a sigh of relief as he continued. "I thought I was the one who lost you. When you left like you did, it really hurt me. I kind of thought that I had done something wrong. I thought that I had hurt you, or worse, that you were completely disgusted by me."

Disgusted? Why would he think that? I know I rushed out of there, but I didn't think he felt that way. "You didn't hurt me and I certainly wasn't disgusted by you."

"Then what? It couldn't have just been about losing me as a friend?"

"I was disappointed." I looked at him and worry crossed his features. "Not in you, in myself." I could see the relief wash over him.

"I was scared there for a minute." Mike smiled down at me. He really is a great guy. I wish I could feel more for him, but last night probably ruined any chance of that happening. I'm just relieved that we're going to be able to remain friends.

"You and I are just friends," I started, trying to explain my feelings more clearly. "I wanted my first time to be with the man I marry, on our wedding night. I promised not just my dad, but God as well, that I would be a virgin until I was married. I was disappointed in myself for breaking that vow, but if it had to happen, I'm glad it was with you and not some random guy."

I checked his face for emotion. I wasn't sure if he still had feelings for me or not, and I didn't want to hurt him. "I always pictured myself waiting as well."

I smiled back at him.

"I'm sorry I ran out on you last night."

"And I'm sorry I couldn't control myself last night. I shouldn't have let that happen."

"No," I told him. "I started it. You went along. We are equally responsible for what happened. I think the best thing we can do is just try to forget about last night, move on, and vow to never let it happen again."

He nodded. "If that is what you want."

"That's what I want."

He smiled once more. "Good, then let's get to class." He grabbed my hand and we headed into the hallway. I immediately noticed a group of older guys picking on three boys from the class below us. I really can't understand such ignorance; we're all the same on the inside. Why can't we all just get along? The world really would be a better place. My father always said that to let someone be picked on makes you as bad as the tormentors. I didn't want to be like that and I figured I had a lot to make up to God. Besides, I was popular. Mike may be my only really close friend this year, but I was still popular by definition. I was on the 'B' list last year and this year I had made my way onto the exclusive 'A' list. At this school, being popular meant that people listened to you. I made up my mind and pushed my way through the crowd and in-between the boys.

"What is going on here?" I asked.

"Relax Luce! We're just messing with them." I recognized the voice as Brad, one of my many exes. What had I ever seen in him anyway?

"And I'm just telling you to stop. You guys are all acting like a bunch of jackasses."

"Whatever," Brad rolled his eyes at me, and then looked at his friends. "Let's go guys; these wussies aren't worth our time."

They pushed past me and I turned to look at the younger boys. "Are you guys okay?"

"We don't need your help," the first boy pushed past me.

"Just stay out of this Camden," the second shouted at me.

"Before you get took out of it," The third added. As I returned to Mike, I couldn't help but wonder what that meant.

Mike's POV

I walked down the hall searching the faces for her. The girl I loved. The girl who had done so much for me this year. She's been my rock. If it weren't for her, I don't know where I would be. I have to find her before I lose her forever. After last night, she probably hates me. Why else would she run out on me like she did? I didn't mean for it to happen, really I didn't. Even though she was feeling miserable and her eyes were all puffy, she still looked so beautiful. I wasn't thinking straight and I just leaned in and kissed her. I'm still not to sure how things had progressed from there. All I know is that we fell asleep after and when we woke up, she freaked and left my house, barely saying a word to me.

Could one night have really destroyed our friendship? Did it destroy any slim chance I may have had at having a real relationship with her? Man, do I ever regret saying that she kissed like a sister. If it weren't for my stupid mouth, maybe we would be together now.

I finally found her standing by her locker. She looked so cute, standing there, staring off into space. I wondered if she was thinking about last night as well. I know I haven't been able to stop thinking about it. "Luce?" I called her name and after a couple of seconds she snapped out of her daze and locked eyes with me.

"Sorry," she apologized. "I guess I kind of spaced out there."

I smiled at her. Really cute! "Yeah, you kind of spaced out last night too."

"Yeah, about that," she paused as she looked around the hallway. "Do you think we could go somewhere more private to talk?"

I couldn't blame her for not wanting anyone else to hear. There was already enough people talking as it was, what with her sister being sent to Buffalo , and not to mention the fact that she has been hanging around me all year. "Sure," I grabbed her hand. There had to be an empty classroom somewhere. We turned the corner and I found what I was looking for. I led her into the room and she sat down on one of the desks. I stood in front of her. "Okay, let's talk. Why did you freak out on me last night?"

"I was scared."

I was shocked. I knew she had probably felt a lot of things last night, but I didn't think scared was one of them. "Of me?"

She shook her head adamantly. "No, of what we did."

I nodded, even though I wasn't sure why she would feel that way. "How exactly is that scary? What happened between us is a natural thing."

She turned red as my words sank in. Do I really have to tell you how cute she looked when she blushed? I absently wondered if that same rosy hue was everywhere. Whoa! Where did that come from? Bad Mike. I need to get back on task.

"I was afraid of you," I tuned back into reality just in time to hear her confession.

"Of me? I thought you said it wasn't me?"

She took a deep breath. "Well, not of you per say, more like of how you would react. What happened between us may have been natural, but it is also very serious. Sex isn't some casual thing that I can just shrug off. It's a real thing with real emotions and real consequences."

I was a little hurt. Did she really think that sex was just nothing to me? It was actually everything to me. I was hoping that what had happened could give us a second chance at a relationship. "You think that it is that casual for me?

She looked thoughtful. "Honestly, I don't know how you feel. That's what scares me. I don't want to lose you as a friend because of a stupid mistake."

I smiled at her. Hope was still alive. She wanted to at least still be my friend. "You're not going to lose me as a friend. I thought I was the one who lost you. When you left like you did, it really hurt me. I kind of thought that I had done something wrong. I thought that I had hurt you, or worse, that you were completely disgusted by me."

"You didn't hurt me and I certainly wasn't disgusted by you."

"Then what? It couldn't have just been about losing me as a friend?"

"I was disappointed," she admitted.

Disappointed? I had disappointed her? Had I been that awful? Had I not pleased her? From what I can remember, it seemed like she was enjoying it. I mean she was moaning a lot. Then again, maybe she meant that she was disappointed that she woke up next to me instead of one of the pretty boy types that she usually dates.

"Not in you, in myself."

Relief washed over me and I let out the breath I didn't know I was holding. "I was scared there for a minute." I smiled down at her.

"You and I are just friends." I felt like I had been punched in the gut. I was praying that by some miracle of God this conversation would end with us bring together as a couple. Her words put an end to that notion. I listened as she continued, "I wanted my first time to be with the man I marry, on our wedding night. I promised not just my dad, but God as well that I would be a virgin until I was married. I was disappointed in myself for breaking that vow, but if it had to happen, I'm glad it was with you and not some random guy."

She looked back up at me and I tried not to show how disappointed I was. If I let her see that I wanted more than friendship, then I may lose her for real. I faked a smile and pulled her into a hug. I would rather have her as a friend then not have her at all. "I always pictured myself waiting as well." It was the truth, but I can't say I was too disappointed that we ended up having sex. I just wish she wouldn't be too hard on herself. I'm sure God had his reason for letting that happen last night.

"I'm sorry I ran out on you last night."

"And I'm sorry I couldn't control myself last night. I shouldn't have let that happen." I apologized, taking full responsibility for my actions.

"No," She shook her head. "I started it. You went along. We are equally responsible for what happened. I think the best thing we can do is just try to forget about last night, move on, and vow to never let it happen again."

I nodded. "If that is what you want."

"That's what I want."

"Good, then let's get to class." I grabbed her hand and we headed out of the classroom. As usual, a group of seniors were picking on some underclassmen. Lucy broke from my hand and approached the group. I'm not sure what was said, but the group quickly disbursed, and Lucy was left standing alone.

"Are you okay?" I asked, grabbing her hand once more.

"Yeah, it was just something one of those guys said," she shuttered.

"What did he say?"

"I was just trying to help them and they told me to stay out of it before I was taken out of it. What do you think they meant?"

"I'm not sure. They seem harmless though." Though they seemed harmless, I decided it would probably be a good idea to keep an eye on them. You never really know about people. Lucy looked at me and shrugged before we turned and headed to our first class together.

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