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"Oh no..." Harry groaned as he and Jerome walked into the cafeteria. That was one good thing about lunch, only the year 12's and 13's ate lunch at 1:30, so they had the entire cafeteria to themselves. Harry gripped his tray tightly, and Jerome sighed "Don't do this..." Harry pleaded with wide eyes "Don't make me choose between you and Mara, why can't we all sit together-"

"She obviously needs her space from me, dude," Jerome sighed, shaking his head "Hey, don't worry about it, you came to my house this morning, and you're coming there after school right?" Harry nodded and Jerome tapped his shoulder "Then go sit with her. Heck, it would kill me to see her sitting alone."

"Will you be alright?"

"Sure," Jerome lied with a brilliant smile "I'll try not to get into any fights with Mick Campbell for you," Harry laughed, and headed for Mara. Mara beamed in surprise when she saw him.

"Wow." She laughed "I was sure you'd sit with Jerome. I wouldn't have minded if you did." She added quickly "It's just nice...that you didn't." She tucked her hair behind her ear, brown eyes glittering "I know what you're going to say," she cut him off as he slid into the bench opposite her, picking up his triangle sandwich half, that was stuffed with lettuce and ham. "That I should make up with him and at the very least be friends, but I can't! I find it so hard to just look at him..."

Harry swallowed his mouthful and took a small sip of water, biding his time "You two were made for each other, and the sooner you talk, the sooner you're back together-"

"I wanna see other people." She cowered slightly at Harry's surprise gaze "It's just...I've been dating him for three years, surely it's natural to get a little bit bored? I mean, I know I love him, I just want to see what it's like to date someone else."

"Anyone in mind?" Harry asked in a tight voice. He didn't like this. He had always wanted Jerome and Mara to end up together, they gave him faith, that relationships could work, and that they wouldn't all end the way that his parents had, and Jerome's parents had, and nearly every other relationship he had seen in his life. God, he remembered being 12 years old when Bertrum's fiancé had been murdered.

"Yes..." she whispered "It's...oh gosh...you'll hate me for it."

"I could never hate you." He pointed out smartly, Mara looked down at her soup

"It's Mick."

Silence.

Mara looked up hesitantly, and Harry was looking right at her, but he was looking through her. Completely blank, unsure how to take it. She let the silence linger for a while, before she became uncomfortable, his green eyes were unusually unfocused, she cleared her throat. She would rather he yell at her, like she deserved, than be silent like this. "Harry?" she prompted

"How long?" he asked quickly, in a slightly high pitched voice "How long have you been uh..." he looked down at his sandwich "Been thinking about Mick?"

"It's not like that," Mara sighed, "It's...well, it's not as though I was dreaming about him when I was dating Jerome-"

"Which was yesterday, by the way," Harry cut in, Mara ignored him

"-It's just, he's really very nice to me, and he's obviously my type. Blond hair, blue eyes-"

"He's a bully!" Harry cried loudly, finally breaking free from the barrier of shock and respect for Mara, he didn't want to yell at her, and tell her she was wrong. But for once in her life, she was wrong! She was so very wrong! "Mara, he's a huge bully! He use to beat Jerome and I up! Corner us and force us to give him money-"

"You never gave him money." She interjected politely "You only ever carry cheques, and he couldn't cash them. Besides, he's nice to me."

He stared at her in awe "Sorry," he whispered "But since when did you become the girl that only cares if her boyfriend is nice to her? And doesn't care at all if he's horrible to her best friends in the world. Mara this isn't you, you just feel lonely since Jerome's gone. And that's normal, but to date our arch enemy-"

"Harry, he's just a guy in our year." She persisted, shaking her head "And as my best friend, why aren't you supporting me?" Harry struggled, staring at her helplessly, and hanging his head in shame

"I'm sorry Mara, truly I am, but I'm not gonna help. No way, I can't do it. At least Jerome...he...he wants to understand! He's desperate to see what he did wrong, he wants the two of you to get back together, but you Mara...you're changing, I mean, you want to date Mick Campbell and you don't care that he's a bully! You're acting materialistic and fake-"

"Well why can't I?" Mara cried, eyes watering suddenly and Harry swallowed, freezing "Why can't I be rude and materialistic and shallow for once? Huh? Everyone else in the world is! And it's so hard..." her voice dropped into a sudden whisper "It's so hard to be the one who always has to search for the good in everyone, when sometimes Harry, there is no good! How do I keep my faith? How do I keep my faith in the world whose made my mother so ill! I just want someone good looking, who will hold me and not ask any questions-"

"I could do that," Harry offered "Mara I could hug you and call you beautiful, and never ask you questions about your life, I could be that friend-"

"It's not a friend I need Harry!" She cried out "It's someone shallow and aloof! I knew it," she wiped her tears with her sleeve "I knew you liked Jerome more than you liked me-"

"That's not true-" Harry tried, surprised at the apparent change in topic. But maybe it was linked in Mara's head. But to him, it didn't make sense.

"Oh Harry it is true! I know you don't want it to be, and I know I'm your best friend too, but you like Jerome so much more! I told you he was flirting with other girls but you didn't even care! And then you find out I want to date someone else, and you freak out? You care about his feelings so much more than mine-"

"Mara-"

"I understand though..." she whispered, standing. Harry looked up at her worriedly "I mean, you're dating his sister after all, of course you'd care about his family more, I should have known." Harry's green eyes blazed up at her and she discarded her lunch tray "The only reason you invited me to your party is because Jerome would need someone to dance with-"

"That's not true I wanted you there-"

"Just stop it." She whispered "Just stop it right now Harry. Go sit with Jerome, you know you want too." And with that she turned on her heel and stormed out. Harry gazed after her, so confused. He buried his head in his hands and jumped when he felt pressure on his shoulder. With lightening fast reflexes he jumped up, and revealed Mick, staring at him, concerned.

"Are you okay, Osborne?" He asked. blue eyes sparkling with concern.

"Speak of the devil." Harry hissed, his own eyes glistening "And he shall appear."

"What?" Mick tried, before Harry shoved him hard and stormed out. Jerome stood worriedly, looking between the two doors, one which Mara had just stormed through, and the other which Harry had stormed through, at two opposite ends of the cafeteria. With a sigh, he stared longingly after Mara's door, but he ran after Harry, catching up quickly

"What the hell was that man? I thought I was the one who was trying to avoid a fight-"

"Mara wants to date Mick." He whispered, shrugging Jerome off and disappearing around a corner. Jerome froze, a horrible feeling enveloping his heart, and he almost fell to his knees. He leaned against a locker, breathing heavily. No! No that couldn't be true! Mara hated Mick was much as they did...didn't she? Thinking back he could never remember her saying anything bad about him. Oh god, how long had she liked him? He turned to look back through the cafeteria, and he could see Mick. The golden athlete was turning and heading down the corridor that Mara had run down.

What was happening?

Review?

I love you Rachel and Lorna, you're like the only constant reviewers to this story, and it's so nice! Hope you have a great 2014!

xxx