A.N. I am back with chapter seven! Thanks for all of the great reviews, they are definitely what keep me going. I'm working hard to give you guys at least a chapter a day! Some days I have more time to do more than that, but for now I can only promise at least one chapter a day unless something unforeseeable comes up.

Disclaimer: I own nothing, kthnxbai. :D

Chapter 7

"Maryse."

"Barbie, I…" the French Canadian turned her gaze down, a pained look on her beautiful features. It was a moment, a long, silent moment before Maryse brought her gaze but up to her oldest friends own eyes. "Happy birthday Barbie. I'm, I'm sorry."

Barbie's baby blues were glossing with tears, her body launching forward and taking her friend in a bone crushing hug. "Oh Maryse! Thank you for coming. It's okay. I am sorry too." Barbie rambled as the other girl returned her hug with equal force. Maryse's hitched breath told Barbie that she too was crying.

"No Barbie, you don't have to be sorry. I'm the one who was in the wrong, I shouldn't have treated you like that, and I shouldn't have talked about Aj like that either. I just felt like I needed to, I…I don't even know." Maryse sobbed in a controlled manner. "I'm so sorry for the way I've been."

Barbie pulled away, tears still welling in her eyes, "Let's go in the house, my mom's going to wonder who it was at the door." Barbie didn't wait for Maryse to reply, grabbing the slightly taller blonde's wrist and pulling her into the house with her, closing the door swiftly behind them.

"Barbara?" her mom's voice called from the kitchen, the older woman appearing in the archway that led to the dining room. "Maryse! Hi honey, we haven't seen you for a while." The older woman wore a large smile, clearly happy her daughter's friend stopped by for her birthday.

"It's okay if Maryse stays for a while right?" Barbie asked, stopping Maryse from saying anything.

"Yeah of course, your parents know you are here right, Maryse?"

"Yes Mrs. Blank," Maryse forced a smile, she was glad Barbie's mom didn't say anything about the two girls having tears in their eyes.

"Alright girls, I'll give you your privacy." With that Barbie's mom disappeared back into the dinning room.

Barbie brought Maryse up to her room and the two blondes sat in silence for a little while, neither not knowing where to start. Both Maryse and Barbie tried to break the silence at the same time, the two girls laughing when it happened. Maryse wiped at her eyes, smudging the makeup that she had on. "I'll go first." The cheerleading captain declared, folding her hands in her lap as she sat on one side of Barbie's giant bed. "I've been really out of line, Barbie. For a pretty long time at that. I can't exactly explain why, but…" Maryse took a breath, staring down at her hands. "Do you remember when Randy took me to that party?"

Barbie tilted her head curiously, "You mean when we first started high school?"

"Yeah, that time…" the tone in Maryse's voice was something Barbie did not like. "Well, it was at his brother's house and he took me upstairs," again Maryse paused, a horrified look appearing in Barbie's eyes.

"Maryse! He didn't did,"

"No, no." Maryse cut her friend off, shaking her head. "It wasn't rape Barbie, I let him do it, I told him I wanted it, and I really did." Relief took over the horrified look in Barbie's eyes. "But the next day, when I called him, and he answered his phone, he asked me why I was calling him." Maryse had tears in her eyes again. "He told me that he didn't 'need' me anymore…"

The horrified look in Barbie's eyes returned, along with her own tears. "Oh my god, Maryse! Why didn't you tell me?"

"I felt so disgusted with myself! I let him use me! I should have been able to see that that was all he wanted. This is Randy. It's not the first time he's done that to someone."

"It doesn't matter Maryse! What he did was wrong, no matter how you look at it, no matter how many times he's done that. Jesus Maryse! You should have told me." Barbie cried, crawling over to her friend and pulling her into a hug. "Now I understand why you changed the way you did. Gosh Maryse, don't you trust me?"

"Of course I trust you Barbie!" Maryse pulled away from her friend to look at her. "I just…I was afraid. I didn't want anyone knowing that I'd just given it up like that…"

"Maryse." Barbie said, tears glistening in her eyes to match the ones in Maryse's.

"I'm so sorry Barbie."

"Don't be. I love you, 'Ryse. I never stopped, even when you were being a total bitch. I can't speak for everyone else, but I forgive you."

Maryse sobbed, hugging Barbie tightly. "Thank you Barbie." They remained like that for a little while, the two friends happy to have each other back. Barbie's birthday wish really came true, something really good did happen. When the two girls finally pulled away from each other they wore matching smiles.

"I've got something I want to tell you too, 'Ryse." Barbie started, "Michelle and Layla already know some of what I'm about to tell you,"

It was Maryse's turn to tilt her head curiously, completely focused on Barbie, "What is it Barbs?"

"Well…I sort of met this guy…"

"What? Who?" Maryse grilled as soon as the word guy fell from Barbie's lips.

"Chill! Let me tell you everything." Barbie laughed, "Alright, so his name is Phil and I kinda bumped into him going to Eve's house one day. You know how I like to cut through the park. Well anyways, he was really hot and I made a total fool of myself in front of him. Then I sorta started stalking him, well...not really stalking him, I'd just sit in the park every day after school, or practice and wait to see him. He has this friend, Serena, she's bald and totally awesome, but anyways, Serena saw me at the mall with Michelle and Layla a couple weeks ago and she's a photographer. She told me I inspired her and asked me if she could take some pictures of me in front of that old willow in the park. Michelle completely grilled her about it, you know how she is with her friends, and in the end I agreed to do it. When we met to take the pictures she'd had Phil and this other guy who's her boyfriend with her. Phil was so flirting with me, and all I could really do was blush. I didn't see him again until that day we got into that fight, I'd gone straight to the park when I left and he found me there. I'd been crying and felt really stupid, but I ranted to him, and then it started raining, and he took me home." As Barbie finished her story, she took a deep breath.

Maryse was staring at her friend, not a word coming out of her mouth for quite some time as Barbie caught her breath. "So, he's hot?" Maryse suddenly questioned.

"Very!" Barbie gushed, "I mean, he's an older guy-"

"-How much older?" Maryse asked with suspicion oozing from her voice.

"…I'm not really sure, but I'm guessing early twenties…"

"Are you sure he's not just some kind of pervert?"

"Well, he didn't try to molest me in his car…"

"So? He could still be a fruitcake."

"Really Maryse, I'm positive he's not. I don't know what it is, but I just get this feeling from him. Like I can trust him."

"It's funny," Maryse trailed off, turning her gaze to the floor, "That's kind of the feeling I get when I'm with Dolph. I haven't been able to really trust anyone since Randy…but I've been with Dolph for almost an entire year now and he's never even tried to get me into bed. It's like he knows I'm not ready…"

"Wow Maryse…" Barbie gasped, "Really though? Because I thought Dolph was kinda…you know…sleazy…"

Maryse laughed, "It's just an act he puts on. You know we held a serious conversation about politics once? When we started spending time alone was when I started to realize he was a pretty smart guy, he just has a complex…"

"Yeah, an ego the size of the Mediterranean."

"More like the entire universe!" Maryse laughed delightfully, "But he really is a sweet guy." Barbie had a hard time picturing Dolph Ziggler being sweet, but if Maryse said he was, she believed her. They'd known Dolph since the 8th grade when he'd transferred from a school on the west coast (they were on the east coast) and the first impression that he gave to everyone was that he was an egotistical, narcissistic, asshat. If Maryse really liked him this much, than Barbie believed that maybe she'd be able to like him someday too. Or at least pretend to for Maryse's sake. "Anyways, this Phil guy, you say he's hot." Maryse raised a brow at her friend.

Barbie knew exactly what Maryse wanted from her, "Well he's a pretty average height, he's got tattoos and piercings, his hair is long but needs a good scrubbing, and he is definitely a smart guy."

"I have got to see this guy. Barbara Blank going for a guy with tattoo's and piercing's? He must be
unbelievably gorgeous."

"I think so." Barbie gushed, a light blush tinting her cheeks. "I can't be certain but I'm pretty sure he's got a hard body, when I knocked into him that time it was like hitting a brick wall."

"You've got it bad Barbs! I'm serious though, I want to see this man."

"I don't even know when I'll see him again, 'Ryse." Barbie said, falling back onto her pillows. "Serena is supposed to call me sometime when she develops those pictures, but it's been a while now and I haven't heard from her at all."

Maryse fell down next to Barbie, the two girls staring up at Barbie's ceiling the same way they used to when they were thirteen. "I guess I'm just gonna have to help you stalk him."

Barbie slapped Maryse playfully, "It's not really stalking! It's just sitting in a spot and hoping a certain person comes by."

"I say it's still stalking, Barbs." Maryse laughed, and Barbie soon joined her in the laughter. The only thing that could have made her perfect birthday even better would have been seeing Phil.

A.N. Review. Review. Review.