Dominique POV-

I woke up in the middle of the night to Jeff's breathing down my neck and giving me the chills. Sally was poking me. "Dominique!"

"Yes Sally?"

"There's a monster under my bed!"

"Let's go talk to him, ok?"

"Kick him out please?"

"Of course, Sally!" I walked with her to her room and saw it was all pink with barbie heads and decapitated teddy bears around. Why am I surprised? I sat on her floor with my cell phone light and searched, finding a monster sized teddy bear with make up that looked like a four year old did it. She hid behind me. "It's just a teddy!" I brought it out and she giggled, hugging it.

"Yay! I found Caleb!"

"That's your bear's name?"

"Yep!" She jumped back in her old, iron bed and giggled under the covers. "Thank you…"

I smiled and walked back to bed. Once I got back, Jeff wasn't lying in my bed anymore. I sighed. "I knew it was too good to be true." I cuddled under my sheet and closed my eyes to feel two hands on my hips, getting under my covers. I assumed it was Jeff. When I woke up that morning, I felt the same hands on my hips, but I opened my eyes and saw Jeff. Standing in my door way. No where ever close to me. I blinked at him confused. "How are you over there when you are laying next to me?" I rubbed my eyes and saw myself laying next to someone with blond hair… "BEN!" I pulled the sheets to cover myself even though i had pajamas on and jumped out of the bed. "WHY?!"

"HEY! I'm getting paid! I was forced to come in here last night!"

"By who?" Jeff had such a flat expression that even his man-made smile wasn't smiling. It was in a straight line. "TELL ME!" He hugged my shoulders as I was shaking from the embarrassment and surprise. "It's ok…" He whispered to me.

"Jane told me to and she'd paid me! I got $75 from this." Although he was smiling, I could tell he was scared. Not of Jeff, but what Jeff could do to him if this got out of hand. I looked at Jeff, but he was focused of Ben. "Jeff, man, c'mon! Would I do this to you? You're my best friend! Jane said she'd break my games and stuff if I didn't!"

"Ben…" I put up my hands to signal him to settle down because it looked like he was heartbroken by his best friend.

"Where's Jane?" Jeff was mad. VERY mad. He grabbed the closest weapon and was half-way to her room by the time Ben answered him. I ran to stop, but I was a little late. "Jane. Get out here." He said, holding the ball-point pen so tight that his knuckles were turning red. "NOW!"

Jane opened the door. "What do you want?" She looked at him, then me, and finally Ben! "YOU SNITCH! I'LL END YOU!" She started marching toward Ben, but Jeff grabbed her and pinned her to the wall.

"No. That will be my job. You just admitted what you had done. You not only pissed me the hell off, but you managed to make someone very important in my life uncomfortable in their new home." That made me blush.

She did the unexpected. She grabbed him by the back of his neck and kissed him hard. It made my legs go weak at the knees, my breaths go ragged, and my heart skip a beat. None of these things were in the good ways, either. I felt something I had never felt before. Heartbroken. Not because she kissed him, but because he kissed her back. Slenderman came from behind me and spoke.

"Jeff… That's enough PDA for today, thank you. Everyone calm-" I couldn't take it. I just pushed right past everyone to my room, put on my headphones, turned on "La La La" by Naughty Boy, and cried silently. I'm not sure how long Ben was watching, but at this point, I didn't care.

"Dominique…" He stood over me and looked guilty. "I'm sorry… I didn't know that Jane was planning to do that. She is a horrible girl. I don't get why Jeff still likes her-"

"He still likes her?"

"Yeah. Didn't you know? They never broke up. Jeff was using you to get back at her for kissing some other guy from your school."

I looked at him with my tired, glassy eyes, and wiped what was left of my runny mascara. "Whatever. He wasn't my boyfriend, so I don't care."

He wrapped his arms around me. "Yes, you do. Let it out." I cried on his shoulder and opened my eyes to see Jeff again.

"What do you want?!" I yelled and hugged Ben tighter. Jeff just looked sad and walked away, carrying his bloody knife. After an hour of silent sobs, I let go and walked to the kitchen. "Wait. What's today?"

"September 11th, why?"

"It's my birthday!" I ran up the stairs and changed, got ready, and grabbed my backpack, running out the door. "Yay!" I got to school to see Jeff standing in front, being tormented by kids around him. He was trying to ignore them, but he was close to killing them. Why should I care?! I don't! I told myself, walking inside and bumping his shoulder purposely. I went to my locker to find my acquaintance, Jenna Heinz.

"Happy Birthday, beautiful!"

"You know my birthday?"

"Everyone does!" She pointed to a guy I knew named Dave Stinger holding a red velvet cupcake. "He was the most excited!" She points to my locker which is covered all over with stickers and posters and paint and colors. Stamps and glitter, bows, ribbons, fabric, tape-on mirrors, and more all over! I was so happy! No one had ever been this kind. I smiled and walked down the hall as I got a ton of happy birthdays, eating my cupcakes. Dave came closer than most would and smiled.

"So how's the cupcake?"

"Really good! Is it homemade?"

"Yeah… I made it myself." He blushed and I went to class. I didn't see Jeff until 4th period when he was standing at my locker, being bullied again.

"Hey…" I stood a foot away from him, looking at his sweatshirt instead of his face. He just stepped into my bubble and hugged me. Really tight. Just as tight as the first time we met. I looked him in the eyes as he let go and nuzzled myself into his chest. "Please don't let go." I whispered and he looked around at everyone.

"People are staring."

"I don't care. Don't let go of me." I held his upper back and squeezed my eyes shut. I felt something on my back and saw someone throwing paper balls. I caught it. "You are a delinquent who needs to be in juvenile confinement for your distraught behavior and despicable lack of intelligence." Jeff just walked to the guys, handed them a note, stepped back to me.

"We WILL me you in the dark alley near the bar tonight, losers." I wondered how my day went from horrible to amazing and back to horrible again.

I went with Jeff to the alley where he was meeting my (and now his) tormentors. "Stay here-"

"No, I'm coming with you." I held his hand tighter. "I want to be with you." He sighed.

"Ok, but when I start fighting them, turn your head. I don't want you to watch what will happen to them."

"Fine." I walked with him in the alley and saw four jock-like figures. It was them. The boys.

"Welcome, wise guys. Ready to these blows like a real man?"

Jeff let go of my hand and hid his knife in his pocket. "Dominique. Don't watch." I shut my eyes tight and heard some shouts until it was all very quiet again. I opened my eyes and thanked God it was dark because they were shining from the blood that was dripping from their mouths and guts. Jeff was in a ninja pose, then up straight. "Let's go. Act like you never even knew those guys, ok?"

"O-Ok…" I was shaking from the sight of blood. Blood made me sick. I could smell blood. It smelled like old, worn down cars mixed with burning fire and stale beer. It was disgusting. "Quickly please."

"No problem." He put his hand on my lower back and walked me out with a light push. He pulled up his hood and I moved my hair when he pulled up mine, too. We walked home through town and the forest side-by-side.