"You still haven't told me what your time with Logan was like," Jo said to Camille as they washed their hands in the school restroom on Monday.

"Oh, not so great," Camille sighed.

"Why, what happened?"

"Nothing."

Jo frowned. "But if nothing happened, why-?"

"It's like I said. You know what we wanted to do, don't you?"

Jo nodded. "Sure."

"Well . . . nothing happened."

It took a moment for Jo to understand. Her eyes widened. "Oh . . ."

There was silence for a moment, Jo cleared her throat. "And, um, what, what was the reason? Did he change his mind?"

"No, he . . . We tried, but . . . it didn't work out. He just couldn't do it."

"I'm sorry to hear that."

Camille crossed her arms and leaned against the wall. "You know . . . it's been a while now that I've thought that something was wrong between Logan and me. But I didn't know what the problem was. But now-"

"I'll tell you what the problem is, sweetie."

Camille and Jo spun around and saw the blonde Jennifer coming out of a stall at that moment.

"What are you talking about?" Camille asked, frowning. Jennifer smirked. "Let's assume everything you just said is true, and you actually have a boyfriend - which I doubt - then the problem is pretty obvious, isn't it?"

"If you're just here to insult, then we don't want your wise advice," Jo said snappily, touching Camille on the shoulder to make her leave, but Camille stayed where she was. "What is obvious?"

"Oh, sweetheart, you really have no idea, do you? Well, that doesn't surprise me. Is he your first boyfriend?"

Camille nodded.

"Hmm, of course he is. Anyway, when you two make out, does he ever get hard?"

"That is so-" Jo said indignantly, but Jennifer ignored her. "Has he ever shown you physically that he likes you?"

"He . . . well, he said he loves me . . ."

"Ah, love. And could he ever prove it?"

Camille remained silent, which was answer enough for Jennifer. "So no. He tells you he loves you but can never show it physically. Then he probably doesn't find you attractive enough, which isn't a big surprise to me."

Jo's patience was running out. "That's it!" she said angrily, took Camille by the arm and walked out with her. When they got to their lockers, Jo said, "You know she has no idea, right?"

But Camille had become insecure. "But she's right, Jo. That's exactly what I wanted to say earlier. No matter how close we've gotten, he never gets turned on, never gets har-"

"Logan isn't like other guys, you know that better than me. It just takes him a little longer for everything. And please, don't believe what Jennifer says, she's just an arrogant show-off. Logan's feelings for you are real, he really loves you. Don't forget that."

"Yes, I know," Camille murmured, but now Jennifer's words were in her head and Camille couldn't get them out.

Camille and Logan kept trying, but they kept coming back to the same starting point. And although Camille always reacted compassionately and encouragingly at first, over time her confidence became less and less and frustration began to set in, not only for her, but also for Logan, who became more and more demotivated.

"I'm sorry," Logan mumbled embarrassedly when things didn't work out again.

"Yeah, sure," Camille replied and pulled away from him, sitting on the edge of the bed. He gently touched her back. "You know, if I knew what it is, I would change it."

"Oh, really?" she asked snappily, and Logan didn't like her tone at all.

"Then how about a little honesty for a change, Logan?"

"Honesty? I am honest to you."

"Are you sure?"

Logan remained puzzled, trying to understand what Camille expected from him, but he couldn't come to a clear conclusion. He knew that something had changed between them recently and was afraid this something would now come to the surface. Camille obviously didn't like his silence because she made an impatient noise. "Dammit, Logan, just say it. How long do you want to continue this game?"

He still didn't understand. "What game?"

She shook her head and began to straighten her clothes.

"What are you doing?" Logan asked.

"What do you think I'm doing?" she replied sharply and got up from the bed. Logan felt panic rising up in him. He sat up, tried to grab her hand. "I don't know what you want from me."

She turned to him. "I want you to tell me the truth, to admit it."

"Admit what?" Logan replied, slowly getting angry as well. Camille's eyes flashed. "Do you think I'm attractive?"

He thought she was kidding him - it was such an unnecessary question in his opinion - and so he couldn't help but let out a small laugh. But that reaction was the worst thing he could have done.

"Thanks for making it so clear," Camille said irritably and turned to leave. Logan quickly got up from the bed, was behind her, grabbing her arm. "You misunderstood me. Of course I find you attractive."

"Then why can't you show me?"

"I . . ."

She nodded. "See? You can't answer that."

He pulled himself together. "That's nonsense, Camille. You know exactly what you mean to me."

"Do I? You know, Logan, I've been so patient with you because I honestly believed what you were telling me. Or maybe I just wanted to believe it and didn't want to see the truth."

"The truth . . ." he murmured. "Well, if you think you've got me figured out, then why don't you tell me what the damn truth is?!" He hadn't meant to raise his voice, but he felt so helpless.

"The only reason you're with me is because you're afraid of being alone. You say you care about me, but you can't prove it. You say I'm pretty, and yet I don't seem to turn you on. Because you don't really care about me. All you care about is having someone by your side, so you don't have to spend your miserable life alone."

Her answer was like a slap in the face for him. He let go of her arm and backed away from her, fighting with tears. "That's not true," he said, shaking his head.

"Well, I think it is. And the fact that you don't even have the courage or decency to admit it shows me that I'm right."

Something exploded in Logan, and he yelled, "Okay, fine, it's true!"

She slapped him, this time not with words but with her hand. "How dare you . . .?"

"That's what you want to hear, isn't it?!"

She shook her head. "I can't believe I actually wasted my time with you."

"Then go! Get out of my house!"

Camille's expression turned cold. "Gladly." She turned around and stormed out the door. Logan stood there, feeling the burn on his cheek, realizing too late, way too late, what he had just said, what a terrible mistake he had made. "No . . . No!" He ran out of the room; Camille was already on the stairs.

"Camille, please, stay here. I didn't mean it, I'm sorry."

But she didn't turn around to look at him, reached the end of the stairs. Logan stormed to the stairs as well, taking the first few steps. "Camille, I don't want you to go. Please." When she still didn't stop, he shouted, "I love you!"

She paused. Not because of what he said, but how he said it. He had never said these three important words out loud. He had texted them to her, whispered them to her, but never said them out loud . . . until now. She turned to him, and for a moment Logan thought everything would be okay. He held out his hand to her, hoping she would come back to him, taking his hand. And he would pull her into his arms, hold her, whisper that everything was okay, tell her he loved her, over and over again.

But then he saw the tears on her face and his heart felt like it would shatter into a thousand pieces.

"I'm sorry, Logan, but right now I can't take your words seriously."

"Camille . . ."

"Goodbye, Logan," she said, and Logan thought he heard a sob before she opened the door and stepped out.

Logan stood in the middle of the stairs, waiting. She would come back, any moment she would come back to him, and they would talk, and everything would be okay.

Then he heard the engine, heard a car driving away.

Desperate and with no strength left, he sank onto the steps, put his head in his hands and cried.