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I stood at the edge of my bed starring at the newest edition to my closet. Melody’s clothes were neatly folded and squished into my large green laundry basket. Although they would end up in my closet, they would probably never end up on me. Maybe just for wear around the house, like Melody’s favorite sleep shirt that she would let me steal every once in a while.

A few of her other things that my mother refused to give up scattered my room. This included some of her perfume bottles, a few school academic and sports letters, and just some old pictures. At the sight of Melody smiling next to Mark, holding hands at the town fair that was actually coming up, I couldn’t help but hold back some tears. It was what I was good at, holding things in.

It was easier to pretend everything was okay then to let everything out.

“Sutton, you’re going to be late for school,” my mother said walking into my room without knocking.

When she noticed my appearance; pajamas and messy hair, she sighed. “Are you not feeling up for school?”

 “I think I might have the flu,” I lied.

She sighed. “Well I’ll just make you some soup and bring it up before I leave for work. Are there any movies you would like me to bring up as well?”

I shook my head. “Just turn off the light when you leave please.”

Without another word, I collapsed back into bed and curled up under my comforter. The familiar feeling of my blankets and pillows put me at ease. I reached out for my IPod and plugged in my head phones. As soon as Lana Del Ray reached my ears, I let my eyes close.

The soft sound of her soothing alto voice almost blocked out everything; almost.

I was just about out when my mother came back into my room. She placed a bowl of steaming hot soup that I would never eat on my bedside table and took out one of my ear buds.

“I let Mark in, he wanted to stop by, but I’m leaving now. Just call if you need anything.”

She placed a small kiss on my cheek before walking back across the room. Mark appeared after she left, and he quietly walked over to my bed.

“You should eat this,” he said motioning towards the soup.

I shook my head and buried my face into my pillow.

“Well I can’t let it go to waste now can I?”

The sound of slurping liquid filled my ears and I smiled. Leave it up to Mark to eat the sick person’s soup, not that it mattered.  

“So are you ever going to tell me what had you so upset at the party?” he asked casually, as if  hadn’t told him to stop asking a million times already.

Sighing, I sat up in bed and crossed my arms over my chest. Maybe if I gave him the silent treatment he would just stop trying all together.

“Come on Sutton.”

“Sutton please?”

“You know you want to tell me.”

“It might feel good just letting it all out.”

“Pretend I’m you diary!”

If only I had one…

“Oh wait you don’t have one…”

“Well I bet you told Vee, just pretend I’m her!”

“Sutton come on, you can talk to me!”

“Was someone giving you a hard time?”

Mark stopped for a brief second, and I almost believed that he was finally done talking. “Is it Colton, did the bad boy hurt you?”

His tone was teasing, but the second the words left his mouth I felt my heart slam against my chest. Without knowing it, my hands balled up into little tiny fists. I could feel my cheeks turning warn, and I quickly looked away.

“He did!” Mark shouted triumphantly.

“Shut up you don’t know what you’re talking about!” I hissed.

Marks facial expressions were all over the place, and I tried to keep mine calm and collected. His short little victory smile turned into a frown, an then into a smug grin.

“You know I told you that if you-“

“Mark will you just be quiet! Okay, I’m fine nothing happened!”

He frowned. “He didn’t hurt you did he?”

I rolled my eyes and snatched the bowl of soup that was still in his hands. “I’ll take that now,” I said smugly snatching it away.

“Sutton did he?”

“No, God Mark just drop it. Colton’s just some stupid delinquent that thinks breaking the law makes him a badass. He means nothing to me and never will. As soon as I’m done working on our stupid video project, I’ll be free of him.”

I guess Mark must have been a little confused at my sudden change of attitude, because his mouth hung open wide. Before Friday night I would have, maybe, just maybe defended Colton against Mark, but after the little stunt he pulled there was no way.

“When did common sense hit you, because I’m pretty sure that a couple days ago you were all buddy bud-“

“Mark just say I told you so and be done with it.”

“Man Sutton, you really like to interrupt me a lot, don’t yo-“

“Mark.”

He sighed. “Yes Sutt-“

“The answer is yes, I do enjoy cutting you off.”

I smiled as a frown appeared on his face. “You’re not fun-“

“I am too funny, better believe it!” to told him taking a sip of the still warm soup my mother made for me.

He opened his mouth again but then closed it.

Sutton: 1, Mark: 0.

**

“Mark, you have to go, you already skipped school and I think I’ve seen your face enough for one day.”

Mark sat at the edge of my bed looking through Melody’s stuff quietly. It was almost ten at night, and my parents were already in bed. I had told him to go home hours ago but he insisted on keeping me company.

Nodding his head, he stood up holding a photo in his hand. “Hey I was wondering if I could keep this?”

Without even looking at the picture, I nodded my head and motioned for the door. “Yes, now please I need to get some sleep.”

Mark made his way to the door, but not before he walked to the side of my bed and gave me a tight hug.

“Goodnight Sutton,” he said quietly.

“Goodnight Mark,” I replied just as he disappeared out my door.

Sighing, I stood up and changed into a sports bra and shorts. I turned on my ceiling fan before brushing my teeth and then crawling back into bed. Just as I was pulling the covers up, a small tapping nose practically scared me shitless.

I grasped at my fast beating heart and turned my head to my balcony window. The curtains were drawn back a little, but all I could see was darkness. Suddenly, there was another tapping nose. I reached over and grabbed a book that sat on my bedside table before creeping towards the door slowly. Leave it up to me to use a book as a weapon. 

I turned on my balcony light expecting to see some creepy masked guy waiting to attack, only to see nothing; absolutely nothing. Not even an animal. I stepped out into the warm night air and looked up at the stars only to be pelted with a little red rock.

Angered, I ran over to the side of the balcony and looked down. Colton stood underneath me wearing his signature leather jacket, holding the camera we used to film on Friday.

“What the hell are you doing!” I whisper screeched.

Colton’s eyes glistened under the moonlight, and a devilish grin spread across his face. “Come down here, I need to talk to you!”

“About what!”

“Just come down here!”

Stubbornly crossing my arms over my chest, I thought of any excuse as to why I shouldn’t go down there. For one, Colton Jones was a huge, cocky jerk. Second, this could all be some game to see if he could insult me again.

None of those seemed fit enough so I came up with another option. “My parents will hear me if I use the back or front door!”

He sighed. “Climb down, it’s not too high.”

“No way!”

“Come on please, I have to show you something Sutton. Just hear me out!”

Uh why the hell did he have to do this? Make me feel nothing but anger, and then the next second I actually wanted to forgive him. What are you thinking Sutton; he probably didn’t come here to apologize!

Biting my lip, I followed my heart. Oh God, that sounded way too cheesy. Sighing, I lifted my leg over the railing, and then the next. My heart thumped against my chest wildly, but I did my best to look calm. Counting to three, I grabbed onto the very bottom of the railing and lowered myself down as far as possible.My feet dangled in mid air as I held my breath. 

“Drop down Sutton!” Colton finally said.

I looked down at the ground and my breath caught. No way, I was too high up. “Come on just let go I’m right here,” he told me calmly.

Once again, I counted to three and let go. Instantly I was forced into Colton’s waiting arms. He set me down on the ground and chuckled.

“Nice outfit.”

I looked down at my sports bra and shorts and sighed. “So what was the point of making me come all the way down here, what did you want to tell me?”

Okay everyone, I’ve decided to go with a romance/teen fiction/humor story. I know some of you were rooting for werewolf, but I’m just going to stick to what I know all of my fans like, plus I have a really cute idea and I already have the tittle and what not.

Thanks for all the input though, I’m glad a lot of you stated your opinion.            

Peyton.