Some people were having issues viewing my chapter, so this is the second upload. I don't know what's going on, sorry everyone! 

As Mark gapped at Colton, Colton glared at me. I watched both of the guys carefully, hoping that everything would stay under control. Or at least not spiral out of control. I assumed Mark would start screaming at Colton, but instead he turned to face me and shook his head.

“Your mom called me last night after you got home. She sounded upset, and when she told me you were out with some guy and lied about it to her, I didn’t expect that guy to be Colton.”

How in the world did she know I was lying? “I came to your house after school looking for you, that’s how she knew we weren’t together.”

I looked down at my feet, feeling ashamed and upset that I lied to my mother and Mark. “I don’t know what to say.”

Mark shook his head. “If you want to spend your time with this low life, go right ahead. I already warned you, so when he breaks your heart, don’t come crying to me.”

Without another word he stormed out of the room and slammed the door behind him. I felt myself struggling for air, and I closed my eyes and counted to five.

“I’m done with all of this.”

I faced Colton, my heart racing. He was done with all of what?

“This lying and sneaking around was a bad idea, and I won’t be your secret friend anymore.”

“I never wanted to keep you a secret!” I exclaimed.

He laughed. “Then why did you?”

“You know why!”

“Because your friends think I’m a low life loser? You wouldn’t want them to think you hung out with a jerk like me right?” he hissed angrily.

Tears welled up in my eyes and I shook my head. “Colton I swear that’s not why.”

“You just kept me in a closet for forty five minutes because heaven forbid Mark knew we were friends.”

I knew from the very beginning this was all going to end badly. I knew and yet I kept pretending that everything was alright; like it was normal to hide Colton, someone who meant the world to me.

 “You can’t blame Mark for not liking you,” I said lamely.

Colton shook his head. “That’s not the point. When you want something in your life, you stand up for it and support it. You don’t hide it in fear of what other people will think.”

I wanted to say he was right, but the words never left my mouth. He was completely right and I knew it. This past week of lying had become so normal that I didn’t realize what I was doing was wrong. I wasn’t ashamed of Colton, I was afraid of losing my other friends. I couldn’t choose between my friends. Colton didn’t care that I was close to people that absolutely despised him, yet Mark and Vee were totally against Colton in every way.

“I’m going to go.”

I watched Colton move towards the balcony feeling frozen. What could I say to him? He was right, this was wrong, but I didn’t know how to fix it. Mark was furious, and Vee would be once he told her. Blaine would me more understanding, but I could feel the respect he had for me leaving already.

“Wait Colton you have to understand what I’m going through.”

He stopped and turned to face me. “How can you say that to me? You’re not the one who no one wants around. You’re not the one who parents hate with one look. You’re ashamed of me, so I’m going and I’m not coming back.”

Without even knowing it, I had moved forward and grabbed Colton’s arm. “I’m not ashamed of you and I never was. I was afraid of losing my friends. They made it pretty clear that it was them or you, and I couldn’t choose. I couldn’t choose because that meant losing another important person in my life.”

Something that looked like pity flashed across Colton’s face, but in seconds his usual cool expression was back. He ruffled his hair and looked down at his feet like he didn’t know what to say. After a few more seconds of silence, he moved away from me and over to the side of the balcony.

“I’m sorry I have to make you choose.”

Without another word he slipped over the side railing and was out of sight. I stood outside in the breeze watching the night sky blur by. The weather was just getting warmer but the sound of bugs buzzing and animals howling didn’t stop me from hearing everything he said loud and clear. Both Mark and Colton were mad at me, and soon Vee would feel the same way.

Colton had told me I had to choose, but the truth was the decision had already been made. I had lost all my friends in one night, not just Colton, but all of them.

**

When I rolled out of bed the next morning with just three hours of sleep and a pounding head ache, I knew school would be extra horrible. Not only were all my friends mad at me, but I felt like I had been run over by a bus.

My mother didn’t speak to me when I had said good morning to her, but by the time I got to school I was glad. I knew I would get a mouthful from Vee, so I didn’t need it from my mom too. That’s why it was so surprising that the first time I saw Vee and she saw me, she immediately headed in the other direction. It was like one glance at me was all it took to send her flying. At first I was relieved that I didn’t have to deal with her running her mouth, but then it hit me. She was so mad at me that she wouldn’t even bother telling me so.

The rest of the day went by painfully slow. Colton hadn’t showed up to school and at lunch time I found myself eating outside alone. I had seen Blaine third hour but he awkwardly made up some excuse about having homework and basically ignored me the rest of the hour. He wasn’t flat out mad, but I could tell that he was avoiding the subject and trying not to take sides. But it is perfectly clear which side he was on.

When the final bell rang I ran out of class and all the way into the parking lot where I found Vee’s little green bug. I leaned up against the driver’s door and waited for her to show up. When she finally arrived most of the parking lot was empty. Her eyes landed on me, but her face was clear of any emotion.

“You’re in my way,” she said in a boring voice.

I sighed. “Really, so that’s how it’s going to be?”

Instead of answering Vee looked down at her phone and started punching in a number. “What are you doing?”

“Calling my dad so he can come pick me up, it looks like I won’t be getting in my car if you don’t move.”

Without thinking anything through properly, I snatched Vee’s phone and burried it in my bag. Her eyes grew wide for a second before she sprang forward. “Give me my phone!” she screeched.

I backed away quickly. “Vee if you let me have a few minutes I will give you back your phone.”

“Fine.”

Smiling at her answer, I rubbed my hands together. “I know you have every right to be mad—“

“Hell yeah I do! You lied to all your friends, and for what? To hang out with that low life dick? He’s got you wrapped around his dirty little finger, and no matter how many times me or Mark warned you, you still had to go ahead and think with your—“

“Stop,” I interjected with a hiss.

Colton may have said some bad things in the past, but everyone messes up. Vee was my best friend, and was usually a nice person but it made my blood boil hearing her talk about Colton the way she did.

“You don’t know him, and you don’t have any right to judge him.”

She laughed. “Are you kidding me?”

“I lied to you. That’s the ONLY reason you should be upset. Not because I was hanging out with Colton. I know what I did was wrong, but I do deserve forgiveness. I don’t know how long it will take you, but soon enough you’ll see I really am sorry about this stupid mistake.”

“You lied about Colton,” she hissed. “The same Colton that said some pretty horrible things about you and Mark. Hell he gave Mark a black eye!”

I could see in Vee’s eyes that no matter what I said she had her feelings set about Colton. Shaking my head I reached into my bag and grabbed her phone. “I’m sorry about lying to you. It wasn’t right. But I’m not sorry about spending time with Colton because he makes me feel so much better about everything. He doesn’t care that I hang out with other people, and he’s definitely not judgmental.”

Vee looked at me carefully before reaching out and grabbing her phone. “So what you’re still going to hang out with that low life?”

“He’s not a low life, and yeah,” I hissed through clenched teeth.

“I don’t know if I made it clear before, but now I will. It’s him or us Sutton. Just remember who your true friends are.”

Without another word, Vee was in her car and backing out. I stood still and watched her drive out of the school parking lot. How had everything turned into such a mess? The other day I was laughing and joking with all of my friends and now I practically had none. Taking a deep breath, I got into my car and drove myself home. Thankfully my mother was out. I headed straight for the yellow pages book and found Colton’s name. After searching his address in Google Maps I got back into my car and drove.

The idea to go find Colton myself had seemed like a good one at first, but now that I was sitting in his driveway, that idea quickly vanished. What if he wasn’t even home? What if he didn’t even live here? I mean, he could live with his grandparents or something. Pushing aside my thoughts, I bravely got out of the car and slowly made my way towards his front door.

He lived in a cute little ranch that was almost completely covered in vines. The front yard seemed a little un-kept, but the way the garden grew naturally was almost charming.  When I reached the front door, my heart stopped. Voices came from the house, both obviously male and both obviously upset. This a bad time! I had to go, it was wrong of me to come here in the first place.

Before I could even move away from the porch, the front door banged open and a familiar face appeared. Colton’s older brother Jack watched as I stumbled back and out of the way. The frustrated look on his face vanished.

“I know you,” he stated.

I nodded my head slowly.

“Sutton what are you doing here?” came another familiar voice.

“Oh right Sutton!” Jack exclaimed as I looked up to see Colton standing in the doorway of his house. He was wearing a pair of red plaid pajama pants and his chest was completely bare. I sucked in a breath and tried not to think of how gorgeous he was.

“I was, uh well you didn’t show up to school today.”

He shrugged. “And I needed to talk to you,” I explained further.

“You could have called?”

Jack laughed. “Wow little bro you have no manors. Invite the girl in!”

Colton shot Jack an icy glare. “I will when you leave.”

His brother chuckled and slowly nodded his head. His eyes darted in my direction one more time before he turned around and headed down the driveway. I watched him until he had climbed in his care before turning back to Colton.

“Well I guess you can come in.”

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Music video suggestion: AyrouXD

Hey everyone, hope you liked that chapter! Thank you for all the comment and votes I’ve been getting, you guys are the best! :D

 Also, I’d like to bring up something that a fan (deafrocks) requested me to share. I’d like to recognize Kaylee, whose life was affected tremendously by a hit and run/ drunk driving accident. Kaylee’s boyfriend Frank was killed in the crash, and their story is not much different from Melody and Mark’s. Please everyone remember that when you get into a car, you have control over other’s lives as well as your own. Drinking and driving is NEVER acceptable. Ana, I hope you, you're school and Frank's family will always remember Frank and the way his life affected everyone in a posative way. He is now in a better place.