If there was anything I was truly good at, it would be messing things up. Not only had I ruined my chances of getting a passing grade in my media studies class; I ruined a friendship. I don’t know what I had with Colton, but it was most certainly over now. Never in a million years would I have believed that I would be friends with Colton Jones, but it didn’t matter anymore. Especially since I called him about a million times after retrieving his number from a skank at the party and still hadn’t gotten a call back.

He was either really angry or just didn’t care. I was betting on the last one; I mean Colton wasn’t the type of guy to actually have emotional feelings towards girls, much less anyone. But Colton was the least of my worries.

The morning after the party I came home to find my mom once again in Melody’s room; eyes red and puffy. Not only was she starting to become a big emotional mess, but she was also starting to go mute. Literally, I think I had exchanged about two words with her in the past three days. Me and my father were both starting to worry.

I watched as she carried herself from the kitchen table to the fridge like a lifeless zombie. Man had my mom seen better days…

We all had.

“How was that work meeting?” I asked her casually, pouring myself some liquid caffeine, otherwise known as coffee.

My father looked up from his paper skeptically. After my mother didn’t answer, he did. “Mom ended up staying home; she was feeling a little sick.”

I could tell he was lying. “Oh really?”

Dad nodded his head, answering another question that was directed towards mom. Sighing, I took a long delicious sip of my bitter sweet coffee. School today would be rough enough; I couldn’t go low on energy.

“Well, nice conversation we had today, I’m glad I got to talk to you mother,” I muttered.

“Sutton your mothers been having a few rough days, but she has a good excuse and—“

“And what? She gets to walk around like her worlds crumbling around her because Melody’s dead? Well guess what, she was your daughter too. Not to mention my sister and best friend!”

My father’s eyes shot open wide. “Sutton!”

“We all lost her that day, but that doesn’t give her the right to act like some poor depressed puppy dog,” I shouted bitterly, pushing away from my spot at the table.

“Sutton Lee Bran, how dare you talk like that?”

By now my mom’s face was drained of the very little color she had in it to begin with. She looked surprised and a little bit angry, but even that was better than nothing. “For God’s sake I’m a sixteen year old girl and I’m handling this situation better.”

Both my parents inhaled sharply as I spun around and made my way out to the driveway. Jumping in my red convertible, I turned on the car and backed out faster than I ever had. As soon as I was clear of my house, I let out a loud frustrated cry.

“What the hell’s gotten into you Sutton,” I mumbled under my breath.

Never in a million years had I spoken to my mother and father that way. But everything was just getting so out of hand. My mother was walking around like some zombie on a diet, and my father was acting like it was no big deal. Like it was normal for a grown woman to act like some depressed teenage girl. I understood what my mom was going through; my father and I were going through the same thing, it’s just that we were handling it like normal people.

 Suddenly a car horn went off, and I looked up at the light to see that it was green. School was in sight now, and I was not looking forward to the day ahead of me. I parked in the back of the front parking lot and slowly made my way up to the school doors. As soon as I stepped inside, Mark was by my side.

“You look like, like—“

“Crap,” Vee answered for him, appearing in front of us seemingly out of thin air.

I nodded my head in agreement as we pushed our way through the endless crowd of suffering children. Or at least that’s how I felt. I used to look forward to burying my head in a book and getting lost in an assignment. Now all I wanted to do was get lost in my bed and block out the world. Colton was really the only person who made me forget all the crap in my life, and it’ not like he would be willing to hang out with me anytime soon.

“Are you okay?” Mark asked as he draped his arm over my shoulder.

I mumbled a small yes and continued on my way to class, Mark and Vee still in tow. “Hey see you at lunch, I got to get class,” Vee called over to us as she took a left down the hallway.

Giving her a small wave, I moved out from under Marks arm. “Look what I said about Colton at the party wasn’t true. He is my friend, well probably not anymore but he was. I just want you to know that.”

He slowly nodded his head. “I sort of guessed that after you ran out of the room apologizing.”

I was pleasantly surprised with the small smirk on Marks face. For once he was being nice about Colton, not that it mattered anymore, and he probably just knew he wouldn’t have to deal with me hanging out with him. “Yeah well I didn’t get the chance, last time I saw him he was speeding away on his death machine.”

“Well he’s in our homeroom, try talking to him,” Mark suggested as we walked into class together.

I raised my eyebrow in his direction. “Oh come on, I told you I’d be less negative and more supportive!” he exclaimed with a silly grin on his face.

I laughed. “I didn’t think you’d be this supportive.”

“Well I can see how upset you are about everything.”

We sat down at the back of class in our usual spots. I searched for Colton and spotted him furthest away from my chair in the top left corner of the class. Hi shoulders we hunched over and he was busy with  a book. Colton reads?

Sighing, I turned back to Mark. “I’m upset about him, but there’s other things too,” I admitted truthfully.

Mark gave me a look that said “what’s bothering you?”.

“My mom’s been really bad lately.  Always crying and opening up all of Melody’s boxes. My dad finally locked up her room, but it only made things worse. Now she’s walking around like some zombie. I don’t think we’ve spoken more than two words in the past four days.”

“How are you Sutton?” Mark questioned; true concern in his words.

I shrugged. “I have to be strong for her and my father, it doesn’t matter how I am. We already have one depressed teen in the house, we don’t need another,” I said referring to my mother.

“Tell them,” he told me, “tell her she needs to get her stuff together.”

“I did. Well actually I sort of screamed at her and my father. I got a little emotion out of my mom, but it was harsh. I think I disappointed them.”

He laughed. “You could never disappoint your parents. Hey, if you want you can stay at my place tonight.”

I nodded my head considering his offer. “But go talk to Colton before class starts.”

Rolling my eyes at Mark, I stood up and slowly made my way over to this desk. I stopped in front of him, knowing that he was perfectly aware of my presence. Colton stayed glued to his book, refusing to look up at me.

I cleared my throat. “Just hear this out for me,” I said stupidly, “I know what I said at the party hurt you, but I didn’t mean any of it, really.”

Colton let out a long, ice cold chuckle. “Hurt me? Come on Sutton; look at who you’re talking to.”

I frowned. “Excuse me?”

“I’m Colton Jones, you should know by now that I don’t “hurt” and I don’t get feelings for girls.”

“I never said you had feelings for me.”

I narrowed my eyes in his direction. “But you’re implying that I do because of what happened,” he said casually looking back down at his book.

“You did seem pretty upset big guy, I don’t know about you but that sounds like feelings.”

My voice came out short and sarcastic. Jones’ jaw line tightened as he looked up at me with a frustrated expression. “If you didn’t notice, blood was pouring out of my nose. And yeah, maybe I was a little upset to find the girl I had been trying to bang in a room alone with another guy. But don’t worry Sutton; you were just a little experiment. Anyway, I have other options.”

His words were surprisingly harsh, especially because he said them starring right into my eyes. Colton knew how to upset me; and it was working. Before I opened my mouth to reply, I saw something in his eyes. It almost looked like he was a bit sorry, but I knew he was lying. The Colton I hung out with was much different from the Colton in front of me. He was hurt and this was his defense mechanism.

“I’m good at leaving girls speechless, especially in bed. Too bad ‘ll never find out with you, not that it matters much anyway, I’ve seen much better.”

Ouch, that one hurt.

“Hey why don’t you shut the hell up, she was trying to apologize!”

Mark’s voice rang out from behind me as I stood speechless and unmoving. His hand gripped my shoulder as he pulled me back.

Colton laughed. “Big brother to the rescue, I should have known. Or maybe, since Melody’s gone you think you can get it in with the little one!”

At that, Mark lunged forwards and onto Colton. They flew from his desk and onto the tiled floor with a bang just as the teacher walked into class. After only a few sloppy punches, the boys were pulled apart and separated.

Administration showed up only a few minutes later and hauled both Mark and Colton down to the office. Class started up only a few short minutes after, but I couldn’t concentrate on anything. What Colton had said was cruel and so unlike him. Either he really was upset and hurt by what I said, or the real Colton Jones was finally starting to show.

I was hoping for the first option.

I’M BACK BITCHES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sorry for the long wait, I’ve had company over and well it’s rude to be on your computer the whole time, but also I rewrote this chapter about three times, and I finally got one to work. Major writers block. Anyway, hope you enjoyed. 

silvermistenfusion made this AMAZING trailer for me, and I didn't even ask. She's also made some amazing covers for me and my sister. Everyone, she's simply amazing lets take this time to thank God for people like her.