please please don't hate me for doing this – im rewriting this story. i know many of you will be annoyed – i know i am when a story im reading is suddenly 'edited' but, it's gotta be done! im totally going to change it – and the story plotline. a few of you have mentioned that its going quite fast – which i so agree with, so alas, the new Betrayal is born (: chapter 1 will pretty much be the same, but with a few more tweaks and a different ending.

i hope you enjoy (:

(i own nothing recognisable; song and title credit goes to The Saturdays.)

this chapter is dedicated to HighOnBrokenWings, who gave me a lot of help and advice on this story! thank you (:

Forever is over.

Today was Alex's birthday; I was determined to make it his best yet. We had been dating for around six months now – a definite feat for Alex: he used to be the biggest manwhore around at Montgomery High School, and I was still finding it hard to believe that he'd given it up for me.

I had spent quite a bit on Alex's present, feeling quite lavish, but he was more than worth it. I had bought him an iPod Touch, engraved with his name at the back. It had cost $299, a heck of a lot of money for me, but he definitely deserved it.

I was planning on surprising him – he thought that I was on the annual road trip with my best friends, not knowing that I was actually home. But first, I had to shower and get ready. Shredding myself of my singlet and boy shorts, I jumped in the shower and let the hot water relax me. Ten minutes later, I was digging through my wardrobe.

Being 5'6, which is very short compared to Alex's 6'2 frame, I knew that I had to wear heels – Alex's height was something that first drew me to him. I love tall guys. I eventually decided on my ripped, skinny jeans and black tank top; my black ankle boots and silver necklace completed the look. My hair is naturally straight – something which I'm thankful for – so, allowing it to dry, I applied a swish of mascara to my eyelashes.

I grabbed Alex's present off the bed, quickly planting it in the blue gift bag. I ran down the stairs, grabbing my car keys, before saying goodbye to my mom. It was just me and my mom, always had been, always will be. Your dad was a drunken mistake, my mom had told me a few years ago, when I had quizzed her about the whereabouts of my own father, but, you weren't – you're the best thing I ever made, that's for sure.

My mom was still young – she was 32, I was 16; do the math – but she was very responsible and acted way older than she actually was. Nose buried in a book, I smiled at her auburn hair that had been messily shoved into a bun atop her head. I hadn't inherited her auburn hair – my own hair was a dirty blonde, a gift from the father I had never met – but I had inherited her sparkling green eyes.

"Mom, I'm going now," I pecked her on the cheek, briefly sneaking a peek at her book.

"Okay hon," she replied, tucking a stray hair behind my ear. "Wish Alex a happy birthday from me."

Climbing into my navy blue Volkswagen Beetle that had taken weeks upon weeks of saving the money I'd earnt working overtime at the florist, I began driving down the familiar route that would lead me to Alex's house. The car that I was currently riding in had been expensive – my mom certainly couldn't afford it on her salary as a nursery worker, nor did I expect her to.

Parking my car in its usual spot on the Wilding's huge drive, I locked my Bug and walked to the huge double doors that I had walked through so many times – even before I got with my boyfriend. Alex and I had met through Adrianna – Adrianna Wilding was my best friend, soul sister, partner-in-crime. Alex was in the year above us; we were juniors.

Knocking on said double doors, I waited patiently for someone to answer. The maid answered the door several seconds later, looking at me with a horrified expression on her face. She must have been expecting someone else.

"Erm... Alex no está en casa," she said to me, that shocked look still upon her. I wasn't, however, particularly sure what she was saying; I knew that I should have taken Spanish instead of French, but what's done is done. I was pretty sure that casa meant house/home though, so she was saying that Alex was home?

"Okay, thank you," I smiled at her, walking up the stairs. She began repeating the words that she had said to me before so, smiling at her once more, I resumed my path to Alex's room. I was so excited to see his face when he saw me: he had seemed downright offended when I told him that I was 'going on a road trip with Adrianna' instead of being with him on his birthday.

I paused outside of his door, wondering whether I should knock or not. It wasn't even noon, so the chances were that Alex was in bed, anyway. I tentatively opened the door, carefully trying to keep quiet as to not wake Alex up.

But, I needn't have bothered...

There, on the bed, was my boyfriend engaged in a lip-lock with an unknown girl. I stood at Alex's door, eyes unbelieving of what was going on right in front of me. I didn't hesitate to notice that Alex's top and boxers were draped on the floor, next to the girl's dress and underwear. It was only when noticing their clothes that I fully realised what was going on – my boyfriend of six months, my boyfriend who'd promised that he'd changed for me, who'd promised that he'd never cheat on me, was doing just that.

"Oh, God," I spluttered, literally feeling sick to the stomach. Turning to leave, I noticed a sudden movement. Alex had pushed the girl off of him. My eyes widened with dismay when I realised that the girl who was in bed with him was my 'friend', Melissa Mason. She was meant to be on the road trip too; guess I wasn't the only one who'd blown it off for Alex.

Feeling the familiar tickling in my eyes, I turned to leave, "No wonder your maid didn't want me coming up here."

Alex had thrown his boxers on by now, begging me to listen to him. "Baby, I'm sorry. I-I..." He was obviously at a loss for words; I wasn't though:

"Fuck off," I snarled at him, eyes blurring over with unshed tears.

Ignoring Alex's calls, ignoring Melissa's pathetic apology, ignoring the maid's concerned glance at me, I ran down the stairs and into my car. What I didn't ignore was the sleek, black Aston Martin that was making its way up Alex's drive.

Meet Beck James, Alex's sidekick, rival to his amazingly handsome looks and best friend. Meet Beck James, the boy who started it all off.