"No. You listen to me." Scarlett said angrily through her tears. "I know how it feels now, it hurts more than anyone could ever imagine. To have to watch someone you love, love someone else, it hurts as bad as getting beaten with those bats over there." She glanced over at the bats in the dugout.

"Scarlet…" James began.

"No James, listen please. She may love you, but she doesn't love you as much as I do now. Right now, here, in this moment, I don't think there's anyone else on the face of this earth I'd rather be fighting for. You're worth it, the tears, the heartache, the pain, and I know it's taken me too long, but I…I've come around and I don't want it to be too late…" Scarlett said, practically sobbing now.

The team was leaving now, chanting "We're number one!" as they marched away with their three foot tall trophy. The parents all leaving, just a few left behind walking by as the two of them stood on the baseball mound.

How did it get to this? Scarlett had thought to herself, how did she become so emotionally involved with someone. How did it get this bad?

Scarlett was lying on her sofa in the basement of her house, James lying next to her, shirtless.

"James," She whispered.

"Yeah?"

"It's almost midnight, and it's a Sunday. My parent's will be home in about an hour, you need to leave."

"Can't I stay over?"

"No, we've talked about this…"

"Scar, c'mon, let's talk about this again. This, whatever we are, whatever we call it, has been going on for about seven or eight months now. School's going to be over soon and I would really like to make this official. You can't say that you're afraid we won't last, because if we've come this far in high school, then there's a great chance we'll stay together. Please Scarlett, be mine. I love you."

Those last three words always make her cringe. Scarlett was never one to fall in love; attachment was something she had never heard of. Scarlett was independent and focused on her schoolwork. NYU was her goal. Being a Surgeon was another goal. Becoming emotionally damaged because of high school relationships? Was not a goal.

Scarlett and James had the same conversation whenever James was getting ready to leave Scarlett's house.

Scarlett sighed and sat up. Her loose brown curls slightly messed up due to her head being on the couch pillow. James put his shirt on as they went up the steps to the front door.

"Think about it." He said, as he always had said before walking out the door.

Uncomfortable and feeling guilty, she'd give a weak smile, nod, and say "Goodnight James." He'd kiss her cheek and she'd close her eyes, waves of guilt began drowning her. He'd leave and get into his black Toyota highlander and leave. She'd go upstairs, take a shower and attempt to wash the guilt away.

She'd change into her sweatpants and a tank top and do any homework that was left, and fall asleep after it was complete.

The next morning, Scarlett woke up and got dressed in a floral dress that she had purchased the other day in a boutique in town. Her hair was naturally curly, and it was cut short; just above her shoulder. Her green eyes stood out amongst all of her other features. Her small, thin lips would have a darker red tint of lipstick on it.

She drove to school and walked through the large white building. The cliques in her school were obvious. The jocks, nerds, bookworms, cheerleaders, rich kids, the popular kids. Scarlett wasn't in a clique exactly. She was accepted by pretty much everyone. She had a few friends who were "popular" a friend on the cheer squad, a few friends who everyone considered "nerds" but she considered perfectly normal. Even a few jocks had fallen head over heels for her.

Scarlett was that quiet girl who was modest and unaware of how naturally pretty she is. She was one of the lucky few who had a naturally good heart. She was an optimist and she believed that even in the most troubled kids, there was good in them.

She walked to her locker and James was waiting for her.

"Morning beautiful." James said.

"Morning." She said uncomfortably.

"How did you sleep?" He asked.

"James, stop it. We're not going out. Stop saying these things." She said quietly.

"Okay," he said and paused. "I'm going to go find Michael, I'll see you later."

She felt bad, but he was hovering, and she couldn't lead him on. Her friend Addison, who she referred to as Addie, walked over to her.

"Did he get to hover-ish again?" Addison asked.

"Yeah, I feel terrible Addie, maybe I should just end it." Scarlett said.

"No, you just have to tell him to back off. You're friends with benefits. He agreed to that, he cant get attached." Addison said.

"What do I do?" Scarlett asked.

"You tell him flat out exactly what you're feeling." Addison said.

Scarlett shrugged her shoulders, she didn't want to hurt him. "I like having him around, it's nice to have someone to kiss and cuddle with."

"So ignore it, it'll subside." Addison said as she brushed her clearly-dyed burgundy hair away from her ghostly-pale skin.

That afternoon James came over afterschool. They walked inside, locked the front door and Scarlett literally jumped into his arms. They kissed as he carried her up the stairs into her room and shut the door.

A while later they came out of her room, he first, a smile beaming on his face, his shirt off and just jeans on. She came next, in her bra and sweatpants. She smiled and giggled as she ran her hands through her hair and they walked down into the kitchen to eat something. They made popcorn and "watched" a movie.

It was a lovely afternoon, until the end when they did the same usual routine.

"Scarlett…" James said as he got up to put on his shirt. It was four thirty, in about an hour Scarlett's mom would be home.

"Not today James, please." Scarlett said.

He nodded and she walked him to the front door. "Bye James." He didn't kiss her cheek. She didn't close her eyes. She didn't feel guilty. She felt relief. For the first time.