FOR THE REST of the weekend, that one single picture haunted my thoughts. I couldn't fall back to sleep no matter how much I tossed and turned. By the time the trio had dropped me off, it was already 5:30 am. Since it was a Saturday the next day, and I had nothing to do, I decided to get some sleep. Not a single part of that plan worked, though. My brain was working overtime that night, stopping me from slipping into that much-needed break away from reality.

It was just one insignificant picture, but the day it was taken meant so much to me. It was the same week my parents told me about their divorce. Or should I say, the same week I overheard the news of my parents divorcing and the reasons behind it? It was also the same week that Blake had asked me to be his girlfriend, and I thought it was a joke.

That day was magical, and I thought that it was perhaps one of the best days of my life. Of course, considering the situation now, that day was nothing but an unfulfilled promise. Our friendship crashed and burned like my parent's marriage, which was saying a lot. I stayed with my father in California, and my mother lived all the way in New York City. Ironically, my parents were best friends before they got married and had a beautiful love story worthy of the big screen in Hollywood.

I guess both me and my parents' failures in cliché best friend love stories were evident enough to tell everyone that those undying proclamations of love and sweet nothings only come true in fairytales where happily-ever-afters are possible.

There are no fairytales in real life. This is the inescapable truth of reality, and reality will, at one point, strike everyone in the face like a cold, hard brick. The inevitable truth about the real world, about our world, is that there will never be happily-ever-afters. Happily-ever-afters were only created to give kids a nice bedtime story. Even if a couple were blessed enough by the heavens and did get together for the rest of their life in absolute bliss, still, as they say, death would do them part. Unless immortality were possible, there would never be a happily-ever-after.

However, I do believe in happily-afters. There's no ever because it won't last forever. It only means that for a period of time, bliss and happiness is possible. It's better than nothing, and it's more realistic than the happily-ever-afters in children's books.

My time with Blake was an example of a happily-after. We had our fun, and we had fights, but we still stuck together through rain and shine. Honestly, I believed that we would still be in our happily-after if Charlotte Brooke ceased to exist. But then we would also have the problem of Miranda Hastings, Charlotte's best friend. After all, birds of a feather flock together, and fate will always find ways to warp the future.

I'll shoot down that bird one day, but now, my brain is still in a mess, I thought.

On top of the picture problem, the lack of sleep was finally taking a toll on me during my last period in school come Monday morning. Winnie, William, and Wesley officially started school that day too, and surprisingly, almost all my classes had at least one of the triple threats. That last period, however, didn't. Instead, I had with me the wonderful Charlotte Brooke and the root of all my problems, Blake Ryder.

Such joy.

When the last bell finally rang, I immediately shot up from my seat, refusing eye contact with the two of them. Blake hadn't gone home yet. That was obvious since he hadn't confronted me yet about the poor state of his house and his precious car.

Soon, I would face Satan's wrath, and I had brought it all upon me myself, and I liked it.

I liked being bad.

I liked destroying things.

And when Blake would finally realize that I trashed his whole house, I would also come to like the feeling of accomplishment.

***

"You've been awfully quiet," Summer commented as we sat down in the bleachers, waiting for William and Wesley to finish their football tryouts. Desperate for a little point boost, the two brothers had decided to join the football team. By the way, they were playing on the field, it certainly wouldn't take long before they would be accepted.

"I didn't sleep well last night, I guess. To say the least, it had been a long weekend." I shrugged, brushed my hair backward, and tugged my jacket closer to my body to keep myself warm.

"Yeah, I can tell. Your eyes look like a panda's. Girl, ever heard of concealer?"

"She was too busy kicking butt on Friday night to think of concealer." Winnie suddenly appeared by my side, grinning at my physical appearance, and I scowled. "Winnie Jerald." She grinned at Summer, holding out her hand, and Summer took immediately, shaking it enthusiastically.

"Summer Dollen, this idiot's best friend. Though I've heard some people mentioning that I'm more of a sidekick. Can't argue, though. I do stick with her through everything." Summer grinned at Winnie, and I could tell that both of them were already going to be best friends. Their personalities were too similar for one, and two, they were both kickass beauties.

Though I was never one to doubt my physical appearance, I couldn't help but feel overwhelmed with two stunning ladies seated beside me.

Pulling my wild purple hair into a ponytail, I got up and gestured to the washrooms. "I'm going to go get a breather. Be right back." Both of them barely even spared me a glance as they chatted on and on about how cool some new video game was. Though it was not a topic anyone would have assumed these two will talk about, they still discussed with utmost enthusiasm, once again slapping stereotypes in the face.

Sighing, I quickly trudged toward the washrooms past the entrance of the school, but I immediately stopped in my tracks when I heard a familiar voice.

"I can't find it, Ryan. I searched everywhere." Blake's frustrated voice echoed along the small corridor. Ryan Smith is Blake's best friend and right-hand man. Outside of our little friendship circle, Blake had always been close with Ryan ever since we were young. However, due to his lack of restraint and revolting personality, I had never found myself liking Ryan's company. I never quite understood their friendship, but then again, ours was a flop. So who was I to judge?

"Did you check your house? I thought you always left it under some pillow." Ryan's voice followed soon after, and I gulped slightly.

Did he mean the picture? I asked myself.

"You're right. Thanks, dude." Blake's relieved voice came again, and I could hear his footsteps slowly fade.

Taking a deep breath, I quickly made my way back toward the bleachers before either of the two boys could spot me, the need to wash up completely gone from my mind.