"She's dating a crazy person! She must be crazy, too!"

"Wasn't she just with Sean a little while ago? She's a slut!"

"Schizo's girlfriend!"

This was what I had been hearing ever since I had walked into school that morning. I had heard myself bereferred to as schizo's girlfriend at least fifteen times and school hadn't even started yet. I made me want to seriously throw up.

I ignored people's shouts and calls as I opened my locker. This had to blow over sooner or later. It had to stop sometime. I could take the abuse just fine, but I was worried about Blake. He usually got to school earlier than me, so I had no idea where he was.

"Leah," a new voice called out brightly from behind my locker door, and I was surprised to hear someone calling me by my actual given name. I glanced around my locker door to see it was Elias, who was smiling like he always did.

"If you're here to say something nasty about Blake or me, save it," was all I said to him, not even looking away from the inside of my locker as I said this.

Elias's eyebrows furrowed. "I wouldn't do something like that, Leah."

"So you've heard all the rumors, haven't you?"

Elias nodded. "Well, I wasn't going to believe them until I heard it from you."

"Well, they're true," I shrugged, trying my best to act like I didn't give a damn about how the entire school hated both Blake and me. "Blake does have schizophrenia, and I'm still dating him even if he does. Are you going to make fun of me now?"

Elias looked... hurt, and this made me feel awful. "Why would you think I'd do something like that?"

I let out a sigh, rubbing at my forehead. Why was I being bitchy to Elias, a guy who hadn't ever done anything wrong to me before? He never did anything that made me think he was like Sean at all.

"I'm sorry," I apologized with a shake of my head. "It's just... everyone I've come into contact with has been rude and mean about Blake, and school hasn't even started yet. I can't even imagine what he must be going through and what he's going to have to go through."

"Hey, you befriended me when no one else would," Elias grinned as he readjusting his backpack that continued to stay slung over one shoulder. "I would never be mean to you. I think you and Blake make a good couple, too."

"Well, you're the second person to tell me that," I smiled just a little, remembering the conversation I had had with Leslie on the phone the night before. She told me that she was fine with the fact that I was dating Blake, and she didn't find anything wrong with the fact that he had schizophrenia. She even kind of felt bad for him. I was sure that the rest of the school would as well if Sean hadn't filled their brains with hate.

Jane was another person that was fine with everything, but I didn't really count her with everyone else because she had known about Blake and his secret even longer than I had. And then there was Thomas, who still acted like a complete asshole.

When Elias's eyebrows furrowed as he looked over my head, I was too afraid to turn around. "Uh," he started, as if he didn't know what to say. "Isn't that that Sean guy that started all of this anyway? Who's he with?"

Finally turning around now, my eyes widened when I saw Sean and Cassie make their way down the halls, hand-in-hand. At first I didn't believe it, but then I remembered who I was dealing with. This was very believable.

"Hi, Leah," Cassie sneered as me as she and Sean continued by. "How are things with your psychotic, crazy boyfriend?"

Not even in control of my own hand, I clamped down on her arm and stopped her from walking any farther away from me. She glared, and Sean didn't even look in my direction.

"I need to talk to you," I practically growled, yanking her away from Sean before she could stop me. I said a quick goodbye to Elias before slamming my locker shut and pulling her away from the two blonde boys.

"Ow, what do you even want?" Cassie demanded as I dragged her through the halls. People were staring at us, but it was something that I had already gotten used to. "I knew you were crazy, but I didn't think you were this crazy!"

I stopped walking once we were outside by the girls' locker room, where I knew no one would be this earlier in the morning. Neither of us said anything at first, because we were too busy glaring at each other, but I finally realized that she'd walk away sooner or later if I didn't say anything.

"You shouldn't be dating Sean," I scowled. "You're only dating him because I turned him down!"

"No!" she denied, but it didn't make me believe her. "I actually like him!"

This only made me roll my eyes. "Okay, he's only dating you because I turned him down!"

"Newsflash, Leah!" Cassie shouted now, her hands balling into fists at her side. "It's not always about you!"

I had nothing to say back to this. She was right, I knew, but I was sure that everything that was going on was about and because of me. Everyone knew Blake's secret because of me, Sean was now dating Cassie because of me, and everything was just going wrong because of me.

Why couldn't life just be fair? What did I ever do to deserve this treatment? What did Blake ever do to deserve this treatment? Just because he had schizophrenia didn't mean he was a bad guy. And just because I fell in love with him didn't mean I was a bitch either.

Without even saying another word to Cassie, I just turned away from her. I didn't want to deal with her any longer. I didn't even want to look at her. I felt angry and betrayed, but most of all I didn't feel surprised. I should have known that Cassie was going to do this.

I was so angry at her. If she could have dated Sean all along, why didn't she? I knew she had always liked and admitted Sean, maybe even more than she had always liked Derrick. She had always been pushing me to date him when she was perfectly fine with dating him herself.

I also felt so betrayed. Cassie, who was supposed to be my best friend, would actually date someone who now made my high school life a living hell. She'd actually date someone who would threaten her best friend's boyfriend. She didn't even care.

I came to a realization then. Cassie wasn't a real friend, and she never had been. She's always been rude, overbearing, and practically crazy. I was stupid to ever think that she was an actual true friend to me. She only cared about her image, and she always had.

The school day went by like I was expecting it would, with people badmouthing both Blake and me the entire time. People threw their trash at us at lunch, and I was even purposely tripped right in the hall. I just didn't understand how anyone could be so cruel.

"I was thinking," I started to Blake at my locker after school, ignoring the stares we got from everyone around us. "We should go to the diner today and just relax. I mean, I'm pretty sure we've both had a pretty hectic day."

Blake bit the inside of his cheek for a moment before saying, "I can't. I have an appointment with Dr. Carlisle today because he couldn't see me on Monday."

I had to stop myself from making a face. "Oh, okay. That's fine."

"But we can hang out afterwards, if you want," he suggested with a smile, and it immediately caused me to perk up. He smiled when he saw that he had made me happy. "How about we meet at my apartment in about an hour?"

I smiled, leaning forward and pecking him on the lips. This caused a few people to our left to start snickering at us, which we ignored. "That sounds great. I'll see you then."

So I had to waste some time before I could go to Blake's apartment in an hour. So I decided to go to the diner by myself, planning on getting something small just in case Blake wanted to eat later.

I was seated outside, and I was glad because I was tired of being inside. The fresh air made me feel so much better, but that was about to change in about thirty seconds.

When I saw who was now being seated next to me, my stomach nearly dropped. It wasn't anyone in particular like Sean or Cassie, but three guys from the football team instead. This was just as horrible though, because I knew that they were older than me and friends with Sean.

They saw me immediately, but I refused to look at them as I ordered a salad. They were whispering and laughing to each other, and I knew they were talking about me. They were friends with Sean. They knew everything there was to know about me.

"Schizo's girlfriend!" one of them coughed, causing me to look over at them in disgust. They only laughed to each other like a group of girls, and I didn't understand how something like this could have been funny.

So I just continued eating my salad once I got it, trying to ignore the jerks as they continued to make fun of me. I could have just gotten up and left, but I didn't want to show weakness. So no matter how much I wanted to cry, I couldn't.

"Hey, you're dating Blake Solo, aren't you?" one of them asked me now, and I didn't know if I should have even acknowledged them or not.

"Do you even have to ask?" I found myself snapping, knowing that this wasn't going to end well no matter how I acted, so I'd might as well be a bitch about it.

The three boys snickered, and it made me want to bash all of their faces in. I let no emotion cross my face as they continued to laugh. I could handle their taunting. I didn't care what they had to say to me.

"Leah Burkley, girlfriend of Blake," the brunette boy of the three started in a sort of nursery rhyme kind of way. "I wonder what I can do to make her ache. Like my poem?"

It took every ounce of willpower I had not to throw my plate right into this perverted pig's face. But instead of physically hurting him like I oh-so-desperately wanted to, I only said, "Just because you rhymed two words doesn't make you a poet."

The boy smirked when he saw that I at least reacted in some way. "Well, it's still a mystery we'd really like to solve."

"Like I'd ever go near any of you to let you find out."

"Come on," the black haired boy said now, leaning closer toward my table. "Blake Solo has to be horrible in the sack. He obviously has no experience."

"He's better than any of you could ever be," I nearly growled, wanting ever so much to stab them with my fork.

"How about you give it a try so you can know for sure?"

When I saw a dark haired girl walking down the street, I thought nothing of it as I continued to poke at my salad. This girl noticed me though, along with the three guys that were harassing me at the table beside me.

"How about you leave me the hell alone before I shove my fork up your--"

"Are these guys bothering you?" a new voice now cut me off, and I looked up in surprise to see that it had been the dark haired girl walking by, books in her arms as she looked down at me.

"Um..." was all I was able to say at first, even though the answer was obviously yes.

"Schizo's girlfriend!" one of them coughed again.

"Hey, why don't you cavemen go squash an ant or something else that's the size of your dicks?" the stranger asked the three of them, her brown eyes narrowing at them, one perfectly plucked brow raised.

The three boys scowled at her but got up from their seats anyway, and I immediately felt thankful to this stranger. She looked back down at me once she saw that they were gone, sitting down across from me at the table I was sitting at.

"Are you a new student at the public school?" I asked her, eyeing the books she placed down on the table. I hadn't ever seen her around, and she looked older than me, so she'd have to be a senior.

"No," she laughed, shaking her head and smiling at me. "I'm here visiting my family, it's actually my second time doing so since I left last summer. I actually go to college across the country, but I went to Adeline Academy when I lived here."

"Oh," I nodded, not knowing what to say about that school. I knew that it was an all-girls school, but I had heard that it was for stuck up rich girls. The same with Cambridge Institute, Adeline's brother school for all-boys. "Well, it's nice that you're here to see your family."

The stranger nodded, but her smile now disappeared. "Yes, but something's wrong with you. Do you want to talk about it? I'm all ears."

I just stared at this beautiful girl for a moment, wondering if I had ever seen her during the time that we had lived in this town together. She didn't look much older than me at all; she had to have been in her first year of college. I looked down at her books to see that they were for honors classes, and I knew that this girl was smart. Talking to her was probably the best thing I could do, because there was definitely no one else I could talk to.

"Sure," I nodded, knowing I needed to vent to someone, anyone who was willing to listen.

She nodded, waiting for me to continue on. How was it that I stranger that I hadn't even ever met before cared about how I felt more than my friends that I knew for years did?

"Well, it's about my boyfriend and me," I started awkwardly, not really knowing how I was supposed to say this. "My boyfriend's the part of the reason why those boys were harassing me earlier. See, my boyfriend's sick, and there's this guy that I've known since I was a kid who says he's in love with me, so obviously he's not happy that I'm dating my boyfriend..."

And I continued on, telling her everything that was wrong and what had been happening. I told her that Sean had made the entire school turn on Blake, which meant they also turned on me, and I also told her how our relationship had been a secret because I knew something like this would happen. She listened to everything I had to say, not saying a word until I was done and completely out of breath.

"There was a time when my boyfriend and I had to keep our relationship a secret, too," she informed me with a sad smile, and I listened intently to see how much this stranger knew. "I'm sure our situations were a little different, but then they're still similar nonetheless. But when my friends found out, they were understanding and accepting. I'm guessing that's not what happened to you?"

I shook my head. "A few of my friends don't mind, but the rest school now hates us."

This stranger nodded sadly. "Yes, your situation is definitely different from mine. I had to hide my relationship because of one person, not an entire school. But you said your boyfriend wasn't happy with keeping your relationship a secret, right?"

I nodded. "He was okay with it at first. But after a while, he just..."

"He wanted to show you off," she smiled, and it almost made me blush. "Yeah, my situation wasn't like that at all. My boyfriend wanted to keep it a secret just as much as I did, but not because he didn't want to show me off. Hell, he would have shouted from the rooftops that he was dating me if he could. It took him four years to finally win me over, you know. How long have you known your boyfriend?"

"A few months," I shrugged, feeling tiny compared to her. I really would have loved to hear her story, because it sounded like a fascinating one. "But I feel like I've known him for even longer."

It was the truth. I felt like I had known Blake for my entire life, not just the school year. It felt like I knew him forever, and I was hoping that he'd never leave my life.

"It's difficult dating him, but... I wouldn't have it any other way," I sighed now.

"Well, I've learned that you kind of have to fight for your love sometimes," this kind stranger smiled at me now, and she seemed so wise beyond her years. "But in the end, it's always worth it. Just don't give up, and everything will work out in the end. I guarantee it; I know it from experience."

I smiled at her, feeling happy tears prick at my eyes. Why was I being so damn emotional? "Thank you so much for talking to me."

She smiled back. "It was my pleasure, really."

When I saw a handsome guy walk up behind her, I didn't know if I should have said anything to her or not. This guy winked at me, holding his finger to his lips in a shushing motion as he snuck up behind her. I assumed that this guy knew the girl I was talking to, so I didn't warn her.

"Boo!" he called out as he clamped his hands down on the girl's shoulders, causing her to let out a shout and jump.

"You idiot!" she cried, smacking him in the shoulder once she turned toward him. "You scared me half to death!"

This guy laughed, leaning forward and pressing his lips to hers for a few moments. I concluded that this was the boyfriend that she had been speaking about, and I couldn't help but notice how cute they were together.

When we heard a loud car horn honk multiple times, all three of us turned toward the street to see a blonde guy hanging out of the parked car's window.

"Hurry it up!" the blonde called out from the driver's seat, a goofy grin plastered on his face as he waved his friends over. "I'm dying over here! You said that you just had to get text books with Chelsea and then we'd pick you up! We've been waiting forever!"

"I don't get why he had to come here with us," the stranger that had helped me muttered to her boyfriend, who laughed as he patted the top of her head. "He isn't from around here, he doesn't have any family around here. He just came to annoy us."

Her boyfriend laughed. "I'd just do as he says and get in the car."

The beautiful stranger stood up from her seat, turned toward me, and smiled. "It was really nice meeting and talking with you. Hopefully I'll be able to see you sometime again."

I nodded, smiling myself as I gave her a little wave. "It was really nice meeting with you. Thank you for helping me out."

And she walked toward the car with her boyfriend, her getting in the backseat while he got into the passenger's. I could see the blonde driving yapping away as he drove off, and I realized that I never even asked her what her name was. She didn't even know mine either.

I immediately grew lonely now, and I looked down at my phone now to see that an hour had went by, meaning I could now go to Blake's apartment. I quickly jumped up from my seat after leaving money on the table, practically sprinting all the way to Blake's house.

"Hey," he greeted, his eyes wide when he saw me. "Did you run all the way here?"

"Eh," was all I was able to say, too out of breath to form words. Blake smirked, letting me in his apartment and taking me up in his arms immediately. I let out a much needed breath, just resting my head against his chest.

"Carrie's going to come over and make dinner," he informed me after we had both sat down on the couch. "Did you eat anything?"

I remembered the salad that I barely even touched at the diner. "No."

"Are you alright, Leah?" he asked, leaning forward and brushing a piece of my hair out of my face. "You seem kind of... odd. Is everything all right?"

"Yeah," I smiled, not even sure if I was lying or not. "I'm fine."

Blake didn't look like he believed me. "Leah."

"Okay, well I went to the diner to eat after school, but when I got there these guys from school started harassing me," I began quickly, speaking so quickly that I didn't even know if he understood me or not. "And then this girl came up and shooed them away, right? And then we started talking about our relationships and how we both had to keep them a secret for a while and then her boyfriend came up and they were so cute together and then their friend took them away and then, and then--"

"Leah, breathe," Blake advised, grabbing onto my hands when they started to shake. "What are you trying to say?"

"I don't know," I swallowed, trying to catch my breath. "It's just... I felt horrible this morning. I thought that nothing else could go wrong, but then this girl told me a little about her story and it just made me feel better knowing that some people had it worse than we do but got through it. There's hope. It made me believe that things will stop going wrong so we can just be happy together and not have to worry about anything. She made me so happy, Blake. She made me so happy."

By the end of this, I was crying, and my face was now in Blake's hands. He just stared right into my eyes for a few moments, and he looked like he was trying to think of something to say. At first, he just wiped at my tears

"Leah, if you're ever unhappy being with me, at all..." Blake started, my face still in his hands. "I want you to tell me, alright?"

"That's not want I meant when I said she made me happy," I sniffed, reaching up and placing my hands on top of his. "I'm so happy with you my heart could burst. Being with you makes me so happy that I could just die. When I said she made me happy, it was more like she made me feel relieved. She made me believe that things could get better."

"I love you," he sighed, leaning his head foreward and resting his forehead on mine. "Things will get better, I promise."

I smiled up at him. "I know they will."

And we just stared at each other for the longest time, neither of us saying a single word. We just stared right at each other, not even breaking eye contact, our foreheads still connected as I continued to sit in his lap. I never wanted to move from the spot we were in. I just wanted time to stop right there.

But soon, we heard Carrie come through the front door like she always did, with her usual call of hello. And suddenly, I was really hungry, and having dinner with both Carrie and Blake sounded like the best thing that could ever happen to me.

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If you don't know who the stranger Leah's talking to is and you want to know, just go read There's a Thin Line Between Love and Hate. I think you'll figure it out. xD

This is for the 2012 Watty Awards! Please COMMENT, VOTE, and SHARE! It would seriously mean a lot to me, because this story is my favorite as of right now. xD