We decided to go to the ice cream parlor that very Wednesday. Mostly because the majority of the kids at our school would be out and about on Friday and over the weekend. It still wouldn't be entirely safe on the day we chose, but it would be safer. Lucas told me that he had to discuss things with his mother, what about, he wouldn't tell me, leading me to believe he was going to tell her a lie.

My mom didn't care much about the details of how we were going to spend our evening. As long as she knew where I was going and with whom, she agreed to let me go. All she asked was that I be home by ten.

I stayed in what I was wearing at school and brushed my hair until it was silky and straight. Before walking out the door, I quickly dabbed a little lip gloss on my lips, threw the gloss in my purse, said farewell to my mom, and left the house to meet Lucas, who was waiting for me at the end of my driveway.

He was dressed, like always, in his usual style: a dark patterned scarf, jeans, jacket, and a plain and solid colored shirt. He checked his watch as I approached.

"You literally got out here at the exact time you were supposed to. Why doesn't that surprise me?" He grinned. I stared at the trees swaying gently in the breeze and smiled back at him.

"Maybe because I'm always on time."

"Alright, alright. You know not everyone is as perfect as you." He said, coming up behind me and tickling my waist. I squirmed free and laughed.

"I'm not perfect." I ruffled his hair quickly with my hand. He immediately covered his head while also trying to fix it again. I smiled. I wished that it could always be like this, that I would never have to worry about having to look over my shoulder every couple minutes to make sure there was no danger.

I was extra cautious as we walked into the ice cream parlor. We walked up to the counter, but I didn't even look at the choices. I knew what I wanted.

"Can I have two scoops of mint chocolate-chip on a cone?" I asked politely to the lady behind the counter. With a smile, she nodded and proceeded to get my order.

"Wow. So original." Lucas teased and I lightly hit him on the arm. Once the lady was done with my cone, Lucas pointed to a bucket of ice cream.

"And can I have a single scoop of Rocky Road, please?" A minute later the lady handed Lucas his ice cream. "Thank you."

I paid the lady for our ice creams and said "thanks" to the lady as we walked off to one of the booths and sat down. Lucas offered me his ice cream.

"Want to taste mine?" He asked.

"No, thank you." I said with a small smile, shaking my head. I took a bite of my ice cream.

"Why not? Afraid of the germs?"

"I'd rather your germs than that load of chocolate."

I thought Lucas's jaw was going to fall off. He stared unblinkingly at me. I stared silently back at him, unnerved at the look on his face.

"...You don't like chocolate? I change what I said earlier," He said after a long time. "You're perfect and weird."

"Well, I don't like any more than small doses of it--like these chocolate chips." I took another bite of my ice cream, and ended up getting some on my nose. Lucas laughed and grabbed a napkin and wiped my nose for me.

"What else don't I know about you?" He asked, leaning forward and taking a small lick of his own ice cream.

I turned my head to the side and thought for a moment. He knew a lot about me, but maybe I could elaborate more on certain, basic, things.

"Okay, um... my major fear is drowning. I don't know why, I've just never been the greatest fan of water." I blushed in embarrassment. "I love flowers, my favorite--and don't laugh when I say this--are daisies."

"Interesting," He said when he finished his bite. "Continue."

"I like really fluffy things. My favorite breakfast--which my mom makes all the time--are pancakes with lots of fruit and whipped cream. With more fruit."

"So on Valentine's Day I should get you flowers, a fluffy bear... and a basket of fruit?" He shrugged at my not-impressed look. "Well, you said you didn't like chocolate!"

"You know I'm just finding random things to say, right? What about you? What are some things you haven't told me?"

"I hate anything spicy. I play guitar--"

"Wait--you play guitar? You think that would have come up in at least one of our conversations! Maybe when you saw I played piano? I had no idea you played an instrument!" I exclaimed and he blushed a little.

"I didn't think it mattered. I'm not all that good. I haven't played much, and I don't know if I'll even remember any of the songs I used to play..." He trailed off and then reached across the table and put his hand on mine. "And my biggest fear is losing you... Tight spaces being a close second. I have bad claustrophobia."

"You're cute."

He smiled and then after a few seconds of silence he tapped my purse. He swallowed the bite he was chewing.

"Did you want me to pay for the ice cream? You paid up there before I could stop you--let me pay you back. Hold on," With one hand, he dug into his jacket pocket and pulled out a wad of bills. I put a hand over the one that held the bills and shook my head.

"I know you and you'll be getting me something extravagant for my birthday and I want to pay you back for all the things that you've done for me. I want this to be on me."

He looked at me lovingly and then reluctantly shoved his cash back in his pocket. He stood up and leaned across the table and kissed me.

"Your lips taste sweet." I said softly.

"Much like my personality?" He joked and then we both laughed.

***

I hadn't known.

I never wanted what happened to ever happen. But there was no hiding from it once it was out. Almost every soul in school knew. My life was going to become a living torture very soon after that night and I didn't know it then. But I do now... and there's nothing I can possibly do.

The posters headlines on the walls made me sound selfish and sneaky and Lucas like a cheat. Underneath the titles were different photos of us taken from outside the ice cream parlor window. Pictures of us touching hands, him wiping ice cream off my nose, and us kissing.

I was being glared at as I walked through the front doors of the school the next morning. Lucas, per my request, went to school without waiting for me and he was standing near the lockers as I approached. His voice was hurried and panicked as he held my hands tight in his.

"Daisy, I'm so sorry! I don't know how this happened or who did it! I didn't see anybody yesterday that could've done this! Teachers and our friends are already helping to take them down. I don't know how we're going to--"

"Lucas Michael Monroy!" Lydia yelled and Lucas let go of my hands and closed his eyes for a couple seconds. He took a deep breath and turned to face her. "I can't believe you would do this to me! After everything! I thought you loved me--I thought she was the distrustful one! How could you do this to me? To us?"

Lydia screamed this for the whole hall to see as she came stomping up to me. She immediately raised her hand and slapped me hard across the face. I grabbed my cheek in shock as she poked me roughly in the chest.

"You--you are a pathetic, selfish, and disgusting creature! You very well might have ruined my name! I will be known as the girl who was cheated on because her boyfriend was momentarily interested in a nobody! You will regret this now, I warned you." Ashlee took a hold of Lucas and began to force him forward, Lydia blocking him from saying anything else to me. "I guess you should be grateful, Blondie--I did you a favor. He wasn't going to be interested in you a couple weeks from now. It's only a fling."

I wanted to say something to her then. I should've said something. But I stood frozen as she walked off. Was everything I had over? Was Lydia right about it being a fling? Would Lucas just go back to dating Lydia again with no problem, while I was pushed into the very back of his mind?

***

Patricia had many questions, Sara simply wanted to beat something up, and even Durwin was surprised at everything going on and came to me for answers. I guess Lydia wasn't allowing Lucas to talk much with Durwin since she was too busy yelling and controlling him. I explained everything to them. They deserved the truth after all their loyalty. A little surprisingly, they just got a little (excluding Sara, of course) angry at Lydia and not me.

In case there was someone watching us, Lucas and I stayed completely away from each other. I didn't want to get him in more trouble and he probably didn't want the same for me. And just to make sure we wouldnt run into eachother, Lydia would make Lucas get in her dads limo with her for a ride home. Every day it was this way.

My story will become a nightmare in daylight. This is where I wish daily that something will change so I could have Lucas by my side. There would be moments I wish that I didn't see him at all. But I did.

And there was nothing, absolutely nothing I could do that would make our situation better.