The Only One

One

I didn't know that I would come to a point in my life where I would be involved in a fight. Every day I would try to avoid the crowds of people who were seconds away from a fight. Today, though, I found myself swinging at Carly, a girl who transferred to my school a few months ago before today. She was an all-out beauty with long blonde hair, obviously dyed to this color, her glowing blue eyes and perfect straight teeth. Why did I fight her? Easy, she framed Dean for a crime he had nothing to do with. Pretty silly, but there's more to the story than this...

Two Months Earlier

"Marissa, what do you want?" Kelsey asked, looking back at me. I shrugged. I didn't care, we normally share food anyways. She turned back to the cashier. "Two orders of buffalo chicken tenders, please. Medium drinks too."

I stare at the small letters and numbers on the menu in front of me. The rich smell from the kitchen was everywhere and it gave me a headache. I turn my attention toward Kelsey who was flirting with the cashier, probably hoping to get a discount and with the expression on his face, she might get her way.

Behind me, there was an argument that was slowly growing volume. I turn to see what was going on. Sitting in one of the booths near the windows was a couple. One of them, the girl, was unfamiliar but the guy went to school with Kelsey and I. The girl was screaming and crying about something the guy must have done.

"Marissa, your order," Kelsey said, nudging me. I turn and take my food from the counter and follow her over to a table not far from the fighting couple. Kelsey sees me watching and snorts a laugh. "That is the reason why I don't date guys anymore, single for life."

"You were with Thomas two days ago," I comment. She shoots me a look, obviously annoyed. I ignore it, knowing she's only overreacting. I direct my attention back over to the couple again. The girl was now sobbing into her hands as the guy fished around in his wallet. He slapped two folded bulls on the table before standing and storming out of the diner.

"Wow, what a jerk. He just left her like that," Kelsey said, as if was his entire fault for the argument. I have learned not to say anything when Kelsey was in her judgmental mood; it just created more arguments between us.

I ate my food in silence as Kelsey rambled off about what Thomas did and why she's so over him and she's deleting his number. I held the urge to roll my eyes, knowing she would only get more annoyed with my lack of relationship experience. As she went on longer, I found myself looking over toward the girl. She was sitting in silence now, staring at the food on the plate in front of her. It saddened me that she was in such an awful mood that she couldn't even eat the food in front of her. Moments later, the door of the diner opened and suddenly Kelsey was coughing. I looked at her, horrified.

"That's Dean Richards," she whispered. Who? I look back over and the guy walks over to the girl who was just crying and looked down at her. She looked up at him, her eyes red and puffy. His lips moved as he spoke to her and then he held his hand out, waiting for her to take it. She wiped her eyes and took his hand, letting him pull her to her feet. As the turned to walk out the door, the guy lifted his head, looking over at me. My cheeks flushed as our gaze locked. Second passed and then he was turning and heading out the door with the girl.

"Who was that?" I asked, looking at Kelsey. She stopped sipping her drink and looked at me, alarmed. She placed her cup on the table and crossed her arms on the surface.

"Dean Richards? You don't know who that is?" she asked. I shook my head. "Well, he's bad news, like major bad news. Stay away from him if you want to get through the rest of senior year in peace."