I shake my head, not really surprised. "Mrs. Thomas is the nicest teacher in this school and you got detention from her. Really, Dylan?" "Gotta keep up my reputation somehow," he winks. I start to format again and I can feel Dylan watching my screen as I move articles and pictures around. An article Jacob wrote, predictably about the soccer team, is on my screen as I put it with the other articles in the sports section. "What's up with you and Mr. Soccer Player? You two back together?" he asks suddenly. That's what he wants to talk about? "No. We're just friends." "Didn't look like you guys were just friends." His comment annoys me. Could neither boy go one second without making comments about the other? And why do I have to be caught in the middle? I'm being judged by Jacob for hanging out with Dylan and I'm being judged by Dylan for talking to Jacob. It's like I'm being interrogated for doing something wrong. "Jesus, Dylan, you're sounding an awful lot like Jacob right now." That seems to strike a nerve in him. "I'm not like that asshole. I just don't see why you would get back together with a guy who cheated on you." "We're not even back together. He's going through a rough time, so I'm helping him out." Why is he getting so upset over nothing? He scoffs. "I put two and two together, Lacey. He doesn't deserve your help. What kind of piece of shit cheats on his girlfriend after her parents die?" Anger boils over. "Why do you even care? That's my fucking business, not yours," I snap. Why is everyone suddenly concerned about what I was doing in my life? We stare each other down for a moment before Mrs. Thomas walks in. "Mr. Parker, leave Lacey alone. Get back to the front," she says. He continues to stare at me before pushing the chair back and walking to the front again. I continue working on the paper once I push the argument out of my mind. I put the finishing touches before I log off and pick up my things. "Done, Lacey?" Mrs. Thomas asks me. "Yeah, I just emailed it to you," I say, putting on my best smile and ignoring Dylan. "Great, have a good weekend." I'm not sure what made me snap at Dylan the way I did. I feel a sense of protectiveness over Jacob and I don't like that those feelings returned so quickly. It's like I was defending him and that's the exact opposite of moving on. I let Jacob get to me when I called him Jake. It's like I can't control my emotions when I'm with him. What's wrong with me? In my car, I'm putting my bag in the backseat and I notice a red car pull up near the front of the parking lot. A girl steps out of the car and leans against it. She has long, brown hair that's curled at the ends. She has on a pair of high waisted shorts with a crop top tee that's tied in the middle. She crosses her arms, seemingly waiting for something or someone. I'm going to ignore the girl until I see Dylan walking out of the main building and heading straight for her car. She smiles when she sees him and when he's close enough to her, he pulls her in for a kiss that's long enough to make me look away. I know I shouldn't be watching them, but I can't help it. Dylan having a girlfriend is news to me. Her flirty smile gives away why Dylan likes her. She's beautiful. He's holding her waist while they talk before he kisses her again. They part and he jogs around to the passenger's side and gets into the car with her. They drive off, and I finally tear my eyes away from them. My mind drifts to Dylan and his girlfriend as I'm trying to fall asleep that night. It makes sense as to why he's on his phone so much. He's probably been texting her this whole time. I miss the times when Jacob would text me cute messages in the mornings and at night. I miss the giddiness I felt before we went out on a date. I want what Dylan has. Happiness. I miss everything I had before all the bad things happened. Hating the universe for taking my parents from me put me in a dark place over the summer and I don't want to go back. Part of me feels like I wouldn't have gone there if I had Jacob, but the other part of me feels it was better for him not to be there. I don't know what to think. Saturday, I feel the need to go to Jacob's game. I don't tell Casey where I'm going because I know I won't hear the end of it. It's probably going to be a stupid choice, but something drives me there. When I park in the dirt lot near the soccer fields, I take a deep breath and get out. A rush of memories hits me like a truck and it feels both soothing and discomforting. The game has already started, so I make my way to the bleachers and sit near the spot I used to sit at. I glance over the other fans and spot Jacob's mom sitting in the same row as me. She has her hands clasped together and she's watching the game intently. I wonder if I should say hi, or if I should stay in my own bubble. I don't know if he told his parents why we broke up. If he lied and blamed it all on me, she might be upset with me. Making up my mind, I walk over to her. She does a double take when she sees me and a smile spreads across her face, which is a good thing. "Lacey!" her high-pitched voice carries. "Come over here! Look at you, you're stunning!" I feel myself blushing and I give her a quick hug. "It's good to see you." I almost call her Mrs. Fields, but then I remember the separation and I'm not sure if she wants to be called that. She pats the spot next to her and I sit. "I wasn't expecting to see you here," her eyes glimmer. She always gave me that look while Jacob and I were together. "Jacob invited me." "Well, I'm glad you're here. These games always make me a nervous wreck. Especially against city rivals." "Yeah, they're tough." She gives me a serious look. "Oh, honey. How are you holding up? We didn't see much of you after the funeral..." Do we have to talk about it? I keep it short and simple. "Yeah, I'm fine. I'm with my aunt right now." "Well, if it weren't for her, I would've taken you in myself," she smiles. "When Jacob told us you two had broken up, I was so shocked. I wasn't expecting it." "Yeah, I wasn't either," I say. Him not telling them why we broke up just shows how cowardly he can be. "What happened, honey? Did you two grow apart?" One of my pet peeves with her is her constant questioning. She has to know everything about anything about everyone. I'll be honest with her. "Not really. Jacob cheated on me." Her eyes nearly pop out of her head.