The teacher ran into the room and her eyes widened at the sight of Peter lying on the floor, his hand to his head with Jason towering over him. She hurried over to the scene and stepped in front of Peter, forcing Jason to back away.
"What is the meaning of this?" she yelled out and everyone fell silent. Jason's head was lowered and he was avoiding her piercing eyes. "Mr. Santos, principal's office. NOW." she pointed towards the door and Jason headed towards the door but on his way, he stepped on Peter's arm. Peter automatically felt raged and tugged on Jason's leg, making him fall flat on his face.
"Peter!" Christina kneeled down on the ground and helped Peter sit up, she held his face in her hands. "Are you okay?" she looked deep into his eyes and was resisiting the urge to kiss him.
"Chrissy, nurse?" he coughed out and she helped him up. He stumbled and swung his arm over her shoulder, limping towards the nurse as they walked. "Thanks, but look, what he said about the necklace-"
"Don't worry about it. Right now, you need to get to the nurse. Later, I'll kick your butt." she opened the door him and led him in.
"Peter?" Sophia ran over and held the door open, hurrying in to face him. "Oh my god." she cupped his face in her hands and gave him a long, passionate kiss, then leaned her forehead against his. "What the hell happened?"
"Jason punched him. Fighting about..." Christina looked Sophia up and down. "You." Sophia narrowed her eyebrows and removed Peter's arm from Christina, replacing it around herself.
"It's okay, baby. I'm here now." she walked him over to a bed and he lay down. The nurse walked over with an ice pack and Sophia put it against his cheek where he'd been punched. Christina walked over and sat on the bed, facing him.
"I got him. You can head out." she said to Sophia, glaring at her. Sophia's voice came out cracked.
"He's my boyfriend, I love him-" Peter smiled at Sophia, "and I think I'm staying."
"Suit yourself." Christina shrugged and sighed, looking away from them and pulled out her cell phone. Sophia pulled up a chair and sat down close to Peter, holding his hand. Christina snuck a peek over her shoulder at Sophia. What does she have that I don't? she wondered, tears forming in her eyes.
When the nurse came back to Peter, Sophia and Christina said goodbye and started heading out the door. Sophia was about to turn when Christina tugged on her arm, making Sophia stumble as hair fell into her face, hiding the stern look on her face. Sophia jerked her arm away.
"What the hell?" she shook her hand and grunted. Christina threw her head back and laughed, planting a smirk on her face.
"Sophia, don't you think this whole relationship thing with Peter is going too fast?" she raised her eyebrows, crossing her arms. Sophia had never really thought about that, when it happened, it just happened. There wasn't going back after the decision was made. Christina, seeing Sophia was looking down at the ground and not saying anything, stepped closer and whispered. "Do what you know you need to do. Before I make things complicated. It's my birthday after all, consider it my present." and with that, she turned and walked away back to Science class.
Sophia stood there, not sure what to say. Did Christina really want Sophia to break up with Peter? Does she not want him happy? Sophia asked herself. Of course, Sophia didn't know the real reason for Christina's cruelness. Christina was always the jealous type. Especially when she couldn't get the boy she'd known since birth, yet someone who'd known him for just a few months could easily get under his skin and into his bed.
"Hey." a faint voice came from behind her and she turned to see Peter, with a purple, pinkish bruise on his left cheek. Sophia collapsed into his arms and started crying into his chest. "Sweetie, what's wrong?" he comforted her in his arms and stroked her hair. Sophia hesitated but decided against telling him what Christina had said. Peter eventually gripped both of Sophia's shoulders with his hand and held her up in front of him. "Tell me what's wrong. Right now, young lady." his eyes looked sincere, he was waiting for an answer.
"Pete... you understand I like you a lot, and you've helped me so much with Jason and taking me in at times which was really unnecessary, but..." Sophia was breaking down inside, not wanting to say it, but needing to. "This was a mistake, and we can't be seeing each other anymore." Peter felt his heart drop and he removed his hands from her shoulder, letting his arms fall to his sides.
"I can't believe this..." he barely choked out. "I...I'll see you, whenever." he shrugged his shoulders and started walking towarrds the school exit. Sophia sighed and screamed after him, running to his side.
"Wait!" she put her hands on his chest but he kept barging past her. "Pete, stop." she ran ahead of him and tried stopping him in his tracks, banging on his chest. By the time they were out of the school, Peter was crossing the road. Sophia fell down on the ground and sniffled. She wiped her tears away, realizing what a fool she was making herself look like.
When the dismissal bell rang, Pete was sitting in his car, waiting for Christina to come out. Christina ran through the doors, scanning the parking lot until she saw him. She smiled wide, hoping the job was done. She opened the passenger door and got in.
"Hey, you didn't come back to Science class. Where'd you go?" she asked him, throwing her backpack in the back seat. Peter sighed and turned up the volume on the radio even louder. "I take it something happened. Want to talk about?"
"Sophia broke up with me, can you believe that? She says she loves me, she's there for me and then... she just..." Peter leaned his head back as the engine roared.
"I'll come back to your place with you if you want. I can help you cheer up." Christina shrugged, intending for more than just that to happen. Peter nodded as he backed out of the parking space and onto the road. Christina smiled and put her hand on his. "It's okay. We'll get through this together."
Soon, Peter was pulling into his driveway and they were getting out of the car. Christina sighed deeply, preparing herself. She'd always wanted Peter to like her. Now, he'd finally realize that they were meant to be together. Christina raked her fingers along the car door and pushed it open, stepping out of the car and gripped onto Peter's arm, leaning her head on his shoulder. Peter crept into the house and up the stairs with Christina. As they passed Jordan's door, the little boy peeped out.
"Chrissy!" Jordan jumped out of the door and sped towards her who quickly picked him up and set him on her hip.
"Hey, bud." Christina laughed as he tangled his fingers in her hair. "You're so childish around me." she held his hand and took it away from her hair, intertwining their fingers. "What's up?"
"I haven't seen you in forever." Jordan raised his eyebrows and sighed, looking at Peter. "Where's Sophia?'
"Oh, about that, kiddo... we've broken up." Peter shoved his hands in his pocket and looked away when Jordan sent him a death glare and threw his arms up and down, throwing a fit.
"Hey, shh. Jord, sweetie." Christina held one of his arms and hugged him closer. "It's okay, hon." she whispered into his ear, pulling away from the hug. Jordan wiggled out of Christina's grip and landed on the floor on both feet. Pouting and cross-armed, Jordan walked back into his room and slammed the door shut. "He'll be okay. C'mon." Christina held Peter's hand in hers and dragged him into his room, closing the door behind them.
Peter pulled his shirt off and threw it onto the floor. Walking over to his closet, he rummaged through the cabinets and pulled on a different one. Christina fell back onto his bed and sighed, crossing her arms over her chest.
"What's the matter, Chris?" Peter lay down next to her and nudged her shoulder. Christina sat back up and put her head in hers hands. Peter nudged her again with his leg. Christina inched away from him slightly. "Tell me."
"Do you still like Sophia?" Christina asked him, unsure if she should have. She didn't want to come off too pushy or nosy. For a moment, he just lay there with narrowed eyebrows and a questioning look.
"Of course I do." his voice came out raspy and Christina felt tears forming in her eyes. She'd loved him for two years. She was questioning her decision now. Would her love for him of two years ruin their friendship of ten years?
"That's a good thing." Christina barely choked out, trying to hide the sound of tears coming from her voice. "She likes you too." Peter finally sat up and out his hand on her back, rubbing up and down comfortingly.
"How do you know?" he asked her, moving a strand of her hair behind her ear to reveal her saddened face. Peter pulled her into him and wrapped his arms around her, embracing her in himself.
"I can just tell..." Christina stood up, rubbing her arms to produce warmth. "I'm gonna go. Sorry if I couldn't do much to cheer you up. Looks like I need a little bit of cheering too." she shrugged and grabbed her backpack, opening the door and stepping through. As she walked down the stairs, she noticed Jo and Jordan in the kitchen, making cookies.
"Christina, leaving so soon?" Joselyn asked her with a smile on her face once Christina stepped off the last step. "You can help us make cookies?" With Jordan's gleaming smile, Christina dropped her bag in defeat and walked over to them, helping to pour the cookie mix into a bowl. The doorbell all of a sudden rang, and Jordan opened the door with his sticky hands covered in flour and oil. The door revealed Sophia, and Jordan quickly trapped her in a tight hug. "Jordan!" Joselyn ran over to him and pulled him away from Sophia who was looking down at her clothes.
"Uh, hi..." Sophia said in the midst of this awkward moment. A worried look crawled upon her face as she looked at Jordan, forcing a small smile. "Can I...?"
"Yes, of course. Come in." Joselyn, still holding Jordan back, closed the door behind Sophia and turned to Christina. "Watch Jord for me?" Joselyn let go of him as he ran to Christina and she led Sophia upstairs and to the bathroom. "I'll get you a pair of my clothes." and ran out to her bedroom. Sophia looked at herself in the mirror and sighed. There was a light knock and Sophia turned to open the door when Jordan and Christina plopped in.
"Sophia, I'm so, so, sorry!" Jordan jumped up and down with a pleading look in his eyes. Sophia smiled and knelt down to match his height.
"It's okay, Jordan. Your mom's letting me borrow her clothes." Sophia widened her eyes and then looked up at Christina, her smile dissapearing.
"Why are you here?" Christina asked, trying not to sound cold in front of Jordan. Sophia stood up and wiped herself off with her hands.
"I'm here to see Pete. I need to straighten things out with him, if you don't mind." Sophia turned to Joselyn as she appeared in the doorway.
"Let's let her change, Jord." Joselyn stepped in front of Jordan and Christina, closing the door, but forgetting to lock it.
Peter searched under his bed and in his cabinets. Nothing. There was only one other place his sunglasses could be. In the bathroom. He walked out of his room and turned the knob of the door. In a split second, he fell back, Sophia on top of him in his mom's maroon sweatshirt and her own tight short shorts. His hands were placed on her thighs and their eyes were locked. They were unable to move from each other's grasps.
"Um, excuse me?" Sophia raised her eyebrows a minute later, looking down at his hands. Peter quickly removed them from her legs and sat up from his elbows. Sophia spread out her legs on the sides of him and used her shoulders to get up. Peter took her hand and she pulled him up. They were standing an inch apart and Peter started to lean in. Sophia backed up. Surprising Peter and even surprising herself.
"What are you doing here?" he asked her, clearing his throat and leaning against the ledge of the stairs. Sophia looked down then back up at him.
"I came to talk to you. I'm sorry about what happened earlier. It's just... our relationship was moving too fast, you know? What if we woke up one day and realized what fools we were being? Trying to trick love..." her voice trailed off as she stared at the ground.
"Sophia, I was hurt. I really liked you... I still do." Peter lifted her chin up. "What about all I did for you? Does that even matter to you anymore? I saved you from being raped, for God's sake!" his voice rised and Sophia sighed.
"I know you did. I'll be forever grateful for everything you've done. But why? I mean, before all of this, we didn't even know each other." her eyes were becoming watery and she was breathing deeply.
"You don't even remember? That one-night stand we had before." Peter shook his head and scoffed. Sophia narrowed her eyebrows. She really didn't remember. She'd never cared about anyone she'd had a one-night stand with. If this is true, she thought, why do I keep ending up with Peter all over again?