Always

I sped to school in my Mustang. This is why I love my car. It goes fast. And I tend to speed when I'm angry. I pulled into the parking lot, cutting off another car. Oops, did I do that? Slamming my car door, I walked towards the school.

"Hey, Kristen. What's wrong?" My friend Katelyn asked me. I just shook my head, too angry for words. And you would be too. How dare my best friend go and do that to me. How could she just stab me in the back like that?! And she didn't just hurt me either. What about her boyfriend, Kevin?! Joe's older brother!? I can't believe she would do that to her "CuppyCakeKevKev". And then Joe! How could he do that to me? Was everything he told me just lies? Was any of it even real? Did he ever really love me?

"Hey KK, Kate." Manda said to us as we walked into the senior hallway. I thought I was going to explode, just seeing her there, acting like nothing was wrong. And then I did explode.

"You bitch!" I screamed, walking up to her and slapping her across the face. People stared over at us. Probably because we never fought, ever.

"What the hell!?" Manda screamed, holding her face. C'mon Manda, retaliate, you know you want to. Then she swung her fist back and collided it with my face. There we go, now the real fight can start. I swung back, hitting her jaw, hard. She tackled me to ground and punched were exchanged between the two of us. People were screaming at us and they had formed a circle around us.

"Cat fight!"

"Punch her, Kristen! Punch her!"

"Get her Manda!"

"What is going on here?" I heard someone say. A teacher. No wait, the Vice Principal. Perfect. Just what I needed right now.

I felt someone pry us apart and pull us to our feet. Then we were being dragged up the stairs, probably to the Principal's Office. Yeah, I was right. We had come to a stop at his office door.

"Sit." The Vice Principal said to us, pointing at the chairs outside his office. We sat in silence as she went inside it. I glanced at Manda. Her lip was bleeding and starting to swell. And it looked like she had the start of a black eye. I didn't even want to see what I looked like.

The Vice Principal came back out and brought us into see the Principal, Mr. Parker. We sat in the chairs in front of his desk as he stared at us through his glasses. He was giving us a disapproving look, and it just made me more aggrivated and annoyed. I just wanted to get out of here and go talk to Joe. Even though I knew that was just going to make me more angry. But I couldn't not talk to him about this.

"I am very disappointed in you girls. Not only are you both honor students, but you are also seniors. And being seniors, you are role models to the younger students. I don't want our younger students to think its alright to fight." He said, looking between the two of us. We stayed silent. Like seriously, just suspend us already. We know we're suspended. Just get it over with.

"Unfortunately, I am going to have to suspend you both for the rest of the week." He said, to us. We nodded. I really didn't care. All I want to do is go talk to Joe.

He dismissed us from his office and I shot up out of the seat, beating Manda out the door. She was probably so confused right now. I mean, I would be too if my best friend just came into school pissed off at me and started to beat me up.

"Kristen!" She shouted after me as I stormed off campus. I just ignored her. If I talked to her again, there was a possibility I would try to beat her up again.

I sped to Joe's house, thankful there were no cops around to catch me speeding. When I stopped in his driveway, I noticed that Denise and Paul's cars were gone. Good, they wouldn't have to see this. I slammed my door and knocked angrily on their front door. I waited a few minutes until I heard footsteps on the other side. Nick opened the door, still in his pajamas, his hair looking absolutely ridiculous.

"Kristen? What are you doing here? What happened to your face?" He said, sleepily, rubbing his eyes.

"Not right now, Nick. Where's Joseph?" I said venomously. His eyes widened, he knew that whenever I used Joe's full name I was pissed. At him.

"Uh... He's still sleeping." He said, pointing to the floor above. He moved aside to let me into the house.

"Not for long." I muttered, climbing the stairs to get to Joe's room. I came to his door and took a deep breath. I knew that two things could come from this talk. A- he has a good excuse for everything and we put this all behind us, or B- we break up.

I swung open his door, letting it slam against the wall. He was still deep asleep in bed, I knew that the slam wouldn't wake him up. I walked over to him and pulled all the covers off from on top of him. He squirmed around a little, groaning, "No, just a few more minutes."

"I don't think so, Joseph. Get your ass up!" I replied harshly. He rolled around to face me, surprised I was the one to have woken him up.

"Kristen?" He asked, and then his eyes went wide when he saw my face, and the damage that Manda must have done to it. He sat up immediately, looking concerned. "What happened? Babe, whats wrong?"

"Don't call me babe. And everything is wrong." I said as I fumbled with my phone, trying to find the text message.

-Joe's POV-

"I don't think so, Joseph. Get your ass up!" A familiar voice demanded. Wait, Kristen? I rolled over to see her standing above my bed, looking down on me with fury in her eyes.

"Kristen?" I asked, but then my eyes focused, and I saw that her face looked like it was beaten. She had the outlines of bruises all along the left side of her jaw, and she had a pretty nice black eye forming. Who had done this to her? I was going to kill them.

"What happened? Babe, whats wrong?" I asked, sitting up, turning my full attention over to her.

"Don't call me babe. And everything is wrong." She said roughly, as she fumbled with her phone. Don't call her babe? I always call her babe, she's never had a problem with it before. What is she talking about? What is going on here?

She must have found what she was looking for, because she tossed the phone into my lap. She turned away from me, her arms crossed against her chest. I could hear her starting to sniffle, the tell-tale signs of her beginning to cry. I looked down at the text message.

A picture of Manda, crawling out of my window from this morning. My face paled as I read the text underneath. This was a huge misunderstanding, it was not supposed to happen like this.

[Flashback]
I heard a knock at my door, and when I opened it, Manda stood on the other side. I glanced at the clock on my wall, it was almost midnight. She was staying with us for the night, as her parents were having yet another fight that she did not want to witness. She was staying in Kevin's room though, since he wasn't home tonight. So what is she doing in my doorway?

"Hi, Joe. Um, do you mind if I stay in here tonight?" She asked awkwardly, looking down at the floor.

"Uh, sure. Why? What's wrong with Kevin's room?" I asked, stepping aside to let her in.

"It feels weird being in there without Kev, and after seeing my parents fighting again I don't want to be left alone." She said, still looking at the floor. Oh okay, I get it.

"Yeah, sure. I was actually going to talk to you about something anyways." I said, sitting down on my bed. You see, some part of me knew I was always going to love Kristen. For as long as I live. I don't want to spend any day without her. I had just bought an engagement ring, and was planning to propose to her. And I wanted to run everything by Manda first, since she knew her almost as well as I knew myself.

Manda sat next to me, saying "Sure. What do you need?"

I leaned towards her, reaching behind her head to grab the ring box on my bedside table. Then the next thing I knew, Manda had her lips pressed against mine. It was very awkward, and I pulled away quickly. I stared at her, my eyebrows raised.

"Oh my God! I am so sorry! I thought you were Kev for a second, he always does that when he's trying to kiss me! I'm so sorry!" She said frantically, moving her arms around trying to get her point across.

"Manda, Manda! Its okay, it was an accident. But it was very awkward, nonetheless. Let's not do that again." I said, playing with the ring box in my hands. She nodded vigorously. Okay, lets get back to business.

"So what did you need again, Joe?" Manda asked, lightly, trying to act like that little kiss didn't just happen. I cleared my throat, trying to get my brain back on track.

"I went out and got this yesterday, everyone in my family thinks I'm insane." I said as I opened the box and showed the ring to Manda. She gasped.

"Oh my God, Joe, its beautiful! She's going to love it!" She exclaimed, taking the ring for a better look at it.

"So you don't think I'm crazy?"

"No more than usual." She stated, handing it back to me. I smiled as I took it back, a whole lot of worry lifted from my chest as it sank in that Kristen will like it.

"How are you going to propose? Like do you have a little speech you're going to say?"

"Well, I wasn't really sure just yet. I was thinking of proposing at the park. You know, the one just down the street? The one we always go to." Manda awed, motioning me to go on. "And I kind of wanted to say something along the lines of 'Kristen, you've been in my life for as long as I can remember, and I don't want to live a day when you aren't by my side. I love you beyond words. Always.' And then I would get down on my knee, you know the whole deal."

"Aw, Joe! Its so perfect, K's going to die!" She said, yawning at the end of her sentence. I yawned too, and glanced at the clock. 12:43 a.m.

"Thanks for your help, Manda. I really appreciate it. But I'm so tired. You mind if we go to sleep now?" She shook her head and then looked at me.

"Uh, where should I sleep?" She asked, looking around awkwardly.

"You can sleep in my bed, I don't mind taking the floor for a night."

In the morning, I was woken by Manda, saying that she had to leave for school. I nodded, and then she started to climb out my window, onto the porch. I asked what she was doing, and she had a simple response of "Ninja!" I just rolled my eyes at her, and went back to sleep.

[End Flashback]

"Kristen, really, this is not what it looks like. I can explain-" I started, only to be interrupted by Kristen as she turned around to face me.

"Was any of it even real? Did you ever really love me, Joe? How could you go and do this to me? I loved you with all my heart, and you promised me forever!" She shouted, tears running down her face. If only she would let me explain, I could clear this all up for her. I don't want to see her crying like this. And to know I had caused it.

"Kristen, just let me explain!" I said, getting out of my bed and walking over to her, placing my hands on her shoulders. She looked at me, unwillingly.

"I have always loved you, and I always will. Never forget that. Manda stayed the night here last night because her parents were fighting again. She was staying in Kevin's room but she got uncomfortable being in there alone-"

"So what? She decided to make herself comfortable in her best friend's boyfriend's bed? In her boyfriend's brother's bed?" She said, more tears bubbling over the surface.

"Kristen, I let her stay in my bed and I slept on the floor." I said, wiping away some of her tears. She flinched as I touched the bruises on her face in the process.

"But still! What about you telling her you loved her! What about that kiss!"

"I never told her that I loved her. And that kiss was purely accidental-"

"You really did kiss her! Joe! I can't believe you!" She said, her eyes wide and full of hurt.

"She thought that I was Kevin, the way that I had reached behind her. She just acted without thinking, Kristen, it was an accident. You have to believe me, trust me on this. I would never, ever, do anything to hurt you." I said to her, looking her in the eyes. "And as far as me telling her that I loved her, I was only reciting what I was going to say to you. How I was going to..." I trailed off.

If I tell her I was going to propose, the surprise will be ruined. But if I don't our relationship could be ruined, forever. I can't let that happen.

"How you were going to do what, Joe?" She asked, curiosity in her eyes.

"How I was going to propose to you." She froze, her eyes wide. She definitely had not seen that coming.

"Propose? Like, getting married propose?" She said, trying to comprehend this new information. I nodded, a small smile appearing on my face. I turned around and grabbed the little velvet box off of my nightstand. I faced her, and began to recite what I had said to Manda last night.

"Kristen, you've been in my life for as long as I can remember, and I don't want to live a day when you aren't by my side. I love you beyond words. Always." I knelt down on one knee in front of her, and her hand flew up to cover her now gaping mouth. I opened the box and heard her gasp.

"Kristen, will you marry me?" I have never been so nervous in my life as I was in that moment. It seemed like a lifetime before Kristen was finally able to speak again.

"Joe, I-" She studdered. My heart began to pound like crazy. No, she can't be rejecting me. She let out a breath, looking me in the eyes.

"Yes." She whispered, a smile forming on her face. I jumped up to slide the ring onto her finger, and then I hugged her with all my might. I never wanted to let her go.

"I love you, Kristen Leigh." I whispered to her.

"I love you, Joseph Adam." She whispered back.

"Always."