The Rose.

"Stupid little bitch!"

I tried to ignore the whiny high-pitched voice, but it was ringing in my ears constantly. The voice had a name. Pepper Lauren.

Pepper was the girl whose boyfriend had taken a sudden interest in me, the new girl, not that I cared, or anything. But she did. She was cheer captain; therefore, queen bitch.

I tried to ignore her and her stupid friends, who were standing there, cackling with each other. Slowly I stood up from my chair and picked up my guitar and music sheets. We were in the band room. Pepper slapped the papers and they went flying. Their laughs got louder as I bent over to gather the sheets, tears stinging the back of my eyes.

"Hey," a deep voice said, making the cheerleaders go as silent as death, "Let me help you with those."

I looked up with tear-filled eyes to see a pale boy with shiny brown hair and deep sea green eyes. He smiled at me. It was breathtaking.

"Ugh, gross," one of them - the cheerleaders - said. Then they turned and left. But not for good, I knew that much.

"Don't let them get you down," the boy said. I turned my gaze back to him and we both stood up. He handed me my papers and introduced himself as Bryce.

"My name is Savannah," I mumbled. Bryce smiled.

"I like that name," he said and I could feel my face turn a bright red.

We became fast friends. And after a few months, he asked me out on a date. Of course I said yes, and we had one date after another and another and another.

Bryce and I fell in love.

He kept Pepper away. He told me stories. He listened to me play my guitar. He kissed me. He danced with me in the kitchen in our pajamas.

We laughed. We cried. We even became 'Bryce and Savannah,' because we were always together.

He was there for me.

We told each other everything.

Well, not everything.

Because somewhere along the line, Bryce forgot to mention that his father was an angry drunk, who liked to hit him. A lot.

I remember he bought me flowers once. He told me he would love me until the last one died. I wasn't exactly sure what kind of flower it was, but it didn't matter at the time.

But now, I stand over his forever sleeping body in the wooden box with silk lining. He looked so.. peaceful. Every single flower had died except for one.

That's because it was a fake flower.

Bryce was always so clever like that.

I missed him. I wanted him to open his eyes and tell me he loved me. To tell me it was a joke. To tell me that his father had not pushed him down the stairs and ended his life. But I knew it wouldn't happen. He was long gone.

But his love was still right here with me.

After all, I still had his flower.