She Was The Challenge He'd Been Waiting For.

"I think I'm finally at a point where I can accept what happened." Isabella spoke quietly, taking a small sip of her coffee.

"Accept?"

"Well, Alex wanted to conquer me... He didn't want a relationship or to fall in love. He wanted to take the virginity of the... 'special girl.'" She spoke, not daring to gauge his reaction, instead staring intently at her cup. "There was no way I would have known or been able to stop it from happening. So I am understanding that its not my fault. I couldn't have prevented it."

Matt bit the inside of his lip. He didn't know what to say, but he knew that Isabella had a valid point. Neither of them could have known Alex's plan nor stopped it. To be honest, if she hadn't been with Alex, the older boy may have never met her. He never believed in fate or destiny. His mother always told him that everything happens for a reason, but Isabella was making him believe that to be true.

She didn't seem quite as broken as before, he noted. There was a new security within her and a certain strength he'd never seen before. Most girls wouldn't be able to get past this, and he was surprised that Isabella could. There was always this... sensitivity she carried, the heart on her sleeve, and Alex seemed to have shattered everything she'd believed in. He didn't know how she'd been able to pick herself up, but he didn't think he'd helped. The blonde girl told him that she couldn't have done it without him, but Matt didn't think she was right at all.

"So what are you going to do?"

"Matt, all of my friends are Alex's friends, and even if I still hated him, it'd be true. I guess I'll try to be friends with him too."

"Bells, he doesn't deserve to be your friend."

"I just have faith in people." She spoke, her bright eyes twinkling slightly. "Maybe he'll change."

He shook his head. "If you really believe it."

If there was one thing Matt adored about Isabella, it was her heart. The boy who raped her was someone she was still giving the time of day. She didn't seem to care what he'd done to her, and she didn't want to. He respected her opinion, though he acknowledged that he was definitely not as good a person as she. He cared about her greatly though, so he kept a guard up for her.

Matt was never big on PDA or being protective, but he always felt that he needed to be there for Isabella. He wondered if she'd fall apart or float away sometimes. Even if she was willing to get past what had happened, he worried for her sake. Isabella didn't seem to mind his protectiveness or how he liked to hold her in public. In fact, she really liked it. She liked the way he smelled and the way their hands felt together. She liked sitting in his lap and playing with his fingers. Matt made her feel safer than anyone ever had, and he didn't treat her like she was abnormal. He made everything feel colorful and fun rather than the seemingly gray life she'd lived all before.

He knew Alex well, even before Isabella came into the picture and still had been shocked. Alex was a stupid boy who used his smoothness to lure girls into bed, but everyone had assumed that things were different with Isabella. Matt remembered the first time he ever saw her, he was shocked that they were together.

She walked with this natural grace, she had the utmost class and she seemed really unsure of the party atmosphere. He knew as soon as he saw her that he wouldn't ever forget her. He knew that he wasn't worthy, but he knew that he was a step higher than Alex. He'd never competed for a girl before. He'd never really cared enough to fight or to stand up to someone. But Alex had compromised her integrity and stolen her virginity. Isabella was the only girl he'd known who seemed to hold onto some form of virtue even after it was taken from her.

"I know it might not be a good idea." She spoke quietly. "But I don't want this to be awkward. I don't want people to have to take sides and act as if this is all so complicated."

"I understand." Matt spoke, taking her hand across the table. "But if you're still healing, you don't need to force yourself-"

"I've already seen him." She spoke. "He told me he loved me... that it was a mistake."

The boy didn't say anything, just waited for her to say that it didn't matter or that she'd told him off. But her eyes seemed to glow as she spoke of Alex as if she still really cared about him. He couldn't bear to think that she'd accepted it to the point where it seemed as if she'd consented. Matt knew that Alex would always be kind of important to her, as he'd been her first... everything, but it didn't mean he was okay with it. He was quite disgusted that Isabella didn't seem bothered at all by it though.

He wondered if their relationship was just a rebound or if she'd eventually take Alex back. He really cared about her, and to think that he might just be a pawn upset him. He didn't know if she was playing games or not. He didn't even know if she'd realize if she were. Matt didn't know what to say or do, so he tried to pay extra attention to her. She was telling him about her encounter with Alex at Rita's. She looked embarrassed, quite possibly ashamed.

"I still care for him, Matt. I can't help it." She spoke quietly.

"I figured." He spoke harshly, starting to stand.

"But," Isabella squeezed his hand. "I wish I didn't, I wish it'd been you... I wish everything had been with you, Matt. You make me feel like I'm special, but not because of my Asperger's. I don't understand so much, but I know that what I feel for you is greater than anything I could ever feel for Alex."

Matt smiled softly, leaning over to kiss her. "Really?"

"Really."

--------

"I think you and Matt are perfect together." Kara spoke with a smile as she sat on Isabella's bed.

"Perfect?"

"Its like... you're Minnie and he's Mickey."

The blonde had never really considered that to be honest. She'd thought it was odd that she loved Minnie and he loved Mickey, but she'd never really taken it as a sign. Lots of people have weird childhood obsessions, so she'd never put the two together. But it seemed to make a lot of sense. She liked the idea greatly that perhaps they were like the Mouses. It brought a smile to her face, thinking about it.

She briefly remembered him calling her "his Minnie" after he'd kissed her for the first time. It suddenly seemed to all make sense in ways it hadn't before. Everything between her and Alex had led them to this. Perhaps she had to have gotten hurt in order to see just how wonderful Matt was. It was hard not to compare the two and she found it simple to understand who the better choice was. Alex wasn't her Mickey, or her soulmate or her Ken doll. He was just a teenage boy who wanted to sleep with her. Matt was different, and he would always be.

Kara giggled at Isabella's dreamy expression, throwing a pillow at her. "I'm glad you're happy, Bells."

"I think I'm ready to be friends with Alex."

The brunette didn't respond immediately, unsure if she'd heard her friend properly. She wasn't really sure how to respond. Kara had been the only strictly girl friend he'd ever had and that was probably because she was already dating his best friend. With how he'd treated Isabella, she wasn't sure their friendship was a good idea or even possible. To be honest, Kara wasn't even sure if she could be friends with someone who did what Alex had.

"Matt had the same expression." Isabella sighed. "I'm just trying to move on."

"And how's that going?" The girl shook her head. "Look, I support you, but it might be a little..."

"Weird? Awkward? Tense? Yeah, I know." The girl frowned slightly. "But I'm getting between friendships, and I don't want to do that, so I figured we could all be friends."

Isabella knew that having any sort of relationship with Alex might be terribly awkward. He had to win back her trust, first of all. He couldn't tell her he loved her and then leave. In fact, she was certain that the feelings Matt gave her were much stronger than anything Alex could ever offer. She couldn't help but feel a little scared to actually try to have any form of relationship with Alex. He'd hurt her more than once, but she couldn't just tear their friends apart.

She wondered if she even deserved to be their friend. Alex was just her mother's patient who'd invited her out. If she'd said no, none of this would have ever happened. The truth was, though, that no matter how things had happened, her life had been changed. Even though he'd hurt her greatly, Alex had taught her how to live. She liked the person these experiences had let her become.

Everyone seemed to think that Alex didn't deserve her forgiveness. He would just use it to try and reel her back in. If he really had cared for her, he would have changed, correct? No one was sure what to do or believe. Isabella tried so hard to believe in the good in everyone. She tried to believe that no one was actually evil. She was taught by her parents that she'd go to hell if she didn't try to be the best person she could and give people the benefit of the doubt.

"You think you can do this?" Kara asked.

"I hope."

The brunette wasn't sure how she felt about the situation. Sure, Alex had been her friend longer, but Isabella needed her more. She was so glad to have a girl friend, but she wasn't sure she'd be able to pick sides if it came to it. Alex had been terribly wrong and Isabella could hate him if she really wanted. He'd broken her and taken the one thing she could never get back or give again. She didn't know if it was something that could be easily forgiven. Isabella was too good of a person.

"You're too good for all of this." Kara grinned. "I'm sorry that everything's so..."

"Things never go exactly as planned, but maybe God wanted this to happen for me." She spoke. "Being with Alex showed me how wonderful Matt is."

"But is God going to smite Alex or something?"

The blonde shrugged. "I think that's karma."