Baby cheeks, I'm sorry about yesterday.

I groaned and cleared the message. I rubbed my eyes, yawning slightly. It was 2am and I couldn't sleep. After I saw the look on Alyssa's face when she had glared at me, my heart ached in pain. Especially when she thought I was in love with Bree.

I wasn't in love with Bree, I mean, I liked her for a few days before sleeping with her. After that, I left her and I even forgot that I hadn't broken up with her. I only broke up with her just before Valentine's Day.

Alyssa please talk to me.

Once again, I cleared message and placed my phone beside me. I ran my fingers through my tousled hair. I stood up and took the cigarette on my nightstand. I opened the top drawer and pulled out my lighter. I lit the cigarette and placed the lights back in the drawer.

I walked over to the window and leaned against it. I took a drag from the cigarette and held it in for a few seconds. I placed my elbows on the frame of the window and stared out.

I sighed, the smoke flowing out my mouth and mixing with wind. I shut my eyes and clenched my jaw.

Ever since I started dating Alyssa, I had quit smoking and drinking. But the thought of me losing her made me want to smoke. I was stressing over a girl. And that had never happened before. I puffed out smoke again and ran my fingers through my hair.

If I lost Alyssa... I was not going to be okay. We haven't been together for long but I felt like I knew her for long.

Another drag.

Alyssa was wrong for pranking Bree like that. I mean, yeah Bree had been pretty brutal on Alyssa but she was going too far. Bree was really excited for her eighteenth birthday, she had been talking about it for weeks and spent lots of time planning it. All the invited people would go a private club she had booked.

Someone knocked on my bedroom door. I sighed, blowing smoke in the process."Come in," I said. I heard the door open and someone walking inside.

"Marcus? Are you smoking again?" María asked, closing the door. I looked at her and she sighed. She walked towards me and hugged my torso. She had no dark make-up on, her tied to a messy bun and she wore her black, silky robe.

"What's wrong, Marcus?" she asked and smoothly rubbed my bare back.

"My girlfriend and I got into an argument," I said.

"Which one?" she asked and I chuckled.

"Alyssa," I answered.

"Oh, the new one. You're still with her?" María asked, slightly shocked.

I nodded and looked at her,"She's not like the others, María. She's... different. Special. Unique," I said.

"What were you two arguing about?" she asked, taking the cigarette out of my hands. I narrowed my eyes at her.

"I don't like my son smoking," she stated and puffed on the cigarette. I took the cigarette out of her mouth and burnt out the fire from the tip of the cigarette by stubbing it against the wall. I threw the cigarette in the trash bin and I smirked at my mother.

"And I don't like my mother smoking," I said and she playfully glared at me.

She shrugged,"You seem to like this Alyssa girl."

"You have no idea," I murmured. "Losing her would destroy me, I'm scared she might not want anything to do with me after she learns about my gang history."

"Oh." María gave me a small smile before looking away. "But, don't stay with her too long. If the rival gang find out that you love your Alyssa, she will be in danger."

"I didn't say I love her," I said, feeling my face heat up.

"Marcus, I'm your mother. I know you, you love her so much because you are stressing over her," she cooed.

"María." I groaned.

"And you've treated her differently compared to the other girls," my mother said, pinching my cheek.

"Stop." I glared at her.

"My little baby is in love," María grinned, pushing my cheeks making me purse my lips.

I stared at her blankly then I grinned too,"Do you want me to kiss you again?"

Marìa's eyes widened after she had heard what I said and she immediately slapped my cheek hard, "Marcus!" she shouted, cursing and shouting at me in Spanish while I laughed.

I rubbed my cheek,"Mom, chill out. It was a mistake," I assured.

"Marcus, I told you not to mention anything about that incident!" she said, punching my chest and I groaned.

"Okay, I'm sorry," I said still smiling.

Last month, when I hadn't met Alyssa yet, I was going through a moment where I took drugs, drank alcohol and slept with girls aimlessly. One night, when I arrived home drunk as fuck with my ex girlfriend, she took me to my room and left to get to the kitchen. She came back and I kissed her. And that wasn't my ex, it was my mother. And my ex had seen the whole thing. My mother was very embarrassed but she acted cool and escorted my ex out of the house. She started panicking and shouting at me after my ex left but I was drunk and I didn't pay attention.

"Jodido excéntrico," my mother murmured, walking out my room.

"Admit I am a good kisser!" I shouted and I bit my lip, holding in my laughter.

"Que te jodas!" she yelled from the hallway.

"I love you too!" I yelled back although she had swore at me.

Someone knocked on my door in a familiar tune,"Do you wanna build a snowman?" Alyson sang from the other side of my door.

I paused the video of a woman teaching viewers to speak Spanish. I smiled and decided to play along with Alyson, "Go away, Alyson!" I chuckled.

"Okay, bye," she whispered. She opened the door nevertheless she walked in my room.

"Hey, your other boyfriend is downstairs," Alyson said.

"Thanks." I smiled.

I placed my phone in my backpack and quickly dressed into my black oversized hoodie and my black sneakers. I walked out my room with my backpack and descended the stairs.

"I love you, Alyson! Tell mom, I love her too!" I shouted as I left the house. Trick was in the car, waiting for me. I smiled and got in the car, I shut the car door,"Morning Trick."

"Morning Alyssa," he greeted with a smile.

Trick drove to school. During the ride to school, we didn't talk much. He parked in front off the school and we both got out.

"Whoa, this is the first time I see you come this early to school," I said. "In the school building I mean."

Trick wrapped his arm around my shoulder and pecked my cheek,"Yeah, I have a good feeling about today," he said with a smirk.

We walked inside the school building and immediately everyone looked our way. Some people gasped, took pictures and whispered to their friends. "Ignore them, love," he whispered and he wrapped his arm around my waist. We stood by my locker and I leaned against it. Trick stood in front of me with his arms around my waist.

I took out my phone and texted Aaliyah:

Aaliyah didn't check the message yet so I put my phone in my backpack. People were glancing our direction, mainly staring at me. I rolled my eyes, annoyed.

"Were you texting Marcus?" Trick asked in a whisper. I shook my head with with scowl on my face.

The doors opened and everyone looked at the entrance, expecting Marcus, Sam and Kendall.

It was them.

Marcus wore a black hoodie, black jeans and sneakers. His hair was tousled though still looked great. Sam and Kendall also wore the same outfit as Marcus, in fact, I was wearing a similar outfit to them.

Though, there was something different about Marcus. He wasn't his happy self, something about him now felt so dull, gloomy and... basically the opposite of the Marcus I was used to.

Once he spotted me, the colour drained out his face. I saw his mouth part slightly and he sighed. Sam and Kendall, as usual, spotted me simultaneously. They both glared at Trick, they were about walk towards us but Marcus stopped them. He clenched his jaw, running his fingers through his hair.

I looked the other way, avoiding eye contact. Trick noticed this and pecked my forehead and caressed my arm.

"Alyssa," his voice was strained, dark. It was Marcus' voice. I ignored Marcus, looking away from him. Trick was still standing with me, his arm leaning against the lockers as he caged me.

"Baby cheeks," he whispered.

Trick snorted,"Baby cheeks? What kind of bullshit name is that?"

"I'd shut my ass up if I were you," Kendall and Sam said, glaring at Trick.

I also glared at Trick for making fun of the name Marcus gave me.

"Alyssa, please talk to me," Marcus pleaded. "Please."

I let go of Trick and I walked away. I noticed everyone was staring at us. Marcus held my wrist tightly and I paused, sighing. I turned around and my heart ached when I saw Marcus.

His eyes were full of sadness, and there was not that usual sparkle it had.

It hurt to see him like this. Very.

"Alyssa."

"I don't want to talk to you," I murmured.

"No, don't--"

"Marcus, I don't want to talk to you," I said sternly, trying to get of his grip.

"Alyssa, I can't--"

"Marcus, will you fucking stop? She said she doesn't want to talk to you," Trick said, stepping in between Marcus and I.

"Trick, move aside," Marcus growled.

"Why can't you leave her alone? Alyssa doesn't want to talk to you because you are a cheater," he stated.

Marcus clenched his fists.

"You still fuck other girls while you're still in a relationship with her," Trick continued. "You hurt her, and she wants nothing to do with you."

Marcus sighed and punched Trick.

Trick stumbled to the lockers. Marcus punched Trick's stomach and grabbed his collar, pushing him to another row of lockers. Trick also fought back, he punched Marcus' jaw. Everyone circled the scene, filming and taking pictures.

I watched in horror, my mouth agape.

Sam and Kendall stared at me and I frowned at them. I turned to Marcus and Trick, Marcus was punching Trick hard.

"Stop!" I shouted. Marcus didn't stop, he was angry. He was taking out all his anger on Trick. "Marcus, stop!"

He didn't listen. "Marcus!" I shouted and I pushed Marcus off of Trick. I shot Marcus a glare, and I saw him soften after looking at me.

I crouched next to Trick, staring at his face. With tears in my eyes, I hugged Trick. His mouth had a slit and he had a bruise coming on. "Are you okay?" I asked as I cupped his cheek. He groaned and nodded with a weak smile.

"Don't move, okay?" I told him, caressing his arm. "I'll take you to the nurse."

"Alyssa I'm s--" I heard Marcus say but I cut him off.

"Stop! Just stop with your 'sorry's'!" I shouted, standing up in front of Marcus. The look on his face when he saw me shout at him. He looked hurt. "You're not sorry, Marcus. You hurt me many times and you felt good about cheating since you considered our relationship not real. You didn't feel guilty when you cheated, you liked it while I was hurting. I hate you. I hate you so much." I sighed, tears about to fall out my eyes,"I want you to leave me alone. For good." When I looked at him, the tears fell out my eyes, down to my chin.

Marcus stared at me, unable to speak.

"It's... it's over, Marcus," I whispered then I looked at him. "I'm done."

Marcus closed his mouth, blinking away what looked like tears. He nodded and backed away,"Okay... If that's what you want," he said and turned around, walking out the school doors.