Kevin stared down at Brooke's necklace, running its thin silver chain through his fingers, folding a fist over the small star that sat in the palm of his hand.  Why did she give this back?  he wondered.  He had intended to return it to her, but when he had the opportunity tonight he hadn't.  The necklace had been in his pocket, and he held onto it like it was a source of strength.  It had taken every ounce of courage he had to drain the emotion from his face and voice, and break her heart the way he had, and if he had do to it again, he didn't know if he could.  It was a cruel thing he had done, telling her he didn't love her, and he saw the pain in her face, he felt it too.  It was something he had to do, because it was the only thing he knew would push her away, the only thing that he could do.  We can't be together, he thought stubbornly.

    "Why Brooklyn?  Why did thing have to go so wrong with us?  Why couldn't we have had a normal relationship like everyone else? And why didn't we start something three years ago when I met you the first time?" He asked himself.

    Kevin sat on the small porch swing in his mothers back yard, rocking slowly.  He had taken refuge here ever since Brooke had left the necklace at his house a few days ago, he was afraid she'd come to his house while he was there, and he knew seeing her again would be hard.  It had broken his heart hearing her cry tonight, and knowing it was because of something he said only made it hurt more.  As he walked away the only thing in the world he wanted to do was turn around and go hug her, to comfort her and make her tears go away, but he couldn't.  He held on tight to the necklace and kept walking, his own tears falling from his cheek, tears she hadn't seen.

Kevin rocked back and forth slowly, the clouds had parted and a black sky full of stars shone overhead, he looked up at them, the heaviest feeling on his chest.

    "We weren't meant to be." he said glumly to himself, like he was giving up on a relationship they hadn't even started.   Kevin held out his hand and stared at the chain that dangled from his middle finger, knowing that ending things between them was what he had to do, but wondering if it had been a mistake, and hoping it wouldn't become something he regretted.

    "I hope you're happy about this David." Kevin said looking up to the sky, finally getting up and going back inside, shoving Brooke's necklace deep into his pocket.
 
 

            “Damnit! Damnit! Damnit!” Nick yelled as he pounded on his steering wheel.  He was sitting in the drive-way of Annie’s place and crying his eyes out.

    “Fuck! Goddamnit! Shit!” Nick continued to spew expletives because it was the only thing he could think of to make him feel better.  His thoughts began racing in his head the harder he cried.  I love her so much.  Why is this happening? We’ve been through so much and it’s gonna end like this? I can’t even talk to her.  She thinks I’d hit her.  I must have done something in there to make her think that I’d hit her.  Damnit, why is this happening?  When did she stop loving me?  We never even had a chance, did we?  He looked out his window at the lights that were on down the street.  The tears were making them all glittery and distorted in his vision, but he kept staring.  Nick felt like someone had ripped his heart out and he would never get it back.  He laid his head back on his headrest and muttered,

    “I love you Annie, please don’t do this.”  Nick didn’t know if things could be repaired after everything that had just happened.  He knew he was in love with her and wanted to be with her for the rest of his life, but things going on  in Annie’s head were tearing them apart. Maybe Ryan’s right.  Maybe I should just break up with her.  It seems to be what she wants.  But, what about me? It’s not what I want.  I wanna wake up to her every morning, and go to sleep next to her every night.  I wanna marry this woman.  I wanna be the father to her children.  I wanna be with this woman till the day I die.  I know that much. These thoughts kept running through Nick’s head.  All of the sudden, Nick let out a sob,

“Why did you stop loving me Annie?”  He asked to no one in particular
 

    Nick coughed and slammed his hands up against the steering wheel a few more times.  He started his car and drove to his dorm.  He had been crying the whole way but didn’t feel like hearing Ryan say anything, so he attempted to stop and shrug off all that had happened.  Nick walked into the building and walked up the stairs to his room.  He opened up the door and saw Ryan sitting on his bed watching television.

    “Hey man,” Ryan mumbled.  Nick nodded and closed the door.  “What’s up?” Ryan asked.

Nick threw his keys on the bed.

    “It’s over.” Ryan arched an eyebrow.

    “What’s over?” he asked.

    “Me and Annie,” Nick said as he choked back emotion.  Ryan didn’t notice.

    “You okay?” Ryan mumbled.  He was more than preoccupied with the wrestling he was watching, and not really paying much attention to Nick.  Nick plopped down on his bed and sat in the same direction as Ryan and began to watch wrestling.
 

    “So, it’s over huh?” Ryan sighed as he rolled over during the commercial.  Nick looked at Ryan and nodded sadly.

    “She wasn’t right for you anyway,” Ryan bluntly stated.

    “Yeah?” Nick asked.

    “Too clingy and way too soggy, cried way too fuckin’ much,” Ryan said.  Nick nodded as if to say he understood.

    “You know, I don’t really feel all that bad about it,” Nick stated matter-of-factly.  Ryan arched his eyebrow in a questioning manner.

    “Nah man, for real,” Nick said, “you’re right, she was way too clingy and damn, she did cry a lot,” Nick sighed.  He was trying to convince himself he didn’t need Annie.

    “It’ll definitely be so much better this way,” Nick stated, “It’ll be nice to not have to worry about her and not to have to watch what I say, and not to have to think I’m gonna get stabbed.” Nick chuckled.  Ryan laughed and rolled over to Nick and extended a hand,

    “Welcome back man!” Ryan said.  They both laughed and continued to watch wrestling.
 
 

        The door closed behind him and Annie let out a sob so loud she felt her whole body quake with sadness.  Tears streamed down her face and she felt like she could cry rivers till the day she died.  Annie thought all the tears would have left her by now, but she was wrong.  Why did I do that? He was right here and I let him go!  her mind screamed.  Annie sobbed some more.

“Nick.”

    Annie slid down on the floor and curled up into a ball and continued to cry. Please God, don’t let this be the end.  I love him so much.  Why is this happening?  Annie wondered if maybe she was being punished for something she had done previous to knowing Nick.  I finally found someone who would never hurt me.  Nick would never hurt me in any way, but I keep thinking he will.  He loves me, so why can’t I just accept that? Why am I so stupid? Annie felt so alone and didn’t know who to turn to. Brooke wasn’t home.  Nick was out of her life.  Her mother didn’t care.  Annie’s heart ached as she laid on her floor and cried.  I have no one, she thought.  I’m so sorry Nick.  I love you so much.  Why didn’t I just tell him I loved him? Why didn’t I just hold him in my arms like I wanted to? Why am I so fucked up that I can’t even let the best thing to ever happen to me actually love me like he wants to?  I don’t deserve him, that’s for sure, she thought.  Annie curled up into a tighter ball on the floor and cried harder.

    “I’m so sorry Nick,” she muttered through her tears.  Annie laid in a ball on the floor for the rest of the night, not even the ringing of the phone making her budge.  She heard the faint sound of someone leaving a message on the answering machine in her kitchen, I'll call them back tomorrow, she decided, her tears returning with thoughts of Nick.
 

Brooke finally entered her apartment, it had taken her a long time to drive home, she had to pull over a few times because she couldn't see through the tears she was crying.    The pain she felt was unbearable,

    "He didn't mean it." She cried, as she had the whole way home, leaning back against the shut door.  All Brooke could picture was the stone cold face he had given her, the heartless eyes and voice that told her he didn't love her.  He had never looked at her that way before, his eyes always showed her compassion and love even in the worst of times, but not tonight.  A wave of sadness washed over her, as the sudden realization that Kevin had just done to her what she had done to David hit her.  Brooke slid down the wall and knelt on the floor her face buried in her hands.   She shook her head in disbelief, I suppose I deserved it, she thought to herself, her other thoughts were jumbled in her mind and nothing seemed real to her.   She felt sick, but couldn't do anything but cry, the only image in her mind was that of Kevin walking away from her, and the end of her conversation echoing over and over again in her ears

        "I can't love you."

        "You can't or you don't?"

        "I don't.........I don't...........I don't..............."

        "You can't or you don't?"

        "I don't."

Brooke  got off the floor, trying to outrun the scene that replayed in her head.  She was headed towards the bedroom as she noticed the flashing light of her answering machine.  Brooke didn't want to listen, but the 'what if it's from Kevin' sat in her mind.  She pushed the button.

    "Hey Brooke, you know who it is.  We really need to talk.  I got your letter and I wanted to see if you were okay.  I have a lot of shit goin' on here that I need to tell you, so whenever you get in, I don't care what time, gimme a call... Oh yeah I almost forgot, here's my new number.  Sorry for not giving it to you sooner, you might understand why I forgot when we talk...."

Brooke sniffed as she jotted down Annie's new number, glancing at the clock as she picked up the cordless phone, it wasn't too late in California, she'll still be awake, Brooke thought as she sat down on her couch, still wearing her coat and boots.  The lights in the house we're still out, except for the glow that came through her window from the now bright moon outside, the rain had stopped, and Brooke had just enough light to read Annie's number.  Quickly she dialed it,  and held the receiver to her ear, her hands were still shaking and she wasn't sure if it was from the cold outside or the truth of what had happened tonight.  Brooke hadn't been able to stop crying and still didn't as the phone clicked on the other end.  It was Annie's answering machine, she wasn't home.  After the beep Brooke attempted to speak, her words barely distinguishable through the sobs and quick inhales of breath she was taking.

    "Annie.....it's Brooke........it's over.....he....Kevin doesn't.... he doesn't love me."  Brooke paused to compose herself, but the words she had just uttered only made her cry harder.  "Oh god...... I can't talk..........I'll call you later okay."

    Brooke hung up the phone and clutched it in her hands as she sat sobbing in the darkness of her apartment.   Finally she was able to stop, small sniffs the only sound she was making.   She stood up and tossed her coat down where she had been sitting, and pulled off her boots leaving them lying in the middle of the floor.  Brooke shut off the answering machine, and unplugged her phone;  she just wanted to be alone, she didn't want to talk to anyone or see anyone, she just wanted to be by herself.   Brooke shuffled  her way to the bedroom where she lay down on her bed curled into a ball, not crying, not sleeping, not thinking.  She stared out the small window of her bedroom, almost catatonic-like and lie awake looking at the twinkling stars outside for hours. They reminded her of Kevin. It wasn't until almost a quarter past four when the clouds rolled back in, covering the stars, that Brooke stopped watching the window, finally closing her eyes for a night of restless sleep, as the rain pitter patted once again on her window.