Chapter Three

The bus groaned to a halt in front of St. Judas High School. I sighed, and closed my eyes and then opened them again. My bus driver

Axel, (who was probably between 19 to 25) smiled and ducked his head, as he opened the creaky bus doors. I sat at the back of the bus all by myself, well, at least for a little bit, but was suddenly joined by a black hoodie, and tanned hands. “Um, can I help you?” I asked, a little to rudely. The hoodie turned it’s head and looked at me, I leaned closer, and realized that it was Phil. “Oh GOD-” I whispered. “Shh!” He hushed me. “You look like shit though!” I said, worrying. He nodded sadly. I laid my head on his shoulder, looking him right in the eyes. “Don’t worry about a thing, every thing will work out fine.. And Alex said ‘no’ to Kacey, anyways!” I said, trying to be reassuring. Phil just sighed putting his head on top of mine. “I know.”

~*~Brad’s Point Of View~*~

When I saw Ice with her head on the shoulder of another guy, my heart felt like it was ripped out of my chest. I was in love with her, and everyone know it- except her! And there she is, flaunting her beauty to some guy, then to be crushed when he moves on, leaving pieces of her to picked up one by one by me. I swallowed hard, and sat down with Jessie, a single tear rolled down my cheek, and Jessie already knew, and had his arm on my shoulder. “I’m really sorry dude, I just don’t think she knows… or feels the same way-” He said. I glared at him. “Or, maybe she’s afraid to tell you how she really feels!” Jessie added. I rolled my eyes.

* * *

~*~Ice’s Point Of View~*~

When I got home, I ran upstairs, and took a long shower, the steam around me was soothing. I felt so terrible about not sitting with Brad today, I had a major crush on him since he and his brother moved here from Austrailia. But, it felt so right sitting with Phil. I loved them both, but I didn’t want to hurt them. But Phil needed me… I buttoned up my skinny’s and through on a thin white T with a band name scrawled on it in lime green. I mussed with my hair, and applied my eyeliner and eyeshadow, and ran down to the basement to check of Phil. 
“Oh MY God!” I said, reaching the middle of the stairsThere on the couch, taking a big swig from a bottle of vodka, was Phil- and to my surprise, his ashtray was over flowing with cigerette butts. “I thought you-” I started in on him, but was abruptly interupted. “quit doing all this?!” He asked, his voice a little hoarse. I felt bad for him, I ran down the stairs, and sat beside him on the couch. “Kacey wasn’t all that speacial, you’d tell her you’d love her and her response was ‘uh huh, uh huh’. I never once heard her say to you ‘I love you too, Phil’, or anything close to it!” I said with a huff. Just then, I felt lips crushing against mine, I looked up, Phil- they belonged to Phil! All I did was kiss back, and thats when it hit me, he was drunk.

I pushed away from him, and sighed. “I don’t think we should do this..” I said shaking my head. Phil looked at me, his eyes filled with hurt. “Why?” He half whimpered. I punched him in the arm playfully, and rolled my eyes. “Because your drunk! Thats why...” I said looking towards the stairs. He pulled me in closer. “I’m not intoxicated, only maybe by your radiant beauty- God! That was cheesy!” Phil laughed, and stared at me with his strikingly soft features.  “I love you Ice Shay McCain, and there’s nothing you can do to get rid of me- ever.” Phil said, kissing the top of my head. 
Hearing Phil say that, sent me flashing back to when I was 13 and Billy Johnson was trying to kiss me. I had kicked him… He had gone nuts, and started beating me up. When Phil had come to tell me that dinner was ready, Billy was in mid-punch, and Phil went nuts… I bet billy never saw it coming, a juvenile delinquent, and a football linebacker for his middle school team, tackling a 13 year old boy to the ground, and beating the living shit out of him. When Phil was done pounding on Billy, the words he spat at him where ones I would never forget, ‘Don’t you DARE touch her again. If I found out, you hit her, I will KILL YOU!’. And that was it, Phil let him go, with a hard push, but Billy took off running, and never looked back. Phil sat beside me, and I took his hand. He looked up at the sky, and then back down at me and smile, stroking my cheek gently, as he whispered ‘I love you so damn much Ice, it killed me to see him beating on you like that.’.
I was suddenly brought back to the present, when I found myself in Phil’s arms, I let out a low sob. “I- I remember, when I was 13...” I began, still crying. He nodded. “When you beat up Billy Johnson-” I said, as I sniffled. At the moment, Phil’s whole body went stiff. “Mmm hmm..” He sighed, softly kissing me on my forehead. “You told me you loved me-” I whispered looking up at him, and he chuckled and wiped away the mascara that was running down my face, and that stained and ruined his shirt. “But I do! I always have, ever since I saw Billy hitting you, it was official, you were more speacial to me, then some lame little sister!” He kissed my forehead again, ruffling my hair, and then smoothing it down. “You did?” I asked, my eyes wide. How could I be so blind?!