I was getting ready for school when I realised that I still had the ring Grayson gave me on my finger. "I'll give it back to him. It's the least I can do" I thought.

I changed the way I dressed and did my hair since Grayson and I broke up.

I stopped wearing tights under my school skirt, instead I wore white socks that went over my knees, and I tied my tie looser, I started curling my hair or putting it into a ponytail with loose strands of hair roaming free at the front, that's what I did today. I still wear my favourite boots though.

I applied some mascara, blush, highlighter and put on my signature pinky red lipstick.

I grabbed a cherry lollipop from my desk and put two more in my bag and left for school.

~~

When I got to school Mitchell hugged me and told me I looked pretty like he does every morning, I thank him and we carry on with the morning.

~~

At break, I went to find Grayson. I found him with his friends around a corner where no one else goes.

"Grayson?" I greeted.

"What you want?" He asked.

"To give you this back" I said as I took off my ring and placed it in his hand.

"Why do you still have this?" He asked.

"I forgot to give it back I'm sorry" I replied.

"Did you think that giving it back to me weeks later would make a difference?" He said edging closer to me as I backed away.

"No, I honestly forgot."

He just got closer until I had my back against a wall. He grabbed me by my wrists, put them up to each side of my head and pushed me into the wall and held me there.

"you're hurting me" I said, emotionless. When I'm scared I pretend I'm not. It's a way to deal I guess.

" I don't care! You deserve everything bad that you get. And this is definitely gonna be on the top of your list." He raised a hand and I flinched, I just closed my eyes ready to take what I clearly deserve, but nothing happened. I felt the pressure off of my other wrist.

I opened my eyes and saw Grayson on the floor with Mitchell towering over him.

"Never touch my girl again!" He ordered and put his hand on my waist and guided me away from him. "Are you oka-" he began but I just hugged him. "Thank you Mitchell."

"It's Alright. Are you okay though?" He asked stroking my hair.

"I'm okay, my arms hurt a little bit I'll live" I chuckled.

Oh my god! I punched Frank Grayson!

He deserved it the little twat! He should never have hurt my girl .

My girl.

Maybe one day. Oh who am I kidding? Never.

"Let me see" I indicated that I wanted to see her arms where Grayson had hurt her before I got to them.

I held out my arms to show a bruise forming on each wrist.

"Great, how am I gonna explain this" I laughed. He didn't answer, nor laugh, nor move for that matter. He tensed up, clenched his jaw, he looked angry.

"Mitch?" I snapped him out of whatever trance he was in.

"I'm sorry, I just hate it when you get hurt." He said.

"I'm fine, how am I going to tell Chantelle and Stephen" I laughed.

"That I can't help you with" he chuckled and looked to the ground.

"What he was doing was right, you know" I began, Mitchell looked up at me with confusion.

"He said so himself, it's what I deserve. I deserve everything bad that happens to me" I continued.

"Cherry," he took my hands in his, so gentle as to not hurt or frighten me.

"You don't deserve anything bad, you deserve the world, you deserve everything good there is in it. Grayson deserves what he got. You didn't deserve what he was going to do, you don't deserve anything less that perfect."

Tears formed in my eyes. "I love you Mitchell" I blurted out. "What?" He asked shocked.

"I love you Mitchell" was the sentence I lived for, though I never thought she'd actually say it.

"What?" I asked wondering if I heard right. Maybe she just meant as a friend.

May as well keep going. "I love you, Mitchell, I always have" I continued still crying a little.

"You're the one I talked about every time I said I liked someone, it was you. when I yelled at Miss Gulliver on that school trip, I was talking about you. What I was talking about with Alfie, Stephen and Chantelle the same day, it was you. It was always you."

"What did you say?" He asked.

"I said that I love the way you make me feel safe and make me laugh. Even hearing you laugh makes me smile."I said.

"Every since my dad died I've felt suffocated. But when I'm with you it just kind of goes away you know? Because you help me forget."

"I love you too, Cherry" he spoke.

"Really?" I asked. "But-"

He cut me off by kissing me. I wish that kiss would last forever. Though it didn't, it felt so. It was passionate yet soft, long yet not long enough.

"Be mine yeah?" He asked.

"Of course Mitch" I smiled widely.

My phone rang and I looked at it. "It's Chantelle, sorry" I said.

"It's okay, I'm gonna find RemDogg"

"And tell him that we're dating?"

"No!" He yelled back as he was already far away from me because he was running

"Hey Chan" I answered the phone still smiling.

"Hey meet me in Mr Wickers' classroom"

"Okay"

I hung up and walked to Alfie's classroom.

"Hi" I greeted her and Stephen still smiling. I then saw Alfie there too.

"Why you so happy?" Alfie asked. Then my phone pinged. It was form Mitchell:

Yes I did tell Rem lol missin yah xx

I smile even wider if possible. "Katie?"

"Mitchell's my boyfriend!" I blurted then covered my mouth.

"Oh my god! And what's on your arms?" Alfie asked.

"Oh, Grayson tried to hurt me, Mitchell punched him, knocked him out, it was amazing by the way, I accidentally said 'I love you' the I decided to just roll with it and he said that he loves me too and he asked me to be his girlfriend!" I explained.

"How did he ask? What did he say?" Stephen squealed. "He just said 'Be mine yeah?' but it was enough you know?" I smiled. All three awed.

"So Grayson did that to your arms and Mitchell knocked him out?" Alfie asked.

"Yeah and he said 'never touch my girl again' oh my god your should've been there! It was the best thing that's ever happened to me!" I replied.

I went on with my day as usual, earning a few kisses and a few "I love you"s whispered into my ear during classes.

RemDogg asked to be best man and I threw a pen at him. During history, Mitchell and I fell asleep and Stephen took a picture of us and posted it to Instagram.

@StephenCarmichael

#relationSHIP #happyformybesties

#goals

@cherryy @mitchellharper87

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