Love is Eternal, Until it Ends

Love is Eternal, Until it Ends is the sixth episode of Season One of LetItRock898 and Lead The Careers' hit fan fiction, Our High School Is Better Than Yours! and the sixth episode overall.

Joey is struggling to choose between Delilah and Shan, and decides to pick one over the other. Who will he pick? The word of Tyler's road trip spreads round school, and soon several of his friends are planned to accompany him. Tom's finding it difficult to cope with the fact that he's a father, so he tells Ellie, who's reaction isn't like he expects. Manuel's incident with his teacher could prove dangerous to her job.

Our High School is Better Than Yours! Season 1, Episode 6: "Love is Eternal, Until it Ends"
Joey's head burned with thoughts as he crossed the school yard, grateful for an early free period. It had been weeks since his girlfriend's party which she had begged him to attend, and he had refused and gone on a date with another girl, but he was still suffering from the feeling of guilt. How could he have cheated? Sure, he relationship with Delilah was a little dysfunctional, but that was no excuse to go to a bar with another girl.

The breeze gently tugged the leaves from the branches and spread them across the yard, scattering them like confetti, a couple of them catching in Joey's hair. He swept them away with his palm and, finally locating an unoccupied bench, shrugged his backpack from his shoulders and sat on the seat. He unzipped the bag, revealing a messy collection of books and pencils and a burst football, and rummaged through the contents until he found what he was searching for.

He yanked out his phone, the screen hardly visible in the sunlight, and checked his messages to see if either one of his girlfriends had texted him. Nothing.

''Ugh, what am I doing? I shouldn't be cheating on Delilah, even if I do have feelings for another girl. Oh, who do I choose? Delilah's a little paranoid, but when she's in a good mood, she's the girlfriend from heaven. But when I'm with Shan, it feels so good - she's sweet, and she's in love with me one-hundred-percent. But I can't be unfaithful to my girlfriend. I have to pick one - but how? HOW?''

It was just at that moment when Delilah came sauntering across the yard, graceful like a swan, beautiful as ever. Joey forced a smile on his face, and Delilah mirrored him, and sat by his side.

"Hey, babe, how's your day been?" she asked, pecking him on the cheek lightly.

"It's been alright - I passed that Geography test. Yours?" he replied, his face aching from the artificial grin.

"Mine's been okay, nothing special. I went and got fish and chips with Samantha, so that's why I wasn't here at first period," she replied, and Joey's smile faded as he reminisced using Delilah's absence to his advantage, and making out with Shan behind the gym at that time.

"Oh, that's why. I was worrying about you," he said in an attempt to make her smile. She chuckled quietly.

"No need to worry about me, I'm fine," she smiled, and ruffled his hair. "So, are you going on the road trip with Tyler next week?"

"Yes, he invited me along yesterday. He said I can bring you along as well," muttered Joey.

At that moment, Shan stumbled across the yard, eyes flickering over to meet Joey's. The atmosphere of awkwardness could have been cut with a knife.

Tom trailed across the hallways, black rims compassing his drooping eyes, the lack of sleep affecting his walk. He  hadn't had a wink of sleep since Sam spilled the beans about the baby - he'd been up all night panicking. He couldn't afford a child! Sonograms, maternity clothes, doctor's bills. It added up to hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars.

"Yo, Tom!" he mood lightened as he heard his friend's call, and he turned to see Ellie running towards him, a gorgeous grin on her face. "Jeez, you look terrible."

"Thanks," he muttered sarcastically, yet still chuckled under his breath.

"What's up? You've been acting strange for days. You aren't happy, you aren't cheerful. You need cheering up. Come on Tyler's road trip next week - you're my guest."

"Listen, Eloise, if I told you a secret, would you keep it and not tell anyone?" he suddenly hissed, his face maintaining a vexed expression, eyes widening.

"Yes, yes, I promise," whispered Ellie, excited.

"You know at Delilah's party? I got so drunk, I slept with someone. And now... now they're pregnant," he spat, head in his hands, turning bright red. Ellie froze, her chest rising slowly, struggling to process all the information he was feeding her. Her best friend was a dad to an unborn baby.

"Holy crap," she hissed when she had managed to gain her speech back. "Who's the mom?"

"Samantha Valentine, the girl in your Power Squad group," he replied, and Ellie froze again. Samantha? she thought. ''It can't be Samantha. She's this strange, quiet, Christian girl. All she drank at the party was cola. She doesn't drink, she doesn't smoke, she won't sleep with anyone until she's legally wed. ''

"Er... are you sure it's her?" enquired Ellie, eyebrows knitted together as she frowned.

"Yes," he hissed, his voice firm, which Ellie wasn't used to.

"Oh my God... is she going to keep it?"

"She didn't say, but since her parents are poor, I expect not. Then again, terminations cost a lot. Listen, you don't tell anybody, okay?"

Ellie shook her head, and Tom smiled, and embraced her in a brief hug. "Thank you."

In the crowd of students swimming through the corridors, Sam stood, witnessing the hug. Hmm. How could she trust him when he was getting friendly with other girls. She was going to make sure he payed attention to her. And only her.

Joey had made up his mind.

The girl fiddled with her locker, tidying up the contents of old homework assignments and failed tests and notebooks full of scribbles. When she saw her boyfriend approaching, she grinned.

"Hi," she smiled, closing her locker door with a gentle bang. Joey beamed back, trying to keep the mood happy before he dropped the bomb.

"Hi, sweetheart. Listen, I... I need to do something. We can't date anymore. I'm sorry," he whispered. The girl stared, a mixture of shock and disbelief on her face, before suddenly bursting into tears.

"What?" she said, small tears staining her rosy cheeks.

"I know, I'm so sorry, but there's someone else. I can't see you anymore. I love someone else. I'm so sorry," he reached out to embrace her, but she pushed away.

"Don't you dare touch me! I hate you!" she squealed, wiping her eyes. "Leave me alone. Run back to Little Miss Perfect!"

Joey sighed, and obediently wandered away from the girl. When he reached the corner, he looked back to see her in floods of tears, leaning against her locker, blubbing uncontrollably.

He sighed again. He'd never seen Shan so upset before.

THE END