When Marshall got back up to the room he saw Lataya, laying down on his bed, her back to him. He smiled and walked up behind her and laid down next to her. She turned around, feeling the mattress move and grinned at him. She loved sleeping next to him, for some reason.

Wordlessly she moved next to him and put her arm around his waist, resting her head against his shoulder and closing her eyes. She was so tired, today had been a tiring day, and she had to get up early for school tomorrow. She didnt care though, because tommorow was a friday. She smiled as he put an arm around her.

"Move, Im cold." Marshall whispered, pushing her with his arm, to the other side of the bed so he could pick the blanket up from beneath her.

She leaned her chin on her hand, propping herself up on her elbow, and looked at him. "Oh, how romantic." She said sarcastically.

He just laughed and pulled the blanket over himself, and then held up the end of it so she could slip underneath it. "Get over here." He said, laughing as she shook her head and moved over towards him.

She sighed. "G'night Marsh."

"Night Laya." He said sleepily.

She rolled her eyes at the mention of 'Laya'. She hated it when people called her that. But for some reason, she didnt mind it when Marshall said it. She actually, almost liked it. But he was the only one. Anyone else said that and they would get their ass kicked.

She closed her eyes and put her arm back around Marshall, the way it was before he had made her move for the blanket. It was hard for her, but she trusted him. The only guy that she ever slept in the same bed with, was him and DeShaun. It took her a while to trust Marshall, but she did. It didnt take her so long to trust DeShaun, because he had been there before any of the shit in her life started hitting the fan.

For some reason she had a harder time trusting guys than she did girls. Maybe because most of the guys in her life had done terrible things to her since she was little, her dad for example. He had raped her, and he still did. She didnt want to tell anyone, it was too embarrassing and plus she didnt want him to get in trouble. If she just kept away from him when he was drunk, or when he was alone, she would be alright.

Marshall looked down at Lataya, she was half asleep. He grinned and tried to move away from her a little bit. He didnt like cuddling. He rolled over onto his side and closed his eyes. Lataya was so tired she didnt even notice that he had moved away from her. He always did that, held her for a bit, because she liked to cuddle, and then moved away from her once she was sleeping.

"What a bitch." Kim said, looking across the cafeteria at Lataya as she laughed at something DeShaun had said. Kim stared at her a while, why did she look so happy? She always used to look miserable, never looked happy. But for some reason, the last couple of months, she had looked almost happy.

She watched as Marshall walked up to the table Lataya and DeShaun was at, and raised an eyebrow as Lataya moved her books from the seat next to her so Marshall could sit down. He leaned over and quickly kissed her on the cheek, and Lataya had a look on her face of pure joy.

It made Kim sick. Lataya wasnt supposed to be happy, and she wasnt supposed to have a boyfriend either. Kim sighed, she had dumped Darnell, and now Lataya had a boyfriend and she didnt.

"What?" Casey, Kims best friend asked. Kim looked across the table at Casey.

"Nothing, I was just saying that Lataya Woodson is a fucking BITCH." Kim put emphasis on bitch, and looked back towards Latayas table.

"Oh." Casey nodded. "Yeah she is!" Casey always agreed with everything Kim said, and went along with any stupid idea that Kim came up with.

"I gotta find some way to make her miserable." Kim muttered, wracking her brain for an idea.

"Well, get that kid to break up with her." Casey said matter of factly. "Then she will be crushed."

"And how the fuck am I going to do that?" Kim asked, rolling her eyes.

"Uh, I dont know." Casey said, opening her water bottle.

"Well, I'll think of something." Kim looked across the table at Casey, her dyed blonde hair was down to her shoulders, and her eyes were covered in sparkles. Casey had dyed her hair to match Kims naturally blonde hair color, and wore alot of make up, just like Kim did. The difference was that Kim knew how to wear make up, and Casey didnt apply it too well. She shook her head and turned back to look at Lataya, DeShaun and Marshall.

She grinned evilly. It couldnt be too hard to break them up, could it?

"Hey, Lataya, Kim Scott is staring at you." DeShaun whispered across the lunch table to Lataya.

Lataya took a deep breath and then exhaled. "Just ignore her." She whispered back.

"Aight, you know I got your back if you need me?" DeShaun asked.

Lataya smiled. "Yeah, thanks D."

"Why you call me D?" He shook his head and she laughed.

"Hey guys." Marshall said, walking up to the lunch table his friends were at. Lataya looked up and grinned, and then reached over to the seat next to her and moved her books to the floor, so that Marshall could have a place to sit.

"Hey." DeShaun and Lataya both chorused.

"Thanks babe." Marshall said, leaning over and kissing her lightly on the cheek. Lataya smiled and looked down at the table. She loved it when he did that, it was so sweet.

"I cant go to the park tonight guys." DeShaun said, picking up a french frie and putting it in his mouth.

"Why not?!" Lataya asked.

"I got fucking grounded." DeShaun sighed. "My sister told my dad that I snuck out last night, and that I wasnt back until really late, and he freaked out."

"Shit." Lataya groaned.

"I know. So they are keeping me inside like, all weekend. And if I sneak out again Im gonna get my ass kicked." DeShaun rolled his eyes.

"Actually, I cant go to the park either." Marshall shook his head. "My mom has a date tonight, and I have to watch Nate."

"Nooo." Lataya sighed. "Im gonna be by myself at the park?!"

"Ah, I would say that you can come hang with me, but I dont think my parents would go for that." DeShaun said. He looked back over his shoulder as he felt someone walk past him and bump into him a little bit.

"You can come over my house, if you wanna watch me chase a hyperactive 2 year old around the house." Marshall smirked.

She laughed. "Sure." She shook her head. "I want a straw." She said thoughtfully.

"What?" DeShaun laughed. "You dont have a drink though."

"I know, but I wanna chew on it." She laughed and stood up, walking towards the table with the straws and stuff on it. Marshall watched her walk away and then looked across the table at DeShaun.

He was about to say something, when he felt someone sit down next to him, where Lataya had been sitting. He looked over and saw Kim, sitting there staring at him. He didnt say anything, he was too nervous.

DeShaun glared at her. "Kim, what the fuck do you want? Latayas sitting there, so you better move your fat ass."

"Oh PLEASE." Kim rolled her eyes. "The only reason Im sitting at this LOSER table, was to talk to him." She pointed at Marshall who raised both eyebrows. She turned back to Marshall and smiled sweetly. "So, how was your math test today?"

"How did you know I had a math test? You aint in my class..."

"I just, heard from someone that was in your class, so how did you do with it?" She asked, shaking her head.

"Um, I failed it." He said blankly.

"Aww, Poor baby."

"Uh..." Marshall hesitated, what was he supposed to say?

"Hey, why dont you come sit with me and my friends, over there?"

Marshall looked at DeShaun, and then across the cafeteria at Lataya as she looked for a straw, and then back at Kim. "Naw, I'll stay here." He said, staring at her. She was HOT. He mentally slapped himself as he remembered Lataya.

"Oh come on. You would rather sit with your trashy whore girlfriend, and this asshole, then with some people that dont need welfare?" She asked temptingly.

He just stared at her for a second. "Did you just call Lataya a trashy whore?" He asked, getting mad.

"Ill tell you whos the trashy whore!" DeShaun yelled. A few people turned around, but not many.

"Shut the fuck up." Kim said, looking back at Marshall. "So," She put her hand on his leg and rubbed his thigh. "You wanna come over there...?"

Marshall moved away from her and shook his head. "No. Im staying here."

"C'mon, you know you wanna come sit with us." She persisted.

"No, I dont. You call my girlfriend a trashy whore, and my best friend an asshole, and then ask if I wanna come sit with you and your slutty bitches that you call friends? I dont think so."

"UGH!" Kim huffed, standing up. "Fine." She shook her head and stormed away.

"OH! SHOT DOWN!" DeShaun laughed and called across the cafeteria at Kims retreating figure. She looked over her shoulder briefly and then rolled her eyes, and held up her middle finger in retaliation. A teacher saw that, and walked over to her, and said something to her about it. Kim kept glancing over at them, and giving them dirty looks. DeShaun looked across the table at Marshall and grinned at him. "That was fucking hilarious. You told her off."

"Yeah." Marshall shrugged. Lataya sat down next to him a second later, and peeled the wrapper off the straw. He looked at her, and immediatly felt bad. But why? He hadnt done anything, he had refused Kim, so, why did he feel so bad?

Maybe it was because the whole time while he was doing the right thing, he was thinking the wrong thing. Kim was hot, no one could deny that. The only thing wrong with her it seemed, was her attitude.

"Why are you both so quiet?" Lataya asked. Marshall looked at DeShaun, and DeShaun shook his head.

"Nothing." Marshall said quickly. Lataya looked at him suspicously, and he looked away from her. He happened to look at Kim, totally by accident. She was staring at him, and then turned her gaze to Lataya, and had a look of sheer hate in her eyes. Marshall stared at her and put an arm around Latayas shoulders. Kim wrinkled her nose and turned away from them.

"Are you sure?" Lataya asked. He nodded and she shrugged and put the straw in her mouth.

"So, Marshall," DeShaun tried to change the subject. "Did you see the substitute in Biology class today?"

"Oh yeah!" Marshall laughed. "That was funny!"

"Hell yeah!" DeShaun grinned.

Lataya looked between Marshall and DeShaun. She had no clue what they were talking about, but she didnt care. She loved watching them talk about things that she didnt understand. They were so good to her, she looked down at the straw wrapper. She didnt deserve friends like them. She leaned against Marshall and sighed happily as she felt him laughing against her.

Around 9 o clock, Lataya arrived at Marshalls house, and knocked a few times. She stood outside in the cold, pulling her jacket around her tighter, and shifted her weight from one foot to the next impatiently. Finally Marshall opened the door, he was holding Nate with one of his arms, the other was on the door.

He grinned at her. "Hi."

"Hey." She laughed. "Hey Nate!"

Nate just stared at her, and Marshall laughed. "Hes not in the best of moods right now."

"Aww." Lataya smiled and walked inside, and Marshall closed the door behind her.

"Ah, we can find something on tv, but I dont have cable, so..."

"Its okay." She smiled and he nodded.

"Im gonna go find Nates pajamas, Ill be right back." Marshall said. Lataya nodded and sat down on the couch as he walked up the stairs.

"Nate, dont put that in your mouth." Lataya said, taking the pen away from Nate as he tried to chew on it. She was sitting on the couch in the living room, watching Nate. He was sitting on the floor in front of her, staring at her with wide blue eyes. He was almost 3 years old now. Marshall was in the kitchen, looking for something to eat.

"Lataya?!" Marshall called from the kitchen. Lataya turned around and looked towards the kitchen.

"What?" She yelled.

"Do you want orange soda?" He asked, standing in the doorway to the kitchen and the living room, holding 2 cans of orange soda.

"Okay." She shrugged. He walked into the livingroom and jumped over the back of the couch, landing beside her and handing her the soda. She grinned at him and popped the top of the can.

"Ugh, its getting late." Marshall said slowly.

"Yeah, it is." Lataya said, getting Marshalls hint at putting Nate to bed.

"Nate, you have to go to bed." Marshall said, glancing at the clock. "Its almost 11. Mom said you had to be in bed by 8."

"Irresponsible." Lataya said jokingly. Marshall laughed.

"Naw, Im just cool like that." He said, elbowing her lightly in the arm. He set his orange soda down on the coffee table and leaned over, picking up Nate. "Ill be right back." He said, as Nate tried to kick and get down.

"Okay." Lataya laughed. After a few minutes, Marshall came back downstairs and took his seat on the couch. He sighed and leaned back. "So what time is your mom coming home at?"

"Prolly not for a while. When she goes out, she goes OUT. Shes prolly gonna go fuck her date or something, and not come back until tommorow morning." He said, putting his arm up on the back of the couch behind Lataya.

"Thats fucked up." She said quietly, leaning against Marshall.

"Thats my mom." He replied.

She laughed. "She seems nice..."

"Yeah, she has this way of sucking people into feeling bad for her and thinking shes really nice, and then like, turning them against people. Thats why you think shes nice, shes gonna try and turn you against me. And she wouldnt like you if she couldnt do it. She loves me to be in misery." He said, moving closer to Lataya.

"Aww." Lataya grinned and kissed him lightly on the lips. He smelled so good, she thought as he put his arm around her. She leaned closer to him and his warmth, and wrapped her arms around his neck.

The kiss slowly started getting more passionate, more serious than either had expected. But maybe thats just what happened sometimes. Some things were totally unplanned, this one for example. In about 5 minutes, somehow Marshall was on top of her, his hands roaming her body. Her hands massaged his shoulders and he pulled away from her a little bit, so that his face was only inches from hers.

"You wanna keep going?" He asked quietly, kissing her inbetween his words.

She took a deep breath and nodded. She knew that they shouldnt be doing this, and she knew that she should stop them right now, but she didnt want to for some reason. She was a little scared, and really nervous, but she wanted this to happen for the first time in her life. She was going to do this with someone other than her drunk, asshole of a father, she was going to do this with Marshall. And she really liked him alot. She didnt want to stop him. "Yeah." She said breathlessly. He nodded slowly and leaned down to kiss her again.

"Is this gonna be your first time?" He asked softly. His voice sent shivers down her spine.

She looked down, ashamed. She wished this would be her first time, but it wasnt. Her dad had ruined that for her. He had ruined so many things for her. She hadnt told Marshall, she didnt know why. She knew he wouldnt tell anyone, and she knew that he would want to help her, but for some reason, she couldnt. It was embarrassing, to be able to say that her father had raped her, more times than she cared to remember. She shook her head. "No."

"Its not?" Marshall asked, surprised. "Who was-?"

"You dont know him, just forget it." She whispered. "You?"

"Yeah." He replied. She smiled.

Her smile was so beautiful, he thought. He smiled back at her and leaned down, taking her mouth in his, again.