"Hi, is Marshall there?" Lataya asked. Marshalls mom said yes, and yelled for him, and Lataya held her breath. She was going to tell Marshall exactly what happened, and he was going to forgive her, right? Things would work out. DeShaun said they would. He came to the phone, and he sounded in a better mood than she would have thought he would be in.

"Hello?" He asked cheerfully, half hoping it was Kim.

"Hi Marshall." Lataya said shyly. She was a little bit scared, although she didnt exactly know why.

"Oh, hi." He coughed. There was an awkward silence and then Lataya cleared her throat and spoke.

"Marshall, listen, what you saw today at school-" She began.

"Listen, I know all about it. Dont worry. Um, I dont think we should go out anymore." He said awkwardly.

Latayas smile faded. "Wh-Why?" She asked, trying not to cry.

"Listen, it just wont work out, uhm, I really think we need to see other people and shit." He sighed, he didnt want to have to do this, he never thought he would be the one breaking up with her, he loved her so much. But it was like Kim said, she didnt know how to love him if she kept going behind his back like this.

"What, when did you decide this?"

"After school today, when I saw you kissing Ryan." He explained.

"Listen I can explain about that-" She started.

"No, dont bother. Listen, you dont have to explain anything to me. I just think we should go out with different people for a while. Maybe some day we can get back together, but it just wont work out right now." He said, wishing that she would hang up. He didnt want to keep talking to her, he felt bad.

"Um, did Kim have anything to do with this?" She asked suspiciously.

"Why would you think that?" He asked innocently. He knew very well that Kim had alot to do with this, but he didnt want her to know. He wanted her to think that he could make decisions independently, all by himself. He didnt need her, or Kim or anyone.

"Nevermind, um, I guess if you really dont want to go out with me anymore, than, thats fine. Just wanted to tell you that, I didnt want to kiss Ryan, he made me. I tried to-" She explained, hoping he might change his mind. He didnt.

"Look, I gotta go." He said quickly. He didnt want to hear about Ryan, it was too painful, he needed to hang up with her.

"Okay." She said sadly. "I-"

"Bye." He interrupted her.

"Bye." She replied quietly, hearing the click of his phone hanging up before she even finished the word. She took a deep breath and went upstairs to her room to cry for the rest of the night. She cried for her mom, she cried for Marshall, and she cried for herself. Marshall was the only thing that was keeping her alive it seemed. He made her so happy, and she loved him so much. Of course, she still had DeShaun. But he had said things would be ok...he promised.

Well he was wrong. Things were not ok right now, she couldnt take all of this, plus the pressures of going to school for the next couple weeks. Everyone was just starting to hear about her mother committing suicide, and the rumors were starting. Now they would hear about Marshall dumping her, and she couldnt go through all this. People were saying that the reason her mom committed suicide was because of her, and it hurt her to even hear that. Even though it wasnt true, her mom loved her, but still just the thought of her mom killing herself because of her, hurt her to think about.

Her dad was hardly ever home anymore, always out at the bar or somewhere. He didnt have a job, at least not one that could pay their bills, and so she didnt know if they were even staying in Detriot anymore. They could move in with her grandmother in Missouri, or they could move in with her aunt, who lived up near Canada, on the border of Canada and Michigan. She honestly didnt know. She didnt want to move, she wanted to stay in Detriot with DeShaun and...Marshall.

Marshall. Everything was so perfect, they got along great, they made a great couple, and they were so in love. She smiled as she remembered the first time that he said he loved her. It was only a few days ago, after they had sex while they were babysitting Nate. She frowned suddenly. What if, what if Marshall knew that she didnt want to kiss Ryan, but now he was done with her because he had gotten what he wanted from her. People had always said that guys were only after 1 thing.

But she thought Marshall was different. She thought that he really did love her. Of course, she was often wrong. Now that she thought about it, Marshall had always taken her out to the movies on dates. They would sneak in through the back when a movie ended and see another movie, and what did they do at the movies? They made out. He never actually wanted to watch the movie, she didnt know why they didnt just go up to his room for an hour and a half and make out. But the movies was dark, and something about the thrill of public places made it fun. She sighed.

He didnt care about her. He wanted to fuck her, and afterwards he told her that he loved her so that it would let her gaurd down and she would trust him, and maybe he would get some more out of her in the next few days. But he didnt. Now that she thought of it, he had tried to, twice. She couldnt believe how stupid she had been. She knew that she should have stopped him, before anything started. But she didnt, for some stupid reason she wanted to keep going. She couldnt believe how much she had ruined her life. This was all her fault.

It was her fault her mom committed suicide. If she had been there to stop her, she might still be alive right now. It was also her fault that Marshall broke up with her. If she had just, not fucked him, and kept away from Ryan, they might still be going out, and she wouldnt be sitting in her messy room thinking these things. She looked up. Her messy room. She took a deep breath. Her mom always told her that she should keep her room cleaner, and Marshall and DeShaun always teased her about her room. For some reason she got up and started cleaning it. Maybe thats what her mom would have wanted.

After a few hours she finished cleaning, it was almost dark outside. She was hungry, but they had no food. She decided to sleep, and maybe she would feel better in the morning.

"Hey Marshall!" DeShaun called, running up behind him on the way to school. Marshall looked behind him and grinned, glad to see DeShaun.

"Hey man, whats up?" He asked, as they gave each other a pound.

"Nothing, I was just wondering if you talked to Lataya?" He said questioningly. "I waited outside her house for like, 20 minutes this morning and she didnt come out for school. She didnt call me last night, or anything either."

"Uh, no sorry I didnt. Why would I have heard from her?" He asked.

"Well, she is your girlfriend, I just figured that she might have said something to you-" He shrugged.

"Well shes not my girlfriend anymore. We broke up." He said quietly. "Didnt she tell you?"

"Yesterday she told me that you saw her kissing Ryan after school, and she told me that she didnt mean to, and that he had kissed her and wouldnt let her move." He explained. "And then we tried to catch up to you after school, but you didnt turn around and you got on the bus with Kim." He made a face when he said Kims name.

"Oh yeah." Marshall looked down and kicked a rock as they continued walking. "Um well, on the bus I was talking to Kim, and she said that Lataya was going behind my back with Ryan the whole time. And that she was going to say that he made her kiss him, so that I would still go out with her and shit. You know, like what happened to that Joe guy." He shrugged.

"That Joe guy?" DeShaun said blankly as they walked up in front of the school.

"Yeah that Joe guy." He said, looking at DeShaun like he was insane. "She was going out with him, but made out with someone else, and cheated on Joe..." He said slowly.

"Um," DeShaun blinked. What the fuck was he talking about? Who was Joe? DeShaun had known Lataya for 9 years, and never had she gone out with someone name Joe. He was about to tell him that, when someone called his name from behind them.

"Marshall!" A voice yelled. Marshall and DeShaun both turned around to look at Kim, hurrying towards them happily. She stopped beside him and grinned. "Hi hunny."

"Hey." Marshall said, suddenly remembering that he didnt tell DeShaun about Kim.

DeShaun looked between them suspiciously. Since when did Kim go around calling him hunny? And since when does Marshall say hey to Kim without asking why she is here? A second later he saw Lataya walking up behind Kim. He took a deep breath, prepare for a fight.

Marshalls eyes widened as he saw Lataya walking up behind Kim, towards them. He closed his eyes briefly and when he opened them he saw Lataya looking back and forth between him and Kim. Kim had her arm around his waist and Lataya looked confused.

"Whats she doing here?" Lataya asked DeShaun. DeShaun shrugged.

Kim laughed. "I am here because Im Marshalls girlfriend." She said smugly.

Latayas face fell and she looked genuinly hurt. She looked to Marshall and cleared her throat. "Oh, I see." She said sadly.

"Yeah, so, go away you trash. He doesnt want you around him, hes got me." She smirked and tossed her hair over her shoulder. "Bye bye now." She waved at Lataya.

Lataya licked her lips and looked Marshall in the eye. He could feel her stare penetrating him, and he wanted to shove Kim aside and hug her, and tell her that he didnt really want Kim. He felt the look that she had given him years before, in the playground, when Dom had done that to her. History was replaying itself in front of his eyes. She just stared at him, with a hurt look in her eyes, and then she sighed. "The next thing that walks, Marshall." She said shaking her head. "The next thing that walks."

With that she took off towards the school, leavng Marshall, Kim and DeShaun staring after her. Only Marshall knew what she meant by 'the next thing that walks'. After he had told her that he loved her, she said that he was probably going to leave her for the next thing that walks. And in a way, he did. The next girl he talked to after he saw Ryan and Lataya was Kim. And, he was on the rebound when Kim asked him out.

Marshall realized that he had done it again. He had let Lataya walk away hurt, because of something that someone else had said. He should have stuck up for her, but he didnt. This was the second time he had done that, and the second time that he felt this horrible. He looked at Kim, who was just standing there twirling her hair and looking in the direction that Lataya had walked away in. Was she worth letting Lataya get hurt over? But then again Lataya had been playing him behind his back. That made him mad. He looked at DeShaun, whos eyes were narrowed staring at the back of Kims head. He looked really mad.

"Well," Kim giggled. "Now that SHES gone," She rolled her eyes. "We can go inside and introduce you to everyone. C'mon Marshall!" She said, grabbing his arm and hauling him off towards the school.

Marshall looked back at DeShaun, and shook his head. What was he supposed to do?

The rest of the day went by, getting introduced to Kims friends and avoiding Lataya. He saw DeShaun in the hallway and asked if DeShaun was mad at him. He wasnt, so Marshall was glad about that.

By lunch time Marshall was sick of talking to all these new people. All these new people that constantly made it a point to insult Lataya to him, by saying, 'You went out with Lataya? Shes such a tramp!'. He couldnt take it anymore, and he was glad to be able to sit with DeShaun, a real friend of his. He walked into the crowded lunchroom and looked around. He saw DeShaun and Lataya, sitting at their usual table. Almost forgetting everything that happened, he grinned and started over towards them.

He was about 5 feet from the table, and Lataya looked down, not wanting to see him. She had to see him in the hallways all day today, Kims arms around him, or his arms around her, or something. Just seeing Kim near him was enough to make her feel like her heart was going to explode with pain. She couldnt bring herself to look up at him, she couldnt stand to see him there, knowing that he was going out with Kim.

He stopped walking, suddenly remembering what had happened with Lataya that morning. He looked down, wanting to apologize to her, but should he? Of course he should, he answered himself. He nodded determinedly, took a deep breath and walked forward towards the table to apologize for not saying anything to Kim when she insulted her.

"Marshall?" A voice next to him asked. He sighed. It was Kim. He turned around and forced a smile.

"Hi Kim." He said, glancing over at Lataya who was biting her lip and looking everywhere but at them.

"Where were you going?" Kim asked suspiciously.

"Um, just to talk to-" He gestured towards Lataya nervously and Kim exhaled loudly.

"You dont need her anymore though hun. You got me. Dont waste your time on THAT." She nodded towards Lataya, who had heard everything, and looked up. She was staring at Kim with an angry look in her eyes, and Marshall noticed. He bit his bottom lip and was about to say something, when Kim looked around to see what he was staring at. She saw Lataya glaring at her, and narrowed her eyes. A grin slowly spread itself across her face and she turned back around to face Marshall.

What would make Lataya even more angry than she was and hurt her alot? The answer, was...

She smirked and pushed Marshall up against the cafeteria wall as he raised an eyebrow. She was about the same size as him, not shorter or taller. She leaned over and kissed Marshall on the lips. It took him a second, he wasnt used to Kim. This wasnt how Lataya kissed him, Lataya was sweet, soft and gentle, but Kim just took right over. She held him against the wall and kissed him for a minute until finally he kissed back. She tasted like strawberry lip gloss, or something. He kinda liked it.

Lataya felt her stomach turn, and she wanted to puke. She looked away immediatly, glancing at DeShaun. DeShaun frowned, feeling bad for Lataya. He knew Kim had done that purposely, and that Marshall didnt mean for that to happen. He wasnt mad at Marshall, he knew how hard it was to say no to Kim, and plus Marshall wasnt an asshole, it wasnt like he planned this. Lataya looked back up to see if Kim had left, and Marshall had gone with her, but they hadnt. Finally she couldnt take it anymore and she got up and left.

Kim saw her leave out of the corner of her eye, so she finished up kissing Marshall and stepped back. She bumped into someone, and turned around to see who it was, and looked up at Darnell and the school principal. Darnell looked pissed, the principal didnt look to happy either. Marshall took a deep breath and looked up at the two.

"Quite done, are we Ms. Scott?" The principal asked. She blushed and nodded, looking down. The principal looked at Marshall and shook his head. "We will not have this go on in the cafeteria again, go to the office. Both of you." He said sternly.

"Yes sir." Kim said quietly, looking down and walking out of the cafeteria. Marshall was still up against the wall, and he licked his lips and moved to follow her.

"Watch your back Mathers!" Darnell called after him, Marshall glanced at him as he walked down the hallway. Darnell looked like he meant it.

Lataya walked down the hallway quickly, not knowing where she was going, just knowing that she had to go somewhere. She wanted to be as far away from the cafeteria, and Marshall, and Kim as possible. She turned down a hallway and stopped to get a drink of water when she heard voices. Kims voice, and then Marshalls. Curiously, she straightened up and looked down the hall.

Kim was all over Marshall, couldnt she get away from this shit? She groaned and turned around, walking further down the hallway when she heard her name, Marshall had said it. She slowly snuck back down the hall getting closer to them to hear what they were saying about her.

"I wanna talk to Lataya though," Marshall said. She smiled. She loved the way he said her name. She mentally slapped herself.

"Stop thinking about him. Hes not worth it, not after what hes doing with Kim." She whispered to herself.

"No, c'mon. You dont need her. Shes trash. She really is." Kim shook her head and Lataya immediatly wanted to pound the living shit out of her.

He followed Kim down the deserted hallway in the direction to the office, and right before they came up to the big glass doors that led into the main office where kids got sent to sit for the rest of class, Kim stopped. She turned around and grinned at him.

"We dont have to go to the office yanno..." She said slowly, putting her arms around his neck. He just stood there and stared blankly at her.

"And what? Let you get us in more trouble? God, I dont feel like getting suspended this week. Next week ok?" He said, trying to walk forward. She stopped him.

"They wont know, no one will. They are just trying to scare us. But you know that if we go in the office we will get detention...So lets just leave early and skip the rest of the day." She said.

He hesitated. As good as that sounds...He didnt want to. Any other day he would have. But he wanted to talk to Lataya at some point today before he left school. When him and Lataya were going out, they would skip the rest of the day. Him and Lataya and DeShaun would always go home during lunch, or something, they never got caught though. He didnt know what he should do, he wanted to, but he wanted to talk to Lataya.

"I wanna talk to Lataya though," He said slowly.

"No, c'mon. You dont need her. Shes a slutty peice of trash that people pick up just to throw away again, no one can stand her, she has like, what? 1 friend? Why do you think her mother killed herself?" She asked, Marshall just stood there, absorbing the things that she was saying. "Obviously to get away from her. No one loves her, and no one ever will. Shes not worth your time. Now come on, we can go back to my house, my mom and dad are at work until 7." She grinned up at him and led him down the hall towards the exit.

Tears spilled from Latayas eyes and she cleared her throat, trying not to cry, to no avail. She walked into her house, it was after school and she had waited the whole day to cry. Finally DeShaun and her had left, and as soon as he was out of hearing distance she had broken down into tears.

She unlocked her front door and pushed it open, slamming it shut behind her and hurrying upstairs to her room. She was thinking over everything that Kim had said about her, most of it was true. She was a slut, she was only 16 and she had sex more times than most girls her age had. She did only have 1 friend. She thought she had Marshall as a friend and a boyfriend, but she knew now that obviously she was wrong.

Her mother killed herself, she was lucky to get away from this whole world. Lataya wanted more than anything to be dead right now. She slammed the door shut behind her, and looked over her clean room. Clean, things had changed. It actually looked nice, and for the first time, she didnt mind being here alone.

She didnt want to be here though. She wanted to die. Right now. Everything that Kim had said was true, and it was sad. It was pathetic and embarrassing. Who would really care if she killed herself? Only DeShaun would really care. And he would care for what? 5 minutes? She felt an unexplainable adrenaline rush go through her body and she picked up a pair of scissors off the desk. She should slit her wrists, right now. She outstretched her arm and slowly brought the scissors down to meet her flesh.

She gasped as she felt the slight pain, and saw blood seeping out through her wounds. She lifted the scissors from her wrist, remembering Marshalls words. 'Just, dont do anything crazy ok? I know your real depressed, but shit can get better. Just, talk to me before you do something stupid ok?' She took a deep breath. She couldnt talk to him now, now that he was with Kim.

But did she really wanna die?

Slowly she picked up the phone from her floor where she had left it last night. Dialing Marshalls number, she took a deep breath. A few rings later, Marshall answered.

"Hullo?" He said.

"Hey Marshall? I really need to talk to you-" Lataya started. She felt better already, hearing his voice.

"Um," Marshall glanced at Kim who was sitting on the couch, staring at him. "I cant talk now. Kims here. Call me later." He said, clicking the phone off before she could protest.

"Who was that?" Kim asked suspiciously.

"Um, just DeShaun." He shrugged and walked back over to the couch, sitting beside Kim.

Lataya hung up and slammed the phone down on her floor as hard as she could, hoping it would break. "UGH!" She screamed in fusration and picked the metal scissors back up.

The answer to the above question; Did she really wanna die? Yes. She truly wanted to die. She didnt even want to know what Kim and Marshall were doing right now, while she was getting ready to slit her wrists. She hoped they had fun together. No one loved her, just like Kim said. And no one would ever love her. Just like Kim said. She thought for a few days that she wouldnt give up for anything, that Marshall loved her, but obviously he didnt. He wouldnt talk to her, he would rather talk to Kim. She felt ugly, she could never be as pretty as Kim was. She could never compete with her. Marshall would never love her, it would be Kim for the rest of his life, because no one would give up Kim.

But like Kim said, no one cared about giving up Lataya. She was a peice of trash that people picked up just to throw away again. She was surprised that DeShaun stayed with her this long. She couldnt go through life like this anymore. She just wanted to escape it all and be carefree. Life wasnt worth all this pain. What was the point of living if nothing good happened? And everything good that did happen would get ripped away from her at the last minute. This isnt how she wanted to live. She didnt want to live at all.

She bit her bottom lip hard, and dragged the scissors across her wrist. Smiling as she felt the pain and saw the blood seep out, she outstretched her next arm and ran it across her wrist, watching the skin peel back and blood start to pour.

Grinning wildly she got the biggest adrenaline rush of her life. She couldnt wait to die. Dying is just the moment that dying ends, after all. She slowly backed up against a wall and slid down the side of it to sit on the floor, watching her wrists bleed and bleed. She picked the scissors back up off the floor a few feet away from her, and slit the bottom of her throat, gasping for air.

So this was what it felt like when you die? She couldnt breath, and she panicked as she felt herself pass out and everything went dark. This was what her mother felt like before she died, and now Lataya was feeling the same thing.