Sean coasted through the next two days. There was little sign of Eddie and his friends except for a patronizing, “Did you enjoy your loser prom?” from John. Sean didn't even think the comment was worth a response. However, when he met Chloe after school on the Wednesday, she looked very upset with Estelle vigorously trying to comfort her.

“What's wrong?” Sean demanded to know.

“Maria Constellani in her class told her that you're trying to cheat on her. She told Chloe that you asked Daisy Compton to the prom on Friday.”

“That's a lie!” Sean blurted before even had a chance to think about it.

“I know it is,” Estelle reassured. “But it's upset Chloe really bad.”

Saying nothring more, he went over and wrapped Chloe up in his arms and she buried her face in his chest. “I wouldn't cheat on you,” he whispered softly. Chloe seened to calm down at this. She wrapped her arms around him and the tears dried up. They stayed in each other's arms for ten minutes, impervious to comments good and bad like, “Aw, that's sweet” and one of Eddie's crew cackling, “I bet he's gonna fuck her right there.”

When they separated, both Sean and Estelle walked Chloe to her mother's waiting car. “She looks like she's been crying,” Mrs. Levin noted.

Sean let Estelle do the explaining. “Someone told Chloe that Sean has been cheating on her but we know that's a lie.”

“That doesn't surprise me with this town, “Mrs. Levin responded non-chalantly. After one more kiss, Sean and Estelle watched Chloe get in the car and it sped off.

Chloe's upset played on Sean's mind the following day. As soon as the lunchbell rang, he made a beeline for her classroom. What he saw made him swallow a lump in his throat. Standing by Chloe was Helen, Daisy, her other stooge, Angela Wilkers and that Maria.

As Sean walked up to them, Helen snarled, “Here comes your cheating boyfriend now.”

“Don't listen to these liars,” Sean shot back.

Tell Chloe how you asked Daisy to the prom and how you told her you would dump Chloe if Daisy went with you,” Helen continued.

“More lies!”

Then Daisy stepped in, “You told me that you wanted to go to the prom with me and that the only reason you went to the other prom with Chloe was because you felt sorry for her.”

“Yeah, tell her what a cheat you are,” Helen added.

“Bullshit!” Sean yelled.

Suddenly, Chloe lunged at Helen, grabbing her in a bearhug and taking her down to the floor. Sitting astride her and with her knees on Helen's arms, Chloe got almost in her face and shouted, “He's not cheating on me!”

Only Sean knew his lady possessed that much strength. The three girls looked on in surprise as Helen struggled to get Chloe off of her but to no avail, Chloe was just too strong. Eventually, Helen's fruitless struggles led to her screaming, “Get off me! Get off me, you fuckin' bitch!”

Naturally, Helen's screams brought teachers out into the hall to save Helen from her nemesis. Once both girls were on their feet, they were marched down to the principal's office while the onlookers were ordered to go to lunch. Daisy's attempt to berate Sean and Chloe was stifled by a teacher telling her to “Zip it.”

His mind was a jumble when Sean turned up at school the next morning. Chloe was nowhere to be seen. At first, he thought she might have been suspended for the fight but he saw Helen in the corridor, although he wouldn't put it past Mr. Akers to suspended Chloe but not Helen. He further feared retribution from Eddie because his girlfriend kicked John Miller's girlfriend's ass. However, nothing happened and he was glad to get through the week.

Arriving home on the Friday afternoon, he was greeted by a message from his mother. “Mrs. Levin called to say they're going away for the weekend so don't try to call on Chloe.”

Sean shrugged, “It's probably because of what happened at school. She was just defending me, she knows I didn't cheat on her.”

“I know you didn't,” his mother reassured. “It's just that some girls like that Helen Grayson can be real bitches.”

Sean took great comfort in his mother's words because it softened the blow of not being able to see Chloe. He made the best of the Saturday by spending it with Scott, Sam, Arnie and Stewart playing Dungeons and Dragons well into the evening. The added bonus was when Scott's parents ordered pizza for them all. It did help Sean take his mind off Chloe. That and the hardcore heavy metal music Scott insisted on playing. Sunday was spent finishing off the last of his homework assignments of the eighth grade because the final weeks would be spent focusing on graduation.

Chloe didn't come back to school that following Monday and it sent Sean's mind wandering. The first clue came during the transition between second and third period when he passed the Brangelina couple in the hall and Helen called out, “I see your girlfriend has been kicked out of school.”

“Was it true ?” Sean thought to himself. He managed to push it to the back of his mind until lunchtime, when he hoped Estelle would know more. However, she didn't know any more than he did. She was more interested in showing the group a picture of the boy she had met on the Leversee Ladies website.

“He's cute,” Nancy stated.

Sean, Scott and the other boys also had a look and while they didn't say he was cute, they did notice a Hollywood starlike look about this boy named Gary from Central New Jersey. Estelle was even more joyous when she relayed how they were planning to meet up after school let out for the summer. It did keep Sean from going into a state of depression over the absence of Chloe. It was more of the same when they all huddled together in their corner of the playground but as they headed back to class, Scott took Sean aside and informed him, “I don't want to sound like I'm jealous or anything but that picture of Estelle's boyfriend doesn't look genuine.”

“I wouldn't know,” Sean replied. “But I wouldn't say anything to her. It's what's keeping her going for the rest of the term.”

Scott nodded, “I won't say anything.”

When Chloe didn't come to school on the Tuesday, Sean really began to get worried. While he ignored more taunts from Helen saying, “I got your girlfriend kicked out of school,” the possibiltiy of it being true played on his mind. Therefore, he made the conscious decision to bike to Chloe's house after school.

Mrs. Leving looked quite serious when she answered the door to his knock. “Is Chloe there?” he asked rather nervously.

“No, she's at her grandparents.”

He took the plunge, “Did she get kicked out of school?”

Mrs. Levin's face turned ice cold, then she sighed, “I think you deserve an explanation. We're taking Chloe out of Tye School, in September, she will be going to the special school in Southmoor. We have informed Tye School of this, you can bet Mr. Akers wasn't happy. He blames all of Chloe's problems on her being with you.”

Seeing Sean's mouth opening to either question or object, she hurriedly continued, “We know that isn't true , Chloe was being bullied well before she met you. Akers is simply worried that now Chloe isn't going to the school, the school is going to lose all the funding they had for her. However, we also think you and Chloe shouldn't see each other any more. It's not you, we think you are a fine young man and we know you didn't cheat on our daughter but those girls saying that you did is really playing on her mind to the point she' got herself into a right state and we're worried she might really explode. What she did to that Grayson girl was nothing compared to what she's capable of. It's not right to put her through that and it's better for her mental health that she doesn't see you anymore. She needs a fresh start and being with you might hamper that. It has also come to my attention you and Chloe's little love scene on the beach. Someone saw you laying on top of her and you both were kissing. Now, that wouldn't bother me, young love and all, but Chloe told someone you two made love. I know for a fact that you two didn't have sex but Chloe doesn't fully understand this and if the wrong person here's about it, there could be trouble. I also remember what you did to that Klimkowski girl last year and while she got what she deserved, it's different in regards to our daughter, even though Chloe said nothing like that happened with you two. We don't want it to come to that. We've explained this to her and she understands.”

Sean meekly said, “I understand” and then quickly turned away so Mrs. Levin couldn't see the tears forming in his eyes. He got on his bike and headed off, still fighting back the urge to cry and it took him three blocks of riding before he won the battle.

Arriving home, Sean quickly tiptoed past his mother in the kitchen. He didin't want anyone to see him like this. His eyes, thoroughly dry, he went up to his bedroom and laid siege to the Lego castle he and Chloe had constructed. What they had taken two hours to build he laid waste to in five minutes, all the time reminding himself it wasn't Chloe's fault.

Whether he made too much noise when destroying the castle or mother's intuition, Tara appeared at his bedroom door. With a quick glance at the destruction, she demanded to know, “Tell me what happened.”

“Mrs. Levin said I can't see Chloe any more. She's taken Chloe out of school and says she needs a fresh start and that includes me.”

“I'm sorry to hear that,” Mom comforted. “I know it hurts now but you will get over it. Besides, you're only fourteen, you have your whole life in front it you and we know what a great guy you are.”

Deep down, Sean knew his mother was right but it didn't lessen the pain he was feeling right there and then. At dinner, he expected his father to say he was best rid of Chloe but all Dad said was “You'll getr over it and you can meet someone else, someone better. To help you forget and as an early graduation present, you can drink one beer tonight.”