The Difference Between Love and Hate- Part 12 Me
Matt put his arm around my shoulders and led me to one of the cars outside. He drove me to the hotel silently. I was glad; I really didn't feel like talking at all.
Matt checked me into the hotel and led me up to the room. After he unlocked the door, he looked at me and handed me the key.
"You gonna be alright alone?"
I nodded. "Yeah," I murmured. He handed me my bag.
"Mary, I'm sorry I didn't come back there and get him out of there. I heard him yelling at you but I was busy-"
I put my finger to his lips and shook my head. "Don't worry about it, Matt."
"You sure?"
"Yeah."
"Okay. I'll see you later."
"Yep." I hugged him, then walked into my room. I tossed my bag onto the floor next to bed by the window, then fell back on the bed. My stomach hurt; I missed Tiffany so bad right now.
I sighed and pulled my James Patterson book from my bag.
I didn't realize I'd fallen asleep until I heard loud knocking at the hotel room door. I sat up and looked at the clock. 10:30. The knocking sounded again.
"Jesus Christ, what?" I snapped. The door opened and the last person I wanted to see walked in.
"God, what do you want? Can't you leave me alone?" I started to cry again.
"Mary-"
"Don't talk to me! Get out!" I screamed at him, picking up the ashtray off the night table and throwing it at him. It hit the wall, shattering inches from his head.
"Mary-" he started again.
"Get the fuck out!" I stomped forward and shoved him out of the room. I noticed Matt coming down the hallway, so I slammed the door and locked it.
Halfway back to the bed, there was another knock.
"Go away!"
"Mary, relax, it's me."
I sighed and opened the door.
"Thank God."
"Are you okay?" Kevin asked as he walked in, tossing his bag on the other bed and pulling his jacket off.

Kevin
I looked at Mary. She looked so angry it made me kinda sad. I glanced over by the door and saw the remains of what looked like an ashtray.
"Did Nick come in here?"
"Have I mentioned how much I hate him? I'm gonna kill him. I swear, I'm gonna kill him. Why didn't I bring my gun with me?"
"Mary, calm down," I said softly, my eyes widening slightly.
"No, I will not calm down! You didn't hear the shit he was saying about Tiffany," she murmured.
"You're right, I didn't hear it, but I can imagine. You want a drink or something?"
She gave me a look that could've made a bouquet of roses wither and die. I shook my head.
"Sorry, that was lame, just trying to cheer you up."
"It didn't work."
"I can see that."
She gave me another look and I sighed, putting my hands on her arms and sitting her down on her bed.
There was a relatively soft knock on the door just then.
"Who is it?" I called.
"Brian."
I walked over and opened the door.
"You guys need anything?"
"No, I think we're good."
"You gonna talk to her?" he asked, lowering his voice.
"I'm gonna try, she's a little upset though."
"Good luck."
The faint aroma of vanilla drifted past my nose as I closed the door and I turned around. Mary was lying on her stomach, on her bed, her chin on her crossed arms. She was staring at a lit candle on the night table between the two beds. She seemed mesmerized by it.
"Little pyro," I murmured, smiling slightly. Her eyes shifted to me and she grinned, though it was a small one.
"I know," she said softly.
"You feelin' better?" I asked, sitting on my bed and looking at her. She nodded slightly.
"A little."
"I'm sorry."
"Don't apologize for Nick. His mistakes are not yours."
"I know, but I just feel bad about what he's doing to you."
"Don't. Don't feel sorry for me. And don't apologize for him either. Nothing's your fault. You're not responsible for his actions." She stared at me, her eyes saying the same thing her mouth was. I smiled, thinking at the same time that I was gonna have to tell her tonight, before I lost the chance- and the nerve.
I heard music starting suddenly and realized after a second that it was coming from Brian's room. A second later, I recognized it as 98° "You Don't Know". I groaned inwardly. Thanks, Brian. Just what I need. Ah, I didn't blame him. I'd listened to the song all the way to the hotel. AJ and Brian had nearly throttled me.
"Kev?"
Mary's voice interrupted my thoughts and I looked at her.
"You okay?" She hadn't moved at all, the only thing that was moving were her feet, hands, lips and eyes. I stared her for the longest time, taking in each and every one of her features.
"Kev?" she asked again, getting up on her hands and knees and looking at me, a slightly crooked grin on her face.
"Mary, I've really gotta talk to you."

Brian
"Touch that stereo and you die." I gave Nick a look and he sat back down on his bed.
"Why are you playing that?"
"Don't worry about it." I plucked a chord on my guitar and Nick sighed. He'd been restless ever since we'd got in the hotel room.
"Will you do something? You're getting on my nerves."
He sighed again.
"Brian."
"What?"
"Will you write a letter for me?"
"Why?"
"You have better handwriting than me."
"Get AJ to do it. His is better than mine."
"Please, Brian."
I sighed. "Who's it for?"
"Mary."
I looked up at him for the first time since we'd started this little conversation.
"Mary?"
"Yeah. Here." He handed me a sheet of paper and a pencil. I set my guitar down and picked up a book from my bag. Nick took a deep breath, then began.
"Dear Mary."

Kevin
Mary's smile vanished at the seriousness of my voice. She changed her position on her bed until she was sitting cross legged. She stared at me.
"Alright, Kev, what is it?"
"We've gotten really close over the past six months, right?"
She nodded, smiling slightly.
"Like best friends. We've also gotten to know each other really well, and trust each other. To me, you're the most wonderful person I know, because you have so many different sides to you. I feel lucky to've seen most of them. But I haven't seen them all."
Mary continued to stare at me, though now she was biting her lip. I sighed and grabbed her hands.
"Mary, what I'm trying to say is that me getting to know the real you has made me... fall in love with you."
She squeezed my hands suddenly, biting her lip so hard I was afraid she was gonna draw blood. Her eyes were wet as she stared at me.
"Please, Mary, you have to tell me whether or not you feel the same way. If you do, that's great; if you don't, I understand completely. But please, tell me."
She shook her head and pulled her hands from mine.
"I can't. Not right now," she whispered. "Just give me some time to think. I'll tell you, I promise." Then she stood up and left the room, closing the door quietly.

Part 13
Part 11
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