Mara POV

Jerome Clarke's girlfriend. Jerome's girl. I couldn't help but smile as I thought of that. It was strange how things had turned out. One moment I was with Mick, forcing myself to believe I was happy, and now I was with Jerome...genuinely happy. It was strange how different I felt. I didn't have to pretend anymore, and I knew that if I was stressed or upset, Jerome would help me through it, like he'd done all those times before.

"So, you and the slimeball huh?" said Patricia the next morning, obviously having waited to interrogate me.

"Don't call him that..." I murmured.

"Yeah, well go on...fill me in?"

"There's not much to tell... I went to apologise about blowing up over the Katrina thing, after I found out there wasn't a thing...and then it just sort of happened."

"But what happened after dinner? Mick looked like he was about to kill someone!" she said, smirking to herself at the memory.

"We just went away from the house, and sat and talked for a while...then later on he asked me out..."

"Wow, you have to give it to him...the guy's a weasel at times, but he's got more guts than I gave him credit for."

I couldn't help but laugh, and we walked down to breakfast chatting together. It felt oddly like old times, before Patricia had somewhat abandoned me for Nina and the others. I knew it wasn't an intentional ploy to faze me out of the picture...but it sometimes felt that way.

I sat in my usual spot at breakfast, and within a couple of minutes a hand lightly trailed over my shoulders, and Jerome sat down beside me. He grinned his brilliant smile, and I smiled back, positively beaming just at the sheer sight of him.

"Morning," he said, giving my hand a squeeze underneath the table, and the familiar jolt shot through me.

For a second we just looked at each other, until Patricia cleared her throat in an obvious manner.

"So, like, I'm confused..." Amber said, looking curiously between the two of us. "What's actually going on with you guys? Are you going out now or what?"

"Damn right they are!" said Alfie, giving Jerome a light hearted pat on the back as he walked to get more orange juice.

"It's so confusing isn't it? Because...Jerome was with Katrina, but then I heard he wasn't with Katrina, and Mara was with Mick, and before that I was with Mick...and now no-one's with Mick..."

"Yes, we get it Amber." Said Mick angrily, frowning at the two of us.

"All I'm saying is," Amber continued. "Is that I still think regular news updates are in order. But congrats guys! You'll look super cute in photos!"

Everyone at the table laughed except for Mick, whose frown deepened into a glare. Jerome smirked at Mick's expression, and then Mick had obviously had enough, as he stood up to leave.

"Watch your back Clarke..." he said, storming out of the room. Jerome put his hand to his mouth in mock fear, and I laughed.

But the confrontations were far from over, that was for sure.

Jerome POV

Mara and I walked to school hand in hand. It was amazing, being able to introduce her as my girlfriend...and walking into school clutching her hand made everyone see that she was mine...and I'd never felt prouder. I was still in mild disbelief that she was my girlfriend, and it still didn't seem possible that someone as beautiful as her would ever be interested in me. But she squeezed my hand as we walked through the corridors, and all of that disappeared from my mind. Mara Jaffray liked me, and life was wonderful.

It seemed like a perfect start to the day. But as I'd been saying all along, nothing could be perfect.

And it was right then, as we turned a corner to head to first class. I noticed Katrina first, closely followed by two other girls, one of which I recognised as the girl who'd yelled at me the day before. I noticed Katrina freeze when she saw us, and Mara stiffened a little, so I squeezed her hand firmly, and carried on walking. Just walk. Just get past them, and no one needs to start shouting.

"What is your problem?" Katrina's friend said loudly as we were walking past. I sighed, knowing that this would happen sometime soon. But why did it have to be NOW?

"What?" I replied, slightly irritated. The girl's eyes shifted between me and Mara, glaring.

"You lead Katrina on like that, and then a day later you're with someone else? Jesus, Jerome...get some standards!"

"Look, can you just leave us alone?"

"I'm just making sure your new girl knows what you're like."

"Excuse me?" said Mara, looking visibly angry. "You don't know me, and you don't know Jerome, so stay out of our relationship!"

I had so much respect for Mara at that moment. A few weeks ago she wouldn't have dared to stand up to someone like that, but she'd grown in confidence. She'd learnt that it wasn't essential to constantly please people...

"I know that he's a scumbag! Katrina would do anything for a guy she likes, and he led her on, and then dumped her a few days later! This is just going to be the same!"

I looked at Katrina, who was looking away awkwardly, not meeting my eyes. I wondered if she ever got much say in conversations like this. She hadn't even said a word.

"Look," I said firmly. "Think what you want about me, but don't even think about saying a bad word about Mara. I'm not going to lead her on and end it, this is different."

"Why?"

"Because I'm in love with her."

There was a silence, and although around our little group the world was moving on as normal, it felt like time had frozen. Katrina glanced at me, looking slightly saddened. Her friend looked shocked, the force of her glare slightly reduced. I was stunned myself. You just admitted to her that you love her. She'll think it's too soon, she'll realise you like her way more than she likes you. I was still holding onto her hand, and I risked a glance at her. For some reason, she was smiling.

"Really?" she whispered, only just audible. I couldn't summon up the courage to speak, so I just nodded, biting my lip nervously. "Because I do too. Love you, I mean."

I found myself grinning widely, adrenaline surging through my body. The moment would have been amazing if not for Katrina and friends still staring at us.

"Let's go," I said to Mara, still grinning. I placed an arm around her shoulders, pulling her in close to me, and I kissed her forehead as we walked away.

We'd reached the end of the corridor, when an afterthought occurred.

"Hold on a second," I said to her, before running back towards the three girls.

"Katrina?" I asked, and she looked up at me in surprise. "Is it true that you'd do anything for a guy you like?"

She looked slightly taken aback, shrugged her shoulders slightly, and then nodded.

"Have you ever met Mick Campbell?"

Mara POV

"I still think it was a bad idea," I said at lunch.

"No, It'll all work out. It won't exactly last, and at least she may learn to stop attatching herself to guys too easily, and he'll wind up once again rejected and humiliated. It's a win win."

I laughed at the thought.

"Wouldn't Amber want to get back together with him?"

"Not if Alfie can help it..."

I paused, contemplating the idea of Amber and Alfie as a couple. Surprisingly it worked.

I'd been buzzing all morning. Jerome had said that he loved me. That he was in love with me. Mick hadn't ever said that, and although we'd only been together a short amount of time, I knew that Jerome really meant it. I'd never actually thought about whether or not I was in love with Jerome. It seemed strange to contemplate something so huge at this point in my life, but when the words had come out from his mouth...I knew that I did. I really did. I, Mara Jaffray, was in love with Jerome Clarke...and it was the most natural and exhilarating feeling I'd ever experienced.

"What?" he said, looking slightly amused, and I shook my head in surprise, realising that I'd been staring at him blankly.

"Nothing, I'm just happy, that's all."

"About what?"

If we hadn't been together, I would have blushed and changed the subject, but now I didn't need to. I just simply leant forward in my seat and kissed him lightly. He smiled slightly.

"I see..." he said, and I couldn't help but laugh.

The rest of the day passed in a somewhat happy blur. Amber squealed every time she saw us holding hands or walking to class together, Mick was still glaring but it had stopped getting on my nerves, and the only other time we walked passed Katrina's friend, she didn't start another scene.

When Jerome and I were walking back to the house, he stopped me, drawing me in for a long, lingering kiss. I kissed him back eagerly, wrapping my arms around his neck as he wrapped his around my waist, pulling me in close so my body was pressed up against his.

"Mara..." he murmured, pulling away slightly and pressing his forehead against mine. "You want to go out tonight? Properly?"

I grinned.

"That would be perfect," I said, and then laughed at his raised eyebrow. "I mean, that would be incredibly amazing, though not perfect, because of course nothing can be perfect, as you've taught me..."

He laughed, and wrapped his arms around my waist a little tighter.

"Well, I may have made a slight error..."

"How so?"

"Tonight will most definitely be perfect"

I smiled.

"And you know what else?" he continued. "To me, Mara Jaffray, you're perfect as well. And you always will be."

And I realised that however much I'd strived to be perfect before, what I'd been aiming for was nowhere close to perfection. Right now, with Jerome in my arms saying all these wonderful things that I knew were true...that was what perfect should be like. And I knew that I didn't have to hurt myself or push myself too far to get it, because now I didn't want to be anything or anyone else. Now I was happy, and I knew that it was going to last.

Right now, my life was as perfect as it needed to be, and that was all I could ever want.

Helloo :)

I am afraid, kind people, that is the end :( I shall very much miss this story, though I feel I shall have to leave it here, as any additional chapters would probably be very badly written and not have many decent ideas to base them on. However, I shall most definitely be writing another Jara story in the nearish future :) I may try something different, as I don't want to be recycling ideas...

But thank you so much to all you lovely reviewers, you've made me so happy with all your lovely comments :)

Big love!

xxxxxx