• I finally understood why celebrities kept their personal lives on the hush, or tried to, at least. The world is filled with judgmental, horrendous people. Sad thing is, I loved being one of them until they were after ME. Every corner I turned, someone stood there, waiting for me with either a dirty look or one that said "desperate much?" Some of the girls who fawned over Tom followed me around school, giving me the death stare out of spite and jealousy. This probably went without saying, but I'd had just about enough!
    Yet I couldn't bring myself to even want to break things off with Tom. I mean, I knew there was no such thing as perfect, but he was pretty damn close to it, you know? I mean, any other one my friends would have called it quits by the first hint of disapproval, but I'd never felt so open and alive with him.
    All my life, my parents had treated me like a princess, showering me with gifts and clothes. But with him, I'd never felt more like royalty. He gave me his undivided attention. And maybe, I loved it because throughout the years, my parents thought materialism was proper compensation for the attention they never gave, but it was so much more than that.
    I felt the impact of it, but I couldn't quite explain it. I guess it's something you'll never understand until it happens to you.
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    Tom checked his watch; 10:30. He looked down to see me, facing the television, half-asleep on his lap.
    "Love," he said in a whisper. "I have thirty minutes to get back home."
    "That's a long time!" I argued in a slur.
    "Sweetie, you've forgotten I live clear across town," he chuckled softly. "Believe me, I wouldn't go unless I absolutely had to. Plus, I think your dad's getting a bit suspicious with me being here everyday."
    "Daddy's been paranoid since he took his first breath," I yawned.
    He paused, watching me. "Sorry, love. Curfew," he simply said. He stood up, me in his arms, and carried me up to my bedroom, nudging the door open with his heel. Carefully, Tom laid me under my canopy bed, tucking blankets into my sides.
    He kissed my forehead gently as I rolled over in a huff, though I'd forget all about it as I fell into my daze of sleep.
    I heard my door shut and I knew then, he was gone.
    That night, though, I had three dreams, all of the two of us. Where things were less complicated, and just simple. Just the way I liked it.
    And when I woke up the next morning, I knew Tom wasn't just another boyfriend.