-Disclaimer: This is not my story. I got full permission from the author to repost this on AFF-

The Challenge by The Lucky Kind of fanfiction.net

NOTE: Wow, I feel horrible. Sorry for not updating in forever. Things have been chaotic for me these past few months. Well, happy new year; although it’s really, really late! Thanks for sticking with me here. c: Please comment!

xxx

J

People say the worst feeling in the world is loving someone who doesn't love you back; that nothing hurts more then watching the one you love loving someone else.

I disagree.

I say the worst feeling in the world is loving someone and knowing they love you back but you continue to screw up every chance you have. That pain is indescribable. When you know that you could have had the chance to be the happiest person alive but still continue to mess things up for yourself over and over again.

I could picture every moment; every perfect moment that I could have had. Then it's all gone in a single burning flash. And it's all my fault.

I know it is because for some reason I always find a way to screw things up. To destroy any chance of a good thing coming my way. I always say the wrong thing at the wrong time and I never bother to fix it. I always assumed that things would magically heal themselves if it was meant to be. I wouldn't have to do anything or own up to my actions.

But watching Dara walk away from me was like getting punched in the gut. I felt like I was crashing from cloud nine and I hit the ground with a brutal force that knocked the air from my lungs.

I chased after her, pushing people to the ground when they stood in my way. I mumbled some sort of an apology but truthfully there was only understandable thought running through my head. Dara.

I pushed through the doors and flew down the school steps with a strength I didn't know I had in me. My eyes frantically scanned the parking lot, looking for that familiar head of hair. I found her speed walking to her car at the corner of the lot. Without a single coherent thought in my head, I ran after her, pushing past a worked up Chaerin along the way.

"Hey!" Chaerin yelled, as she nearly fell to the ground, catching herself just in time.

"Sorry!" I shouted over my shoulder, although I'm sure I didn't sound the least bit apologetic.

I heard her shout something in reply but I couldn't make out any of the words. They all blended together into some angry fireball of hate.

"Dara!" I called, watching her freeze for a second before continuing to walk to her car but at a much faster pace.

I finally reached her, grabbing her arm and turning her around to face me.

"Dara," I gasped, taking deep long breaths.

I put my hands on my knees, trying to get some air in my lungs. I groaned, wiping the sweat off my forehead. A hand gripped my side as it began to ache from the burning workout I just had. Man, you would think from all the sports I play, I could handle a run across the parking lot. I saw Dara roll her eyes and turn around to walk away. My hand latched around her wrist, pulling her back in place.

"Jiyong. I'm not really in the mood to hear anything you have to say," she spat at me.

"Wait," I pleaded, my hands still gripped her wrist, desperate not to let her slip away from me. "Please just hear me out."

She stepped closer to me. Her glare burned holes in my skin as her eyes hardened. "You don't deserve to be heard out. You deserve to rot in hell along with all of your other stupid, childish friends."

I took a step back in shock, my hands dropping to my sides. Dara's normal, radiant eyes that used to be so easy for me to read were blank and indifferent. She didn't seem upset or even angry with me. Her eyes almost looked like she was bored with me; like I wasn't even worth an emotion anymore.

A beat passed before she finally turned around and walked away.

She only made it a few feet before I bolted after her.

"Dara!" I shouted, desperately. "Dara, please! I'm sorry."

I grabbed her shoulder, pulling her to face me.

It all happened in one quick second. I hardly knew what was happening until I felt the stinging pain in my right cheek. I staggered backwards in shock after Dara's hand made contact with my face. The loud ringing slap could be heard throughout the nearly empty lot.

Somewhere from behind me I heard a small gasp escape from Chaerin's mouth.

I placed a hand to my reddened cheek before looking towards Dara. Her hand that she used was read but she didn't seem to care.

She stared back at me, her face streaked with tears. She tried to shoot me an angry glare, but with her red eyes and quivering lip, she only managed to look broken.

"Don't, Jiyong," she choked out. "Don't you dare apologize and try to make things better."

"But Dara-"

"No, Jiyong!" she shouted, wiping away the tears that had trickled down to her chin. "I don't want to hear it."

I reached out to her. "I can explain. I-"

"No!" she shouted, pushing my outstretched arms away from her. "There is nothing you can say to me that will ever justify what happened in there."

She jabbed a finger at my chest as she exaggerated each word; somehow managing to cram so much anger in one sentence. I grabbed onto her wrist, halting her actions.

"Dara. I'm so sorry. I never meant to hurt you like this."

She wrenched her hand from my grasp. "What? You never wanted to hurt me?" she asked, cynically.

"You know what, Jiyong? I want to hear you try to explain your reasoning for this." She crossed her arms over her chest. "Tell me exactly why you said you'd do the bet? Did you just agree to the bet to humiliate me? Was that it? You wanted to poke fun at the pathetic, nerdy, little Dara? Who cares what anyone thinks of her, right? She already has so much horrible rumors about her, what's the difference if we add another one? She probably hates herself so much at this point that one more stupid game won't hurt. Is that what you were thinking when you agreed?"

The tears were streaming down her face so quickly that she didn't even bother wiping them away.

"Did you ha