The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks - What We Do For Friendship

When Ronnie tries to persuade Blaze at the local music store that it was Marcus who was the love criminal and mastermind behind the seduction at the party, Blaze denies everything Ronnie tells her. She then explains the story Marcus told her, and starts to make Ronnie angry. Ronnie ends up yelling at Blaze, and trying to convince her how much of a lying sneak her boyfriend really is. Marcus had definitely been sleeping with many different girls behind Blaze's back, and Blaze willingly tries to avoid any situation or evidence that might convict Marcus of cheating on her. Ronnie, noticing how stubborn Blaze is going to be about the situation, forces as much truth at Blaze as possible before Blaze storms out of the music store, leaving Ronnie behind. Desperate, Ronnie races after her, and storms out of the music store as the loud beeping of a product detector alarms. The owner reveals from Ronnie's bag three expensive CD's that weren't paid for. Ronnie realizes just how Blaze was trying to get Ronnie to leave her alone. Ronnie knew that Blaze knew that by framing her for theft, Ronnie would never come close to her again.

In the past, Ronnie had been convicted of shoplifting twice, once being an accident. Now that Ronnie had been caught a third time, she knew that she wouldn't be let off the hook as easily as before. This is another perfect example of being blamed for something you didn't do. But there were two good things that came out of Blaze framing Ronnie. One: Marcus was unable to have as much interaction with Ronnie, as he had become a potential stalker, and Two: the relationship between Ronnie and her father got stronger. Steve, Ronnie's father, didn't think twice when Ronnie told him it hadn't been her fault, and was at once convinced she was innocent. Deep down, Steve knew his daughter, and the things she would do, but he couldn't get himself to blame her, especially after she had been trusting him to believe her. Ronnie felt loved, and cared about, knowing that her father believed her. Out of everyone that could have believed she was truly innocent, her father did, the person she had been secretly against her whole life. She realized just how much he cared about her. "And if there was one bright spot in all that had happened, it was that her dad hadn't blown a gasket. And even more incredible, he's said he believed her to innocent (pg. 124)."

I predict that Blaze, near the end or middle of the book, will realize how noticeable Marcus's affection for other girls are, and realize just how oblivious she has forced herself to be. She'll then realize how good of a friend Ronnie had been to her, and face Ronnie, apologizing for what she'd done. She may even tell everyone that the shoplifting incident had been her fault entirely. I also predict that Ronnie and her father will start to do more things together that will form a healthy father daughter bondage, and Steve will try his hardest to keep their relationship strong. But I can see Steve somehow making one more small decision that leaves Ronnie grieving once more. Although he may make a mistake like this, I know that either Steve will somehow make it up to Ronnie, or Ronnie willforgive her father on her own. It always ends up okay in the end.