Depression is an illness that seeks comfort in misery.

Darkness filled the room, the curtains closed, no television, no music, no sound.

Ashley preferred it this way…

Calls went unanswered, half the time her phone was never charged. She enjoyed the company of her on mind; then again she couldn't stand it either, it allowed her to have memories. That created images of a life she no longer had, of a love that was no longer hers…

Ashley ended up dropping out of school, so that meant she could no longer stay in the dorms. She convinced her dad to get her a one bedroom apartment because she didn't want to move back home. Her mother was against it, but eventually her father was able to talk her into it. She told them she was going to register for school next semester but Ashley didn't plan on it. She hated school and she didn't feel like she needed it. College wasn't for everybody especially not her.

She didn't know what was in the plans for her and she didn't care. She was a lost girl searching for something she will never have. Tossing and turning in her dreams, because she saw his smile. Only to wake up and realize it will only be a dream.

Depression sinks deeper.

And so does her need for heroin.

No one knew she was a functioning addict, and she planned to keep it that way, she honestly didn't think she had a problem. Nor did she want the help.

She barely talked to her family and she hasn't spoken to Amy at all. She would see her calls but she wouldn't answer, she knew it wasn't Amy's fault for what happen to Jason but she couldn't fake a smile. She just couldn't talk to her right now. She heard from her mom that Amy had up and moved to New York, and that she was also expecting a baby. She hoped her sister was ok and in due time they would talk again.

….

"So have you guys done your homework?" Dr. Fields asked looking between Ricky and Piper.

"Yea I did without help from him of course," Piper said griming Ricky.

"Homework," Ricky said beginning to laugh "What are we like twelve."

"So are you saying you didn't do it?"

"Yea that's exactly what I'm saying; I don't see how writing down what we do every day on a piece of paper is going to help." Ricky said bluntly as Dr. Fields took a deep breath. He then sat his note pad down beside him.

"This exercise is design to help you guys deal with your feelings."

"I understand that but it just isn't for me, come up with a different exercise or something," Ricky said while slightly scratching his forehead.

"Ok will let's see Piper what are three things that you love about Ricky," Dr. Fields said pointing between Ricky and Piper.

Piper looked over at Ricky giving him a childish smile.

"Well I love how protective he is, I love how he turns bad situations into good ones, I love how he tries his best even when he's wrong." Piper said staring at Ricky and then at Dr. Fields.

"Ok Ricky how about you what are some things you love about Piper?"

"Well I love her strength, her loyalty even when I treated her in the worse of ways she stayed by my side, and I love her continues faith in me." Ricky said as Piper heart melted. It felt good to hear him say something good about her.

"Wonderful how did that make you feel to hear those words Piper, I saw how your face lit up," Dr. Fields asked smiling at Piper.

"Good I mean it feels good to hear good things about yourself, especially from your husband." Piper said looking over at Ricky again.

"That's good you what I am trying to do is to get you guys to talk about your feelings, How was your weekend?" Dr. Fields asked.

"It was good," Ricky and Piper said at the same time.

"No arguments?" Dr. Fields questioned looking between Piper and Ricky.

"Well we did have one?" Piper said looking over at Ricky.

"About what?" Dr. Fields said sitting back in his chair and crossing his leg.

"This tattoo that he has he tells me it means one thing but I know it means something else."

"Is it in some different kind of writing or something?" Dr. Fields asked looking at Piper.

"Yea it's in Chinese writing on his chest," Piper said as she thought about the tattoo it instantly pissed her off.

"I told you what it meant, you just don't listen" Ricky said now looking at Piper.

"I'm not stupid Ricky I know what it means, why can't you just tell me the truth," Piper questioned looking at Ricky.

"That is my truth now I'm done talking about this," Ricky said looking away from Piper and then at Dr. Fields.

"Next question please." Ricky said leaning back on the couch as Piper just stared at him.

….

Lauren was at the store as usual, she was now running Timeless Vintage. She would always tell herself this was temporary because she knew Amy was coming back. Ricky came to her a couple days after Amy left and asked her did she want to help run it. He agreed that he would handle the business part while she took care of the store. Lauren felt like she practically ran the place anyway and plus she wasn't doing too much of anything else so she didn't mind.

She was closing up the store with Kai, when they heard the door to the store open. They both looked at each other instantly.

"Didn't you lock the door?" Lauren asked Kai in a whisper.

"Yea I did," Kai said as they both instantly became scared. Lauren looked around the back room and reached for the first thing she saw.

"A hanger Lauren?" Kai asked Lauren thinking she wasn't serious.

"Look this is the best thing we got, whoever they are there going to get their eyes poked out," Lauren said as she demonstrated using the hanger.

"Yea where going to die," Kai said shaking her head.

"Oh my God there coming closer," Lauren said turning the opposite way.

"Why are you running," Kai said standing in the same position as she watched Lauren dip behind a box of hangers.

"Why wouldn't I," Lauren asked poking her head out.

As the footsteps became closer Kai couldn't help running right towards Lauren and dipping down beside her. The footsteps continue to become closer as Kai whispered.

"Oh my god it's more than one," Kai said feeling like she was about to have a panic attack.

The footsteps came to a halt as each person entered the room when they heard a voice call out.

"Lauren," They both heard the voice say as Lauren instantly felt relieved recognizing the voice.

"Ricky," Lauren yelled as Kai hit her arm, Kai wasn't saying anything because she wasn't convinced it was Ricky.

"Yea what are you doing," Ricky asked as Lauren jumped to her feet.

"Boy why didn't you say you something walking in here all quiet, I thought somebody had broken in." Lauren said standing to her feet with the hanger still in hand.

"My bad I could have sworn I told you earlier on the phone remember I was coming to get the deposits," Ricky said standing next Jack.

"Well I figured you weren't coming this late, It was about to be over for yall," Lauren said looking between Jack and Ricky.

"With what that hanger your holding," Jack said as he begin to laugh as Ricky joined in.

"Hiding behind boxes of hangers," Ricky said laughing even harder.

"Ok shut up," Kai said playfully pushing Ricky as she walked pass him.

"I don't get a hug," Jack asked yelling after Kai.

Kai smiled back at Jack as she continued to walk in the other room.

Jack ran after her leaving Ricky and Lauren alone.

Lauren tossed the hanger in the box of hangers as she then walked over towards the safe and begins to punch in the code. Ricky stood looking around, he still couldn't believe Amy left him, but the crazy thing was he could still feel her presence even though she wasn't there.

"You talked to Amy?" Ricky asked with his hands in his pockets.

Lauren was used to Ricky asking this question every time he came to the store, and she always told him the truth with a bit of a lie.

"Yea," Lauren said closing the safe back and walking up to Ricky with the bag of money.

"How is she?" Ricky asked taking the bag from Lauren.

"Um she's good." Lauren said as she begins to laugh.

"All right tell me nothing," Ricky said turning around as Lauren slightly pushed him.

"You know where my loyalty lies Ricky," Lauren said hands folded as she walked beside Ricky.

"I know it just would be nice to know where she was."

"Why so you can jump on your white horse and go capture her," Lauren said jokingly.

"Yea maybe," Ricky said with a wink.

Lauren shook her head as she laughed.

"And it never ends."

"Well she's gone; I love her so I respect her decision even if it means she's no longer in my life. I have to respect it, that's what you do when you love someone." Ricky said as he played with the bag of money in his hands.

"The harder you love the harder the heart will want." Lauren said patting Ricky's arm before walking over to the cash register.

Lauren was right, his feelings was still the same for Amy. It didn't matter how much time went by he still was deeply in love with her. He shook his head as he tried to get rid of thoughts of Amy. He looked up to see Kai and Jack kissing like they were in a porno, His stomach instantly became weak as he tried not to vomit where he stood.

"Virgin eyes," Lauren yelled at Jack and Kai while smiling, Ricky smirked as Jack pulled away from Kai.

"See you just mad it isn't you," Jack said jokingly to Lauren.

"What, why would I be mad." Lauren asked pointing to herself.

"Because you need a man,"

"How do you know I don't have a man," Lauren asked getting playfully defensive.

"You in here too much, no matter the day or time if somebody were looking for you they could find you." Jack said beginning to walk towards the door.

Lauren didn't even have a comeback because what Jack said was true she didn't have any type of man, so she retaliated by simply throwing a folder at Jacks head that missed him by a couple of inches.

"Dang," Lauren said snapping her fingers as she went to punch in the alarm. Ricky, Jack, and Kai followed each other out the store as Lauren quickly followed locking the door.

…

"You're about to get another tattoo?" Ricky asked Jacks as they walked into the tattoo parlor.

"Yea I just got this urge to get one, how about you?" Jack asked Ricky as they sat down in the waiting area.

"No I think I'm going to sit out on this one." Ricky said leaning back in his chair.

"Man remember when we last were here," Jack said beginning to laugh.

"Yea," Ricky said as he thought about that day and began to laugh also.

"Man Ben screamed like a little girl," Jack said laughing even harder as Ricky did also.

"Yea he did he damn near ran from the needle," Ricky said thinking about his friend.

"I miss him man," Jack said shaking his head as he cracked his knuckles.

"I do to, I miss both of them," Ricky said thinking about Ben and Amy and that day.

Flashback

"Wait this bet is just getting way out of hand," Ben said as he was sitting in the chair with his shirt off, waiting to get a tattoo.

"Hey this was the bet," Ricky said standing beside him on his left

"You're not getting scared are you?" Amy said leaning down in front of him smiling.

"Come on it won't be that bad Ben," Jack said standing on the right.

"God help me," Ben said looking up at the ceiling.

"So is this a good size for you," Johnny the tattoo guy asked Ben as he brought over a drawing of tweety bird."

Ricky, Ben, and Amy instantly burst into laughter as Amy fell into Ricky.

"Ok go head laugh all of you, tweety bird really on my chest." Ben said looking between Jack, Amy, and Ricky.

"A bet is a bet," Jack reminded Ben.

"Fine whatever let's do it, move out the way," Ben said out frustration.

"You don't have to be so mean," Amy said to Ben as they all sat down in the chairs surrounding Ben. Johnny the tattoo guy got Ben all set up; when Johnny turned on the needle Ben instantly began to sweat. When Ben felt the needle digging into his skin he couldn't take it. He screamed so hard jumping to his feet as he grabbed his shirt out of the chair.

"No, no, no I'm not doing it," Ben said storming to the back where the bathroom was.

Amy looked at Ricky as they all fell into laughter.

"I knew he wasn't going to go through with it, chump." Jack said griming the direction Ben went.

Ben came back from out the bathroom and stood in front of them.

"Chump defiantly not; I just don't get pleasure out of marking my body." Ben said seriously.

"Excuses, excuses," Jack said tossing his keys up in the air.

"Ok so you lost the bet you know what this means right?" Ricky asked Ben.

"What?" Ben asked fixing his shirt.

"Amy gets to have your car for a whole week."

Ben shook his head as he was trying to let the news digest.

"Alright Amy I'm warning you crash my car and I'm blowing up your house it's as simple as that." Ben said pointing his finger at her.

"If you value your finger you would get it out my face," Amy said beginning to laugh. "And I am an excellent driver nothing will happen to your car benny boo," Amy said pinching Bens cheek.

"Whatever let's just go," Ben said standing to his feet.

"No wait," Amy said now standing to her feet.

"Why what's going on?" Ricky asked as he also stood to his feet.

"I want a tattoo," Amy said as all the boys begin to laugh at her.

"Now if she gets this, you should be ashamed of yourself," Jack said pointing at Ben as he still remained sitting in his chair.

"Like none of you I value my body," Ben said sitting back down in his seat.

"What kind of tattoo?" Ricky asked Amy as he walked up to her.

"You're name," Amy said moving even closer to Ricky.

"Where?" Ricky asked surprised by the idea.

"On my wrist in Chinese letters so only you and I would know what it means."

"In other words if you two stop seeing each other she won't have to get a cover up?" Jack yelled to Ricky.

"Shut up Jack," Amy said glaring over at Jack.

"Alright do it then," Ricky said smiling down at Amy.

"Hold on only under one condition?" Amy said touching Ricky's chest.

"And what's that?" Ricky asked raising his eye brows.

"You get my name too," Amy said cocking her head to the side, as Jack stared on with his mouth hang open.

Ricky smiled at Amy as he laughed a little to himself.

"Are you serious," Ricky asked looking back up at Amy

"Don't do it," Jack yelled again to Ricky.

"Yea," Amy said completely ignoring Jack.

"Alright," Ricky smiled agreeing with Amy.

"Really?" Amy asked surprised.

"Yea I love you," Ricky said wrapping his arms around Amy's waist, pulling her closer.

"I love you too," Amy said as Ricky leaned down and kissed her lips.

"I love both of you so I wouldn't be a friend if I didn't say this, yall are stupid if yall get these tattoos." Jack said now standing to his feet.

"I'm not one for marking the body, but I must admit this is touching." Ben said looking on.

Amy smiled as they pulled apart from the kiss; she then took Ricky's hat off his head and placed it on hers.

"You look good in my hat." Ricky said pulling the hat down on her head so even her eyes wouldn't show.

"Do I," Amy said as she modeled the hat.

"Are yall hearing me, while yall trying on snap backs… I'm telling yall this is stupid." Jack repeated.

"Just let it go, let them be stupid together" Ben said leaning back in his chair.

END OF FLASHBACK

Ricky laughed to himself as he continued to think about that day, when it was time for Amy to get her tattoo she didn't even flinch.

…..

Author's Note…

I HAVE THE BEST REVIEWER'S MY GOODNESS I LOVE YOU GUY'S

Now I know all of you are wondering what's going on with Ben but you have to keep reading to find out if he's dead or alive… Amy will be going back home soon but the question is will she stay? Or will Ricky let her leave again. Things are going good between Kai and Jack but for some reason her last name never came up, what will he do when he finds out.

And Piper just keep pushing for her and Ricky, But maybe it's too late for them.

Ashley is becoming more addicted to drugs and where is Mike and when will he strike again?

Thanks Guys for reading… Remember review, review, and review.