We Fall Between

by Creative Dummy

The worst thing a girl can do is become too comfortable in this world. Everything changes. Nothing ever stays the same. With friendship, the girls find it's just as much a struggle when together as it is when apart. :Sequel to LLD: AU

10. You Love Love Love When You Know I Can't

Warning: Hold on to your hearts, lovers. Someone's must break.

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…

We Fall Between

…

A life without love is like a year without summer. – Swedish Dude / Happy Valentine's Day, Lo

Lauren likes to glance at that text from Razor as often as possible, attempting to distract herself from how the Valentine's Day dance is the stupidest thing in the world.

For one, they hold it in the gym. No amount of red and pink paper decorations can mask the lingering stench of sweat, tears and low self-esteem. A decent amount of people showed up, mostly couples, except for the few groups of girls on one side and the group of boys on the other, floaters and wallflowers in between. It all seems so juvenile to Lauren.

She snaps photos of unsuspecting teens just for them to call out after her in protest, saying they weren't ready. Lauren shouts back, "That's what candid means!" and mumbles, "stupid," as she searches for a new set of victims. Her goal here is to get decent pictures and get out.

Lauren would much rather be in her pink Juicy sweats in her room that's heated by an actual heater and not teenage body heat. Emily will be using her laptop (virtually stalking Damon) as season one of One Tree Hill plays. Emily is attracted to Lucas' poetic nature and puppy face and Lauren goes for bad boy but secretly soft Nathan. A Scott brother each. Perfect.

She thumbs out a text to Razor. An hour at the V-Card dance is like a mouth of red fire ants.

"Hey, photoslave." Lauren looks up from her iPhone to find Max. He certainly cleans up well, wearing a dark satin suit that was probably literally featured during fashion week in Bryant Park. His hair is nicely styled, like always, and though Max's hair is nearly jet-black, the effort he put into getting it to look that way reminds her of Razor.

"Slave driver," Lauren says, looking him up and down. "Funny. I thought you were moving to New York to pursue photography, not Wall Street." She takes another second to look over his full, all black suit, completely with cufflinks and a tie. He's sharp as fuck and hot as hell, but Lauren treats him like she's only the least bit impressed. "Nice outfit."

Max leans in close to her and whispers, "Can we keep the part about NYC on the down low? You're the only one that knows." Lauren jerks away from him. If she's the only one he can tell about his future plans then maybe his life is faker than his soon-to-be ex-girlfriend's tan. "So…getting any good pictures?"

"Why do I feel like you don't need pictures and just dragged me here to torture me?"

"Nonsense." Max has a knack for appearing happier and more put together than he actually is. Lauren used to wear the same mask when she lived in the Royal world and nothing makes her happier than finally being out of it. "We do need the pictures."

"But you're so enjoying this."

Max laughs. "I am actually."

Lauren spies Maeve across the room with a bunch of her friends who are cataloged as Royals even though no one cares to know their names. Their popularity is mostly thanks to their parent's bank accounts. The Taft queen bee is stunning in a gold knit dress, but the furious look on her face is downright ugly. Her fingers itch to touch him in some sort of explicitly flirtatious way. Lauren from sophomore year would do it just for kicks, just to see how red Maeve will turn, just because it's easy.

Instead, Lauren swallows loudly and keeps her hands to herself as she says, "Uh-oh. It looks like your girlfriend won't be too happy about that dance you promised me."

"Maeve is rarely happy about anything I do," Max says. Not knowing how to respond to that, Lauren fiddles with her hair. He's starting to show her a part of him she didn't know existed, a part she doesn't want to know exist. She doesn't want to like him. She can't like him.

"She's lucky the DJ sucks. I don't dancing to crap," Lauren says. When Max's lips turn up in a smile, Lauren lifts the camera at the perfect moment and snaps a picture of him. The flash goes off in his face, making him blinks repeatedly. Lauren shows no mercy with her candids.

"I think I'm blind."

Lauren grins. "Just a little gift from me to you."

After rubbing his eyes, Max points her to the dance floor. "Quick, get a shot of that."

Lauren laughs, seeing the gym teacher with a flashlight, flashing it between the dancing couples, making sure there's an appropriate amount of space between them. Coach Tim blows his whistle, scolding the few bold souls who are practically having sex with their clothes on and trying to pass it off as dancing. Lauren does as instructed and takes a few pictures.

"I can see the headlines now," Max says. "Score: Sir Cockblocks-A-Lot 1, Horny Teenagers Zip. What do you think?"

"Do you ever think of anything other than photography or the newspaper?"

"Not really."

Max stares at her in a way that makes Lauren nervous. She doesn't know where this impulse comes from, but she wants to smile back. Even stronger is the curiosity to see what would happen if they touched. This time it's not so much about Maeve's reaction, but Max's. Before Lauren can act on any of these ideas, her head makes the judgment call and she keeps her hands firm on her camera and off her editor.

"Well, I better get back to my girlfriend."

"You should."

"I'll be looking forward to seeing those pictures Monday at lunch." Max turns away and Lauren brings her attention back to the old, digital screen of the camera, wondering how these pictures are going to turn out especially with the half-ass job she's doing. "Hey Lauren?"

"What now?" When she looks up, a flash goes off in her face. Once Lauren blinks the colorful spots away, she sees Max with his own camera and a smile. "What the hell was that?"

"You got me so I got you." That's all Max says before he makes his way across the room to where Queen Maeve waits for him with a verbal lashing. She knows it isn't worth witnessing, but can't stop herself. Lauren watches Maeve pull Max's face to her and kiss him hard. Lauren smiles at how threatened Maeve is.

Her phone holds a new text from Razor and it steals her undivided attention:

A second without you is like an eternity without sun.

That one makes Lauren feel like such a girl with a crush. She knows it's stupid, but sometimes she feels like Razor is sharing the day with her, one text at a time, like he's there and trying to distract her from how Kaylie and Maeve are attached at the hip. He makes day-to-day life easier for her and there's nothing she wants more than for him to be here with her.

It doesn't help that Kaylie and Nicky are being their typical cute, perfect couple selves, at the center of the dance floor, under all the seizure-inducing rainbow lights. Her head is on his chest as he holds her. Sometimes Lauren wonders if Kaylie and Nicky feel what everyone else sees in them. They're so damn lucky to have found something so rare in such a messed up world. Kaylie's constant complaints make no sense. Even after everything she's been through when it comes to boys, Lauren still thinks love can transcend insecurity, judgment and fear.

After snapping a few pictures of Kaylie and her boyfriend, thinking to maybe frame it and give it to Kaylie for her upcoming birthday, Lauren texts Razor: What's the best thing in life?

"We were both coming to the dance. Would it have been so horrible if we came together?"

Ike Benzinger is at a school dance. Oh, she definitely needs documented proof of this. Lauren surprises Ike with a picture, capturing how he greased his hair back for the evening and he's wearing his usual army jacket and sneakers, but with a loose tie and dark slacks.

"What are you doing here?" Lauren asks.

"Sweeping you off your feet?"

"Please," Lauren says. "It has something to do with drugs, doesn't it?"

"You're smarter than you give yourself credit for." Ike straightens his tie, but disregards his untucked, rumbled shirt and does it with the biggest grin, so proud.

"Speaking of smarts, have you noticed Emily acting a little weird?" Lauren asks. "I mean, I know her home life isn't perfect, but whose is, right? She's been jumpy and distracted."

"Maybe she's overwhelmed with school and work and everything?"

"Or maybe it's your boyfriend that's been buzzing around her," Lauren says accusingly.

"More like avoiding," Ike says. "Rodge says she's dodging him."

"I don't blame her. She told me about the drugs. Your boy's a chronic. Emily doesn't like it. Delinquent isn't exactly her type. Tell him to leave her alone."

"What makes you think Rodge listens to anything I say?" Ike laughs. "No one listens to anything I have to say. You'd know. You always gets my Starbucks order wrong."

"Whatever. You're lucky I offer to buy in the first place," Lauren says. "I'm ready to get out of here, go hang out with Em." Lauren shoves the camera into her large leather purse.

"Wait, since we're both here…wanna dance?"

"No."

"LoTa—"

"Now that deserves a no way in hell." Lauren spins so her blonde hair whips across her shoulder. Not just a practiced move, but perfected. "I'll see you Monday, Benz."

"One day, Lauren Tanner! One day you'll realize what a catch I am and it'll be too late! I'll be happily married and rolling in money with little Benzingers everywhere!"

"I don't even know what you're talking about and do you have to say it so loud? You are so embarrassing. Like, taking Special Ed kids on a field trip embarrassing."

Lauren waves and goes to the exit when someone stops short of bumping into her. Lauren has to look up because of the height difference, but his brown curls and is a dead giveaway. Carter Anderson strokes his fingers through his brown curls and gives her a nervous smile as he says, "Whoa, Lauren, hey."

He's so high and not even trying to hide it.

Lauren says the first thing that comes to mind. "Did your mom dress you?"

She doesn't even wait for a response from him before she starts walking away. It's a little scary how you can care so much about someone at one point in time and hate him within months. Carter's the one guy who doesn't ask her to dance tonight and even if she stayed long enough for him to, Lauren wouldn't have felt bad about saying no.

Walking down the dim hallway to the nearest restroom, Lauren passes couples making out against lockers and half-expects one to be Kaylie and Nicky, but doesn't spot them. Lauren purposefully smacks her heels against the floor and loudly says, "Seriously, what is this? An orgy free for all? Where the hell is the adult supervision?"

The couples are too wrapped up in each other to acknowledge Lauren. She walks into the girls' bathroom and is met by a mix of pot and nicotine. Repulsive. When she hears the sounds of snorting and vomiting, Lauren walks right back out. She doesn't have to go that badly. Searching for the nearest exit, Lauren checks her phone and finds two more texts from Razor.

Best things in life are free, but you can keep 'em for the birds and bees. Give me money. ;-)

Razor, a couch, and Empire Records sounds like the perfect Valentine's Day. Hands down. Lauren feels a terrible ache and wonders why things she wants are always out of reach.

Fighting disappointment, Lauren opens the second text.

Nah. The best thing in life is getting the right girl to smile at u at the right time. Heaven.

Lauren replies with a :)

But it's an inaccurate depiction of the expression on her face in that moment.

Lauren says goodnight to Marcus, who's guarding the door, a smart choice seeing as flocks of teen girls refused to give him breathing space when he was overseeing the dance floor. As she walks to her car, a loud, super slutty moan grabs her attention. She expects a freshman looking to climb the social ladder. When her evil gears start to turn, Lauren reaches into her bag for her camera. It's been a long time since she's had dirt this good on anyone.

Poised to snap a photo, Lauren almost drops the camera when she recognizes the boy with his tie off, top buttons of his shirt undone, hands on some girl's ass. Max Spencer. And the blonde he's with (whose face Lauren recognizes, but name remains unknown) definitely isn't Maeve.

Lauren knew that guy was too nice and too agreeable and the way he looked at her…doesn't matter. Max is a cheater just like Carter. Instincts tell her to take the picture. Ultimately, Lauren resists. What he's doing isn't right, but he hasn't done anything to her. Lauren knows better than to stir useless drama. Her priorities have shifted. She doesn't dabble in high school drama because her phone lights up with a new text from Razor and Emily is waiting.

Though Lauren is content with her decision, the darkness in her starts to grow impatient.

…

For a week now, every conversation Kaylie has had with her boyfriend revolves around Faith Giancana. It's nice to see Nicky so excited about Faith's visit, but every conversation?

All Nicky seems to talk about is the amazing Faith Giancana, who has the best stories from running away from home and who's trying to fatten him up with cupcakes and how she's living with him! Kaylie remembers spending a considerable amount of time around Faith last summer and she can see why people want to be around her, but the way Nicky talks about her suggests she's the freaking messiah. Kaylie finds it odd and a little annoying.

A part of her thinks it's less about Faith and more about how Nicky comes to life when he talks about her. He shares the story about Faith giving tours at the Louvre when she has little to no knowledge of Near East Antiquities or something more recent like Faith setting off the smoke alarm at his house, trying to perfect one of her grandma's pie recipe. There's always a grin on his face and a shine to his eyes. Kaylie hasn't seen him like this since they were in Barcelona.

"So how was your day?" Kaylie asks while they're on the phone. She's snuggled up in her bed with her phone pinned between her cheek and shoulder, eyes on the screen of her laptop.

"Great," Nicky says. An adjective he's been using a lot more these days. "My dad was not happy about me ditching school for roller coasters and funnel cake, but it's cool because Faith took the blame and my dad lets her get away with everything. He took us to serve out our punishment at the CU Denver campus today."

"And how was it?"

"Boring. He introduced me to his colleagues and the faculty. Faith got more out of it than I did. She randomly sat in on a lecture and of course it turns out to be a sexualities class. Faith being Faith went up to the professor after class and asked her to elaborate on the sex vs. gender paralleling nature vs. nurture debate. Now Faith is considering college. She hasn't been this excited about education since the first time she quit gymnastics. Isn't that great?"

"Yeah, really great," Kaylie says distractedly. As she listens, Kaylie plays Tetris on Facebook.

"Can you picture Faith and me going to school together? I can already see her convincing me to sign up for Women Studies or Pilates 101 and me being the only guy. Can't wait."

"Nicky, do you think we could talk about something else?"

"Uh, sure," he says. Cue the long pause. "So…how was your day?"

Kaylie turns onto her stomach, bored with Tetris. "I finally got the choreography down for the Colorado Classic and the squad hasn't ripped my face off yet, which can only mean we're on the right track. It seems like everything is starting to come together."

"Cool." Nicky sounds just as unenthusiastic as she felt when he was talking.

"Nix! Crap! Where's your blow dryer? I was in the shower and I left my phone on the toilet seat lid just incase Kel calls since she's basically on suicide watch. It rang, but it was just stupid Austin texting me and I accidentally dropped my phone in the shower!"

Faith Giancana. Kaylie would know that voice anywhere.

"I don't own one. And a blow dryer would just makes it worse," Nicky replies. He drops his phone with a thud and doesn't even tell Kaylie first. "Dry it, remove all this—the cover, battery, memory card—then put it in a bag of rice."

"Isn't it going to get all gross?"

"Uncooked rice. It should absorb the water. Jesus, Faye, you're getting the floor all wet. Can you please go put some clothes on?"

"Um, I'm kinda freaking out here! You're lucky I remembered a towel when I ran out of the bathroom! This phone is my lifeline. What if Kelly needs me or Joey calls to tell me she's boozing it up again? I need my phone, Nicky."

"Well, hopefully it'll be fine in the morning. You need to keep it in rice overnight," Nicky explains. "I think I still have Joey's number. I'll text him, tell him what happened and to keep me updated. Then if your phone is still wrecked, we can go to AT&T tomorrow."

"Okay, text Kelly and let her know," Faith says. "She says she deletes your texts without reading them, but I raided her BlackBerry and she totally has every single one of your sappy Kelly, pick me, choose me, love me texts. I'm sureshe'll get a kick out of this. What idiot drops her phone in the shower? Anyways, yeah, I'm taking your cell hostage for the night."

"Sure. Right after I finish talking to Kaylie."

"Wait…Kaylie's on the phone with you right now? She's been listening to us talk?"

"Yes?"

"Kaylie, I'm totally wearing clothes!" Faith shouts. The dark-haired girl cringes, feeling like she's just been caught eavesdropping. "I'm wearing a, um, a robe! It's a big fluffy Eskimo robe that makes me look and feel like a big, cuddly polar bear!"

"Huh?" Nicky says confusedly.

Faith laughs. "Stupid, dude, you're so stupid. Anyways, have fun talking to your girlfriend. And remember, Kaylie Cruz, society raises us to believe men are meant to be emotionally inexpressive so it's the woman's responsibility to coax him into expressing emotion and it's her job to keep the relationship conflict-free, but that is such gendered bull—"

"Okay, Faith, every second you waste, your phone slips that much closer to death."

"Aw, crap! This is so my life," Faith grumbles. "Oh, and can you text Payson and tell her about my idiot ways? Tell her to pass it on to Austin and Conrad. I said I'd keep them all updated."

"Yeah, sure," Nicky says. A door squeals and then there's some shuffling before Nicky picks up the phone. "Sorry about that. Kaylie, you still there?"

"Still here."

"So what were we talking about?" Nicky asks.

"What did she mean Kelly is on suicide watch?"

"Not actual suicide, like she's not going to kill herself. Kelly is too good for that and she knows it. Faith is just being dramatic, which is pretty much a twenty-four/seven thing with her."

"So you've been texting her? Kelly?" Kaylie asks out of genuine curiosity. He seems so preoccupied with Faith and their sleepovers at the Russo house that he failed to mention Kelly at together. It's like staring at a rainbow and ignoring the storm.

"Yeah, even though she doesn't text back," he replies sadly. "We just…I don't know. That morning we saw Kelly, Faith just works her magic and suddenly they're friends again, but for me it isn't that easy. Apparently Kelly has a new boyfriend or something."

Kaylie sits up with intrigue, forgetting about Facebook altogether. "Who?"

"Some gymnast. Faith says he's a good guy and I trust her taste in people…most of the time. It's just weird. When you're apart, go on with your life, but don't think about them going on with theirs. Then you hear about it from someone else. Am I making any sense?"

"Yeah, I get it," Kaylie says. Immediately, she thinks of Payson. "Nicky, I need to go. Don't forget about the dance tomorrow night."

"How could I?" he asks. She can see his smile in her head and it makes her so giddy. "I'll be at your place. Six o'clock sharp."

"Goodnight, Nicky."

"Night, Princess."

Kaylie hits end and looks at the home screen of her phone. With slow, lazy movement, Kaylie clicks through her contacts and highlights Payson's number. Usually, her early morning runs with Payson set the tone for the rest of her day. Instead Kaylie has been keeping an eye on Amelia as Ronnie makes breakfast. She misses their jogs, just her and Payson and the forest. Kaylie doesn't want to apologize first, but she does miss having Payson in her life.

"Kaylie, you have to come see this!" Ronnie shouts. Though she's reluctant to get up, Kaylie does as she's asked and makes her way to her door. "Kaylie, come down here!"

She walks downstairs and finds Ronnie and AJ in the foyer, huddled around the circular table in the center. There sits a gigantic bouquet of fresh fruit. Chocolate-dipped strawberries coated in either coconut or almonds, pineapples cut into stars and flowers, sticks of stacked red grapes, apple wedged dipped in chocolate and dusted with cinnamon and banana slices smothered in a combination of white and semisweet chocolate.

"Dear Kaylie Cruz and family, I'm sorry if I was a bother the other day. It was unprofessional and won't happen ever again. Deepest apologies, Damon Young," Ronnie reads the little card.

"This thing is amazing!" AJ shouts, like a little child. Ronnie scolds him that he'll wake Amelia, but the young father ignores her. "Kaylie, I say you dump the dork and date the Damon."

AJ reaches for a strawberry, but Ronnie slaps his hand away and says, "Wait, let me tweet it!" Ronnie focuses her camera phone on the edible arrangement. "Kaylie, Damon told me about your little run-in the other day. He seemed genuinely sorry."

"Yeah, genuinely sorry he got caught," Kaylie says. Though she's willing to admit the fruit bouquet is impressive, Kaylie is on Emily's side. "He's Emily's ex. He left her the second he got famous. Now she's finally getting over him and he shows up here, sending us fruit."

"Hey, I met that kid over the summer. This Damon is Emily's Damon?" AJ asks.

"Not anymore." Kaylie squints her eyes, taking a closer look at the chocolate-coated fruit. She finds it a little strange that her brother has met Emily's first boyfriend and even Lauren's Newport boy of summer and she hasn't.

Ronnie eyes Kaylie, who's staring at a particular chocolate-dipped strawberry the size of a golf ball. "Kaylie, did Emily tell you what Damon's been doing over his hiatus?"

"I don't think she knows. Whatever rock stars do, I guess."

"It'd be incredibly unprofessional if I told you and not to mention a breach of our contract and Damon's trust. Just remember that there's always different sides to every story." Ronnie rubs her hand across Kaylie's shoulders. She starts to walk to the stairs, but then stops and grabs a chocolate-coated strawberry. "Goodnight, kids. You two have fun eating all that."

"Oh, we will."

AJ wraps an arm around the metal centerpiece and the other around Kaylie. They sit in the living room with the bouquet between them, trying different fruit while watching Selena on TV. She should probably work on the U.S. History essay due tomorrow, but it's so much more fun to listen to AJ mocks their Ronnie-given heritage and lament the disappearance of JLo's hotness. Though she would never tell him, hanging out with AJ is the perfect end to her night.

Though Kaylie prays that Valentine's Day will be just as perfect, all her hope evaporates when she literally bumps into Marty at dinner before the dance. Seeing Marty reminds her of the night AJ destroys his car, glass shattering and scattering all around.

"Kaylie, hi."

"Marty."

The first thing she notices is how cleaned up he is. Still as muscular as before, wearing a formal jacket over a button-up and dress pants. It being Valentine's Day, Kaylie assumes it's a date. Just the thought makes Kaylie feel ill. After everything he put their family through, Kaylie can't even look at him, staring down at her heels instead.

"I, uh, gotta go now," he says. "Have a nice night?"

"You too."

Marty makes his way past the two girls and towards the restrooms. Kaylie rushes away in her pink dress cinched at the waist with a black belt. Maeve follows, glittering in gold. Gold can easily become gaudy, but Maeve wears it well and sells it. Maybe she really is meant to model.

"What the hell was that?" Maeve asks. "And who was he? Hot for an old guy."

"Maeve, you need to cool it with checking out everyone who isn't your boyfriend." Kaylie stops when they're a good distance from the bathrooms yet not quite at their table. "That is Marty."

"Homewrecker Marty?"

"The one and only," Kaylie says. "Can we drop it?"

"If that's what you want. Consider it dropped." Maeve usually pries to the bitter end, but not when it comes to family. That's when the good friend in Maeve Benson comes out and Kaylie adores that. "So, you and the boo seem cozy. It's a decent to a good night, right?"

"That's to be determined…"

The run-in with Marty aside, so far the night has been really great. Nicky showed up on time and Ronnie, dressed up with plans to go out with her single girlfriends, insisted on taking a million pictures. Kaylie and Nicky then met Maeve and Max at a little Italian restaurant nearby. There they fell into their fab four roles, joking about growing old together, having kids at the same time, living in the same suburb and vacationing together in Spain.

Max joked about wanting at least six kids and Maeve told him to start looking for a surrogate or seek out adoption agencies because there's no way she's going to put her body through the trauma. Laughing and interjecting with her comments, Kaylie holds Nicky's hand beneath the table and he mostly stays quiet, which is normal for him.

When the girls return to their table, their boyfriends are laughing together. It's unbelievable how civil they are, seeing as they were ready to kill each other just last weekend. Then again, that's exactly what Kaylie and Nicky are doing (and do often) so she has no place to judge.

Nicky takes one look at Kaylie and asks, "What's wrong?"

It touches her that Nicky can pick up on how upset she is, but that isn't something Kaylie wants to talk about right now in front of Maeve and Max. "It's nothing."

"We ran into the guy who broke up her family. No big," Maeve says offhandedly. "So, the food was lovely, wasn't it? Max and I ate here for our one-year anniversary. So embarrassing. Neither of us could drive and so my mom brought us and you know how she can be."

"Wait," Nicky interrupts the little anecdote. "Marty's here?"

"Forget it." Kaylie waves it off. "Maeve, what happened to dropping it?"

"I answered his question and now it's dropped." Maeve gives the boys a look, warning them not to bring up Marty for the rest of the night. "So, what have you boys been talking about?"

"Faith Giancana being back in our corner of the universe," Max answers. Even he looks excited to have her here even if Maeve won't allow him to see her without supervision. Kaylie remembers that conversation and she hates how much it makes her second-guess everything.

"I don't know her and I certainly don't trust her around my boyfriend and you shouldn't trust her around yours," Maeve had said, having her own unique opinion on Faith Giancana.

"They're just friends," Kaylie argued. "Childhood friends."

"So were Nicky and Kelly Parker if I remember correctly," Maeve murmured under her breath.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing. Much like what's left of their fucked up relationship."

Kaylie feels Nicky's hand slide under hers and it snaps her out of the memory. Across the table, Max laughs to himself. "Aw, man. I always knew I liked Faith ever since that summer in Manhattan. That's when we got our first fake IDs and saw our first Burlesque show. Remember, Nicky? We were so convinced she was a she, but, oh, how wrong we were."

"We were like fifteen. It makes no sense how we even got past the doors," Nicky reminisces. "When we were kids Max always gave me a hard time about having two girl best friends and then you were begging to tag along."

"Duh, it was New York City," Max says. "I got so many good pictures out of that trip."

"I've noticed. They're framed all over your room," Maeve adds. "Clue me in about Nicky's other, other girlfriend again?"

"She's more like a sister," Nicky says, a flawless deflection, like he's used to the accusation. "My dad's been home more since Faith moved in than in the last few years. While I'm in my room doing homework, dad and Faith are always cooking Italian food together. It's kinda nice how the house doesn't feel as empty anymore."

Kaylie feels the same way about AJ and Amelia being in town.

"Nicky, tell me Faith convinced Uncle Don to let two do the Amsterdam trip."

"Still in the negotiation stage, but we're getting there. It won't be long until he gives in. Faith and I talked it over when we were waiting in lines for roller coasters, playing the 'instead of a grad party' angle. Not that I'd want one. But yeah, it's pretty much a done deal."

Max shakes his head, envious. "You need to take one of my cameras, but don't let Faith touch it. Get me some shots of the canals. I hear Amsterdam has gorgeous canals."

Maeve laughs. "Canals? What? Is that code for nude beaches and brothels?"

"Knowing Faith Giancana? Exactly," Max says. "But seriously, they have beautiful canals that I could stare at for hours and all the old houses that line the canals are like something out of a Grimm fairytale, which you should love since foreign architecture is what you're into."

"Honestly, Kayliekins, do you know anyone else besides my boyfriend who'd call a ditch with water in it beautiful?" Maeve curls her arm around Max's neck and plays with the tips of his hair. "You think he'd have higher standards, dating me and all."

Max slides his arm around Maeve's waist and kisses her neck until she squeals. Nicky grows uncomfortable when he feels Kaylie's eyes on him.

"Wait," Kaylie says, voice shaking a bit. "What Amsterdam trip?"

Silence floods the table. Max tries to ignore it and kiss his girlfriend again, but Maeve's arm drops, along with her expression. Already expecting a fight, Maeve looks between Nicky who's nervously taking a sip of his water and Kaylie who has her eyes on him, not even blinking.

"This summer, after graduation, Faith and I want to 'backpack' through Europe," Nicky explains. "We're spending a couple days in Amsterdam, a couple days in Paris and then finally to Barcelona for the tail end of the summer. Probably New York after that for the beginning of August and depending on what school I decide on, I might be back here or not. I was meaning to tell you, but I didn't want to say anything until things were official and they aren't. The only reason Max knows is because he was supposed to come with us."

"But I'm wait listed for this summer internship so I guess I'll just be living vicariously through Nicky," Max says. They aren't that close, but Max is always willing to jump in to help dig a brother out of a hole, an admirable quality.

"Oh, cool." Finally tearing her eyes away from him, Kaylie looks down at her salad and picks her fork back up, stabbing at the lettuce. No one speaks so when Kaylie's fork scratches the ceramic plate it's awkwardly noisy. Nicky squeezes her hand, but she won't squeeze back.

Nicky frowns. "You're upset."

"No, I just wish I knew."

"Well, you know now?" Nicky says tentatively.

"Okay, super couple, I think it's time to look at the desert menu," Max says. He loudly fumbles with the laminated menu, providing them with a much-needed distraction.

Maeve also tries to help move the conversation along. "I don't eat dessert. You know that."

"Yeah, like you don't eat appetizers and you barely eat entrées," Max says. Maeve straightens in her seat and scoots away so there's a big space separating them. Max holds her stare as long as he possibly can, but eventually gives in. "Well, I guess you're just going to have to watch the rest of us."

"Actually, I don't have much of an appetite anymore." Kaylie sets down her fork and it hits the plate louder than she anticipated, sounding like she's about to throw a tantrum.

"Kaylie." Nicky sighs.

"Should we get the check and head to the dance then?" Max asks. Tossing the menu aside, he gives up on the idea of dessert. It's obvious that everyone wants to leave as soon as possible.

"Sounds great," Kaylie says. "I'm going to wait out front and get some air."

"Great idea. I'll come with!" Maeve beats Nicky to the punch. She grabs a hold of her clutch that matches her dress and the two run off, leaving the boys to take care of the bill. Nicky starts yelling at Max about bringing up Amsterdam and Max defensively says he was just trying to make small talk and Kaylie stops listening once they reach the front.

Standing out in front of the restaurant, Kaylie takes deep breaths, filling her lungs with the cold night air. She has to remind herself to breathe before she ceases to do it entirely. Instead of trying to talk her through it, Maeve just wraps Kaylie up in a hug. She knew exactly what Kaylie needed without her even having to ask.

They don't talk. Maeve doesn't try to help her work through things and Kaylie doesn't try to explain the twisted, messed up way she feels. They just stay like that, in a comfortable silence until the boys join them. Both Max and Nicky are bumbling and awkward and the resemblance has never been stronger. Nicky and Kaylie get into his SUV while Maeve and Max take her convertible, planning to meet at the school.

"So how long have you been planning this?" Kaylie asks, breaking the silence. Obviously Nicky has been meaning to say something for the longest time, but didn't know how or what.

"Years now? We always said we wanted to get out of the States, see what else is out there once the girls were satisfied with their gold medal counts. Um, Faith and I only started seriously planning it last summer and earlier this week."

Girls. As in Kelly was apart of their plan, but now isn't. It scares Kaylie how she picks up on little details like that and how it nags at her.

"And you didn't think to mention it before? Just the fact that you were planning this?" Kaylie's so angry and she doesn't understand it completely, but she needs to get it out. "You didn't stop to wonder how I'd feel about it?"

"Yes, I thought of you, but I didn't think you'd make a big deal about it," Nicky says. "It's just a summer. Plus, it's not like you'd be able to come along. Your mom and dad would never let you leave the country with Faith and me. Your parents actually care about you."

It makes her even angrier when he pulls the parents card. Is it her fault she has parents who try and he doesn't? Nicky constantly reminds her and Kaylie is sick of it.

Crossing her arms and jutting her chin, Kaylie pouts. "All I'm saying is it would have been nice if you told me you already made plans for the summer. And here I thought we could spend the summer together, just you and me, maybe in Barcelona before you go off to school in the fall. I guess I was wrong to assume. Sorry. It won't happen again."

By Nicky's expression, he's trying to come up with something to say that will fix everything, but he just doesn't know what that is. Kaylie doesn't know if that's possible right now.

"Well," Nicky tries, "we can still meet up in Spain towards the end of the summer?"

"No. Just go off on your epic Europtrip with Faith. It's fine."

"What the problem, Kaylie?" Nicky asks. "Is this the whole Faith thing again? I told you—"

"No, this isn't about Faith! It's about everything! I feel like you hate your life right now and you can't wait to get to your big, exciting future and…and it scares me that I might not be apart of it," Kaylie says, her voice cracking with honesty. Before she can continue, Nicky pulls the car over to the side of the road and shuts off the engine. "Nicky, what are you doing?"

Nicky gets out and takes the keys with him. Kaylie sits back and watches as her boyfriend rounds the front of the SUV, facing out into the dark. The nearby streetlights are ineffective, but every time a car zooms down the road, Kaylie sees Nicky just standing there. She gets out, ignoring her cute heels dragging through the dirt and goes to stand next to him. Her heart thumps in her chest, nervous as to how he's going to react to her angry truths.

"You're right," Nicky says. "About one thing at least. I do hate my life." Kaylie swallows a wince. "Maybe hate is too strong a word, but like I was telling… I, um, I feel stuck. I'm tired of doing the same thing everyday. I need something different. I need to feel like I'm actually living my life, but that's all on me. I don't know what it is or why I feel it. I don't know what my future looks like, but of course I want you to be apart of it."

"So where do you see us a year from now?"

"I see you finishing up your last year of high school and I'll be going to university," Nicky says. The future is a vague canvas and science-driven Nicky Russo can only offer cold, concrete fact. At this point, she should have expected that and nothing more.

"And do you see us together?"

"We won't know until we get there."

"God, you really are the worst boyfriend ever!" Kaylie groans, flinging her hands up in the air. "You're supposed to say, 'yes, Kaylie, a year from now we're together and happy and laughing about that Valentine's Day where you even questioned us.' That was the right answer."

"Yeah, but that'd be a lie and I know you prefer the truth," Nicky says. At this point, she hates withheld truths even more. "Kaylie, I don't know what's going to happen in the future and I know it's coming at us fast, but I need to take it one day at a time. That's the only way I know how. We need to take things slow."

Kaylie grinds her teeth, frustrated. "We've been taking things slow."

He tilts his head in that way he knows she thinks is one of his most adorable quirks. "Slow and steady wins the race…?" She has nothing to say to that and so she doesn't. "Kaylie, you're my first girlfriend ever. I know I space sometimes and I'm not the world's greatest boyfriend, but you gotta know I'm trying. Trust me. We're going to be okay."

Nicky tugs her closer, begging to hit the reset button like they do every other day. Kaylie decides to break the cycle and refuses to fall into his arms and ignore the conversation they just had. Instead, Kaylie says, "We should probably get to the dance."

Nicky opens her door and Kaylie gets in with a cold, "Thanks." They drive the rest of the way in silence. When they arrive, Kaylie puts on a smile, not wanting anyone to ask questions. Nicky does the same to the best of his ability. When they're in the middle of the dance floor, Kaylie holds on tight, but now she's starting to question what she's even holding on to.

…

Ike and Rodge's so-called "business" is more than disorganized. It's disastrous.

Emily tries to do things the way Ike and Rodge tell her to, but then ends up reinventing the entire system with codenames she came up with herself. More and more text messages pour in and Emily transfers the orders into a ledger she then gives to Ike. He takes a trip to their supplier and comes back with thousands of dollars in illegal drugs.

There are three prime pick-up spots—the big oak tree across from the football field, the old abandoned lockers behind the band room (most notably 303) and the alley behind the Pizza Shack, near the dumpster. At some point during the day, customers slip Emily cash and in return they'll get a text, giving them a specific time and place where they'll find their order in a Pizza Shack brown paper bag.

The days that lead to the Valentine's Day dance is when the drug phone practically explodes. Some of the biggest dealers in school are going to be setting up shop in the boys' bathroom. Emily thinks it's a bad idea to be walking around school with a backpack full of drugs and making deals on the fly, but Ike assures her that he's done it a million times.

Before English class starts, Kaylie shows off her cute Valentine's Day text messages from Nicky. One in particular is a picture of Nicky using his hands to form a heart. It's horribly blurry and the side of someone's thumb obscures a corner of the shot. After catching up with Payson (trying to get her to talk to Kaylie with no luck), Emily's pretty sure Faith is the photographer, but isn't about to point this out. Kaylie can't stop smiling and it's nice to see, especially after how much time she spends worrying about their relationship.

"Lo, you might as well enjoy yourself since you're being forced to go to the dance," Kaylie says. "Just make the most of it."

"What is there to enjoy?" Lauren's voice fills the entire room and even turns a few heads. "It's a stupid high school dance. Valentine's Day doesn't even mean anything. It's dumb."

"I couldn't agree more," Emily says.

She's about to launch into a spiel about the world's weird obsession with love when Rodge walks in. Emily freezes up while Kaylie goes on about how she thinks candy hearts are cute and Lauren argues that they taste like chalk. Emily prays Rodge will just ignore her, but that fails to come true in an epic way when he squats next to her desk.

"Hey."

"Hi," she says, like she hasn't been in his apartment and doesn't know his dad is a drunk and his mom is a runaway. Lauren and Kaylie grow quiet, an audience to their freak show.

"I scared you the other day, didn't I?" he asks. "With the drugs."

Emily tries her best to ignore him and it only highlights Lauren and Kaylie's faces—surprise that quickly transitions into concern.

"Can you say that any louder?" Emily whisper-hisses.

Rodge fixes that same red beanie over his hair and nods to the door. "Let's get out of here."

"Class starts in like two minutes."

Instead of retreating in defeat, Rodge stays squatted there and stares her down as if he can compel her to do as he asks. All Emily can think for the few seconds of eye contact is that his eyes aren't like Damon's baby blues, not at all. He stays there until the bell rings and everyone takes their seats. Emily expects him to walk out, not even bother to stay for class, but he surprises her and goes to an empty desk at the back.

Lauren leans in close and loudly asks, "What the hell was that?"

Emily replies honestly. "I have no idea."

"Is it my imagination or is there an abundance of pinks and reds in the room today?" Marcus asks. All around the room girls show off their flowers and boxes of chocolate (that they'll only eat in secret) and even wearing the colors—matching with their significant others. "In honor of the day, I thought we could revisit an old friend of ours, Shakespeare. Let's talk about love."

Great. Emily's favorite class and they're dedicating the period to a holiday that isn't even a holiday. Maybe ditching with the delinquent boy would have been the better choice. Living with her decision, Emily slouches as Marcus scrawls "Shakespeare" across the board and distributes a stack of copy paper.

"What makes Shakespeare romantic?"

"He wrote romances," Rodge says. "That was kind of his genre."

"Thank you, Rodge, but try to raise your hand next time." Marcus walks around the side of his desk and carefully moves aside a plate of red velvet cupcakes with heart-shaped sprinkles so he can sit on the edge like always. "I meant in regards to our modern interpretation of romance and what we consider romantic. After all, that's what keeps Romeo and Juliet relevant, right? Any thoughts on this?"

"It just is," Kaylie pipes up. She stops herself to raise her hand and Marcus gives her a nod. "That's why movies are always using and reusing their same basic storyline. The first time Romeo ever sees Juliet he forgets the other girl he was just in love with because he felt so strongly about her. He was willing to give up everything he had for everything he could have with her. That is romantic."

A laugh comes from the front of the room and it's Alison. "Kaylie Cruz actually read Romeo and Juliet?" Kaylie glares, but the attention only excites Alison. "But can we really call it a successfully romance? I don't know if you actually got to the end, Kaylie, but they both die."

"Dude, spoiler alert!" someone says from the back.

"Bite me," Alison shoots back. "He thought she was dead, drank some poison and died. Then she stabbed herself and died. I personally wouldn't consider that romantic. Just retarded."

"Right, Ali, you'd know, considering you only read the end and the Wikipedia page," Kaylie responds. Hearing Kaylie's angry voice wakes Lauren who was trying to teach herself to sleep with her eyes open.

"Ladies," Marcus says, hoping to not lose control of his class like he so often does.

Emily raises her hand. "Kaylie has a point. Teenagers, love at first sight, the balcony scene, doing whatever it takes to be together and ultimately using death to prove it. I think we put that up on a pedestal, unrealistic but nice to think about." Her expression darkens. "We like to think of it as romantic because we only get to see the relationship just starting out. We don't see all the fighting and the boredom, life and other people interfering, all the stuff that happens when you've been with someone for longer than a few days."

"Past the honeymoon period," Kaylie murmurs, thinking of something else entirely.

Lauren's hand shoots up and Marcus calls on her. From his reaction, he really didn't expect all of this to come out of his opening question. "I think Romeo was a total jerk. Hello. He was obsessed with that Rose chick one second and all up on Juliet the next? What's romantic about a guy being a dog?"

Rodge jumps in and actually raises his hand this time. "It pains me to, but I might have to agree with Lauren Tanner. Romeo was fickle, which might be the most realistic part. I don't think Shakespeare thought of it as romantic. I mean, it's a tragedy. If it were meant to be romantic then they would have lived happily ever after, which they didn't because it wasn't a love story. The only take home message I ever got is to not go online and steal Romeo and Juliet quotes to try to get into girls' pants unless they're really stupid."

"Alright then," Marcus says once a contemplative silence falls over the class. "Whether Shakespeare meant for his work to be romantic or not, the general public considers it to be, but if Romeo and Juliet is a little too dark for some of you, the paper in front of you is considered by some to be Shakespeare at his most romantic—Sonnet 116. This is what you want to be quoting to get the girl. Who's up for a little analyzing and discussion?"

Emily pulls the crisp sheet of paper into her hands and reads to herself.

Let me not to the marriage of true minds
Admit impediments, love is not love
Which alters when it alteration finds,
Or bends with the remover to remove.
O no, it is an ever-fixed mark
That looks on tempests and is never shaken;
It is the star to every wand'ring bark,
Whose worth's unknown, although his height be taken.
Love's not Time's fool, though rosy lips and cheeks
Within his bending sickle's compass come,
Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks,
But bears it out even to the edge of doom:
If this be error and upon me proved,
I never writ, nor no man ever loved.

There's silence in the room, probably because most failed to comprehend it. The words are easy enough to understand and define, but as a whole, it's like trying to put together a thousand-word puzzle. The thing about puzzles is they only get completed if you really want to complete them. Marcus then takes them through it line by line. Turns out, it's quite beautiful.

It's about love. It's about a love that endures even the most brutal change, including infidelity. It's a love that can't be erased by time, but lasts until the last of breaths. It ends cheekily and firmly, Shakespeare saying that if he can be proven wrong, proven that even a single word in the sonnet is a lie then he's certain no man has ever truly loved. Now that is romantic.

The bell sounds and Marcus quickly jots down their next assignment on the board. He spins to face the class and says, "Closing remarks. Everyone, have a good weekend, read something, stay safe and if you're attending the dance I will see you tonight, considering I got stuck with chaperone duty. Great class today, guys! Learn something this weekend!"

As the three leave class, Lauren says, "Tell me Shakespeare got laid and often."

"He was married at eighteen to Anne Hathaway," Emily says. "Really, his wife's name was Anne Hathaway."

Kaylie hums. "Do you think Princess Diaries Anne Hathaway is named after Shakespeare's Anne Hathaway?"

"Do you think Princess Diaries Anne Hathaway's real name is Anne Hathaway?" Emily asks.

Lauren pulls out her iPhone, intending to check IMDB. As they continue to walk together, Emily can't help, but notice all the ridiculousness in the halls. One girl in particular totes around a giant white teddy bear. How is that remotely economically efficient?

"Okay, even I admit that sonnet was beautiful," Emily says, "but Valentine's Day is ridiculous. Why is it that everyone thinks you can only have meaningful, lasting relationships with someone who you also make out with? I just think, yeah, if you need a whole day to remember to appreciate your boyfriend or girlfriend then something isn't quite right there."

"Em, stop. Look what you're doing to Kaylie's face," Lauren says, playfully grabbing Kaylie's chin and squeezing her cheek. "You're throwing imaginary darts at the imaginary cartoon hearts floating all around her."

Feeling slightly guilty, Emily frowns. "Honeymoon period, Kay?"

"I was hoping I didn't think that out loud." Pushing Lauren off her, Kaylie winces and rubs her cheeks. "Just something Kelly Parker said to me last summer, but whatever. You can have your opinion and that's fine, but it's Valentine's Day and I'm going to celebrate it how it's meant to be celebrated."

"Bye-bye V-Card," Lauren teases.

"And I'm not against you celebrating," Emily assures her. "But you won't catch me letting all of this red and pink, balloons and bears thing get to me."

"Jesus. Relax, it'll be over tomorrow," Rodge says, coming up behind them. "Aren't girls supposed to be nicer and heart-shaped eyed on Valentine's Day?"

"Girls with a Valentine that is," Alison says as she breezes past them. "Em is shit out of luck."

Lauren is ready to jump the curly-haired blonde, but Kaylie holds her back. Once Alison is out of reach, Lauren finds a new target. She gives Rodge a look that says back off and after a nod goodbye to Emily, he does. Emily eyes that red beanie as it disappears into the crowd.

"If I knew he was going to keep talking to me, I would have stopped it before it started," Emily confesses.

"Em, it's just schoolyard flirting," Lauren teases.

"Unasked for," Emily says. "Rodge is a good guy, I can tell, but…"

"Beanie Boy?" Lauren says. "I was talking about Alison metaphorically pulling your pigtails."

"What I want to know is what Beanie Boy meant when he said drugs," Kaylie says. Of course she's the one to not let something like that slide. "Em, care to explain?"

She's been keeping it to herself, not wanting Lauren to go into guard dog mode. In truth, Emily actually likes Rodge, thinks he's intelligent and intriguing. It's just his lifestyle that's drowning him. Emily eventually gives in and explains to them what happened the other day. She links her arm with Lauren, seeing her flinch at cocaine.

"Emily, I don't like this," Kaylie says, playing mother hen in Payson's absence.

"Forget the coke whore," Lauren says. "I'm your Valentine and your mine."

"Aw," Kaylie coos at them. Lauren wraps her arms around Emily and makes kissing sounds with her glossed lips. Though the taller girl tries to pry her blonde friend off of her, Emily can't help but feel loved. Fuck Valentine's Day. When is Best Friends Forever Day?

Emily's irritation towards all the Valentine's Day nonsense only grows throughout the day. By the end, she can't wait to get home. She plans a date with Lauren for later tonight, where they watch TV and talk shit about boys and most importantly, Emily can get away from her apartment. For now, she intends to go home and relax.

When Emily gets home, she finds a beautiful bouquet of white roses on their doorstep. It makes her queasy, thinking Bruce bought them for Chloe like some pretty flowers (that he probably bought with their grocery money) will make everything better. When Emily investigates, it frightens her to find out the roses are for her and they're from Damon.

What does he think he's doing? No. He can't just suddenly surface and send her flowers on Valentine's Day, thinking things will go back to how they used to be between them. Bruce wouldn't get away with that and Damon can't either.

As Emily storms into her apartment, the flowers in her arms, she texts Jody for his number. No one is home and Emily paces through the living room while waiting for Jody's reply. It takes a good twenty minutes, but Jody comes through for her. Later that night, Emily punches Damon's number into her phone and hits send.

She hates talking to people on the phone. She hates it. The only thing she hates more is when she has to be the caller, taking the initiative and seeking someone out. Her heart starts to beat faster and something twists in her gut. Suddenly the ringing stops and there's breathing from the other end, but no greeting.

"Damon." Her voice comes out shakier than she'd like and Emily can't decipher whether it's because she's so afraid or so angry. "Damon, I know it's you. Jody gave me your number. Sending me flowers after disappearing for months? That isn't cool. You can't do that to me."

Still, he doesn't say anything.

"Fine. If you don't want to say anything then I guess I'll just hang up."

"Emily…"

Her name rolling off his tongue, hearing it right in her ear, it does something to her. It reminds her of why she turned into a sobbing mess when his manager broke up with her on his behalf. She wants to end the call, throw out the flowers and forget all about this. She hates that the one thing she could possibly want more is to hear him say it again.

"Don't hang up," Damon begs. "Please."

She couldn't hang up on him even if she tried. There's shuffling and then he does the one thing that makes her even angrier yet reminds her why she fell for this guy in the first place. The bastard uses his freaking angelic voice and he sings a cappella.

I know rocks turn to sand
And hearts can change hands
And you're not to blame
When the sky fills with rain
But if we stay or walk away
There's one thing that's true
I still love you

An Alexz Johnson cover. The gold-throated jerk!

Well, two can play at that game. Emily puts her phone on speaker and grabs her iPod, ripping the earphones out. Thank you, Conrad Cooper, for the country mixtape. It's about to come in handy. Emily knows the perfect song. She searches through the list and presses play.

All this time I was wasting
hoping you would come around
I've been giving out chances every time
And all you do is let me down
And its taken me this long
Baby but I figured you out
And you're thinking we'll be fine again
But not this time around

You don't have to call – anymore
I won't pick up the phone
This is the last – straw
Don't wanna to hurt anymore
And you can tell me that you're sorry
But I don't believe you baby
Like I did – before
You're not sorry.
Oh-h-h no. No. No.

Emily hits stop. She figures he got the message.

"Goodbye, Damon."

"Emily, I'm in Denver…"

She already has tears filling her eyes. With her finger pressed hard against the red button of her keypad, she purposefully drops the call without saying any more or hearing any more. He can't be in Colorado. She's worked so hard to move on and it's taken so long for her to stop thinking about him. She called to tell him off and now…it's too much.

With tears sliding down her cheeks, Emily grabs her phone again and dials. She takes deep breaths through her nose to keep from sobbing and completely losing grips on everything. When the ringing stops, she's met with Lauren's boisterous voice. "Oh, my God! Em, I just got out of the V-Catastrophe dance. You won't believe who I just caught making out with a girl who isn't his owner!"

"Lo." Her voice cracks and more tears fall.

Lauren grows solemn. "Who did this to you? They are dead when I find them."

"I—I got a call a—and…"

"Where are you?"

"Home."

"I'm on my way."

"No." Emily loudly sniffles. "I'll meet you at your house. You are not going to drive through Laguna at night."

"Em, you're my Valentine. I'll be there in ten."

…

Of course Austin Tucker isn't going to get Payson a dozen extravagant roses as a gift for Valentine's Day. He gives her just one and it's made out of duct tape.

"I love how you carry your flower everywhere you go."

"I don't carry it everywhere. I just forgot to take it out of my bag," Payson says in an adorably defensive way. "And I still don't believe you made this." Payson slides back the zipper of her half-opened gym bag and pulls out the flower, twirling it, inspecting the plastic red petals.

Austin stands in front of her with a proud smile. "You bet I made it myself. My sister went through a brief arts and crafts phase. It drove her insane that I was better at it than she was."

"Austin Tucker excels at arts and crafts? I learn something new about you everyday."

"You shouldn't be surprised," he says. "I'm good with my hands."

Payson shakes her head at his remark. Before, when they first became a thing, she would turn all flustered, like a deer caught in the headlights every time he said something remotely flirty. Now, after the time that's passed, Payson is comfortable enough around him and the things he says, she just refuses to acknowledge it for what it is, which makes Austin smile wider.

"Are you sure I can't take you out to dinner and a movie or something?" Austin asks. "And before you say it, I know what you're thinking. Valentine's Day weekend, cliché and cheesy, but it's the best I can do on short notice. Then afterwards we can even stop by one of those gift shops that are like the cliché cheese capitals of the world and buy those stuffed animals with the magnetic noses so they kiss when you put them near each other."

To spare her from having to hear any more, Payson does a quick look around before rising up on the tips of her toes to kiss him. Austin brings a hand to her cheek as he kisses her, his warm hand against her warm cheek on a cold day. Such bold impulse and right outside the Rock too. It doesn't last long, especially with the rising risk of being spotted, but it doesn't matter because they pull away with matching smiles.

"How forward of you, Keeler," Austin says. "You could at least buy me dinner first."

"As great as that sounds, I already have a date," Payson says. "My dad is taking my mom out for the night, dinner and the ballet. Meanwhile, I will be home with Becca, Faith and hopefully Kelly. Girls night."

"Sounds fun," Austin says. "Are you going to paint Kelly Parker's toenails?"

"Knowing Faith? She'll probably want me to hold Kelly down as she sprinkles holy water on her, trying to perform her own homemade exorcism."

"Did Faith tell you we went out for ice cream the other night?" he asks. Payson nods. "Damn. For someone so skinny she can eat competitive eating Scooby and Shaggy style. Even Conrad was jealous and we're all convinced Conrad has a tapeworm."

"She's not as skinny as she was when we first met her, but she still looks great," Payson says. "If only we could all be as lucky."

"Hey," he says, catching her hand. "You're beautiful. Fact."

A goofy, ecstatic smile makes its way across her face. "You really think so?"

Austin leans in close and quick to kiss her cheek. The moment his lips touch her skin, Sasha steps out of his metal mobile home across the way. He watches the two, Payson's smile and Austin's puckered lips, and the head coach quietly back up into his tin can of a home. The shock and confusion on his face can't mean good things for his gymnasts.

Oblivious, happy Payson loves it when Austin does that, a quick peck on the cheek like they're little children chasing each other on the playground. It makes her think and feel the childhood she never really had—and by choice.

"Chicken," she chides.

Austin chuckles and fixes his leather sleeve down the length of his arm. "Just careful even though I wish we didn't have to be. So, next year then?"

"Maybe."

"I'll take a maybe." Austin turns her hand in his, lacing their fingers.

"Maybe we should be more careful," Payson suggests. "Before my sister sees again."

"It's worth the twenty bucks I paid her last time." Austin winks before looking across the way and sliding his hand away from hers. "Speaking of the miniature KP-in-training."

"Don't jinks it," Payson warns. "One Kelly Parker is enough."

Austin shoves himself up to sit on the trunk of his sports car and Payson remains on the ground, her spine pressed to the left break light as they watch Becca skip out of the Rock. She's been in a fantastic mood for the last few days ever since Conrad gave her a fresh, bright red rose on Valentine's Day. He called her his "#1 fan" when he gave it to her and it seems to have paved over the hurt of learning he enlisted.

Becca stops in front of Payson and Austin, lifting a brow at the duct tape rose. "Cute fake flower. Did you buy it off of a street vender or something?"

"Becca, cut it out," Payson says.

"If that street vender's name is Austin Tucker and he made it with his own two hands then yes." Just to annoy her, Austin adds, "Keeler the Third."

"You're so immature," Becca says with the flip of her hair.

"I hate to break it to you, munchkin, but this immature street vender," Austin points to himself, "is Conrad Cooper's date tonight. We'll probably have a lovely Chinese takeout dinner and few hundred romantic rounds of video games. If I'm lucky he'll let me help him memorize his Solider Handbook or, oh, maybe he'll let me buzz his hair! Anything is possible."

"Okay, both of you need to cut it out. Mom at ten o'clock," Payson says, sliding her duct tape rose into her gym bag and pulling the zipper shut.

"I didn't mind flaunting the flower Conrad gave me," Becca says proudly. "I don't have anything to hide."

"You don't have anything to lose either," her sister says. Payson, on the other hand, has everything to lose. Faith already told her that her dad was asking about Austin and though she loves her "Uncle Mark" Faith played dumb for her Pace.

After parting ways with Austin, the Keeler girls head home for the day. Kim talks about how she still has a million things to do before her date tonight and Payson tells Supermom to take off her cape for the night, assuring her it'll still be there tomorrow.

Once they get home, Payson and Becca clean up the house and get some homework done before the doorbell rings. The moment the front door is open, Faith practically throws her entire bodyweight into Payson in what's supposed to be a hug. Payson almost stumbles, but manages to hold her ground and hugs her back. It never gets old.

From over Faith's shoulder, Payson sees Kelly and it really does surprise her. There's no redness to her eyes, no dark bags, but no smile either. She obviously doesn't want to be here. Whatever Faith used to blackmail Kelly must be really good.

"Keelers, I'm home!" Faith shouts.

"And I'm…here and of my own free will. At least, that's what it says in the script Faith made me memorize for tonight," Kelly says. From her furrowed brows and crossed arms, she's clearly disturbed by the sight of Faith and Payson, still hugging and swaying from side to side.

"Kelly," Payson says. "It's nice to see you…sober."

The Denver gymnast gives Payson a nod, drops her bag and goes over to sit with the Becca on the couch. She's in navy blue Denver Elite sweatpants and a baggy off the shoulder sweater. Her coffee brown hair is up in a careless ponytail and she didn't even put any makeup on. Kelly is the least bit thrilled, but she isn't intoxicated either and that's a start.

Kelly turns her attention to the younger teen next to her. "Hot date tonight, Becks?"

"If that's what you want to call hanging out with you three…that is if Payson doesn't makes me spend the rest of the night in my room. Austin Tucker stole my Valentine."

"Not surprising. At. All. I so called dibs on Payson last summer and Austin comes to camp and pulls a robbery." Faith practically jumps on Kelly, halfway sitting on her lap, with arms around the brunette. "It's so nice to be back, especially being reunited with my Kelly jelly belly."

"Don't call me that," Kelly snaps. She presses her palm to the line of Faith's jaw and tries to push her away, but the former gymnast refuses to budge. "Faith, don't call me that ever."

"Payson, Kelly's really, really, really, really, really happy to see me," Faith says, rubbing her cheek against Kelly the way only a cat or Faith Giancana would. "Can't you tell?"

"Absolutely." Payson sniggers in agreement.

"Faith, put it on ice," Kelly hisses.

"H'okay. On to more interesting business, Pace, have you made up with Kaylie Cruz yet?" Faith asks, finally getting bored with torturing Kelly via cuddling. Faith scoots over so she nicely fits between Kelly and Becca, resting her head on the shoulder of the younger blonde. "That girl totally hates me, by the way. Nicky straight up told me she does."

"You just keep racking up people who hate you, don't you?" Payson teases in an attempt to avoid talking about Kaylie.

Faith shrugs. "It's a gift, I guess."

"Wait," Becca interjects. "Pay, you're fighting with Kaylie? You never fight with Kaylie."

"People get into arguments. That's all," Payson says. The anger has faded, but she doesn't think she has anything to apologize for. This one is up to Kaylie to squash, but apparently she's too busy to bother. "I wouldn't say I'm fighting with Kaylie. We just aren't talking."

Faith's deep blue eyes hone in on Kelly. "She's fighting with Kaylie for you, you know. Appreciate, bitch."

"Why would you do that?" Kelly asks. Clearly, by her expression and monotone voice, Kelly doesn't think she's worth it and there are few things more heartbreaking than that.

"Because we're going to the Olympics together," Payson says. "You and me, Kelly. And it's becoming more and more apparent that image counts for something in gymnastics and those stupid pictures could hurt you if they reached the public. We could have gotten them down sooner if Kaylie said something, but she just let it happen. She's upset because she thinks I'm choosing sides, but letting someone exploit your mistake? You don't deserve that."

"And because Payson loves you, Kel," Faith says. "That's most important."

"Did you not see me at Worlds?" Kelly only addresses Payson, demanding honesty, no sugarcoated pity. Everyone else disappears for a second as they wait on Payson's answer.

She takes a moment to construct the most honest, accurate answer she can. "You had a good run at the start, when we competed as a team. You killed it on bars. I don't think we would have taken team gold if you didn't. But the individual circuit…" Payson lets her voice grow softer towards the end. "What happened in between?"

"Don't worry about it," Kelly says. The tightness of her words, how she refuses to breathe, it's obvious something happened. It's also obvious it's something Kelly would rather keep hidden. "It won't happen again."

"Good," Payson says, "because I'm going to need someone with me when I shut out Ivanka and Genji and I'd rather it be you than, I don't know, Trisha Skilken."

"Oh, the horror," Kelly says flatly even though she really does mean it. That'd be a nightmare. "Alright. Me and you, Keeler, 2012, gold and silver respectively."

Payson gives her a smile. "Yeah, we'll see who'll be getting what."

Kelly gives her a marginal smile and that confirms that the fight with Kaylie was worth it. Payson knows that it won't last forever, that her friendship with Kaylie is ultimately greater than the argument they had at Lauren's party. A tiff with Kaylie is a small sacrifice for lighting that hopeful little glint in Kelly's dark eyes. She just needs to know she has people who have her back, which Payson does without question.

Mark comes trotting down the stairs and Payson rarely sees him so dress up with a clean, fitted gray suit, his coat matching his pants. His hair is smoothed back and looks shorter as if cut just for the occasion. Once Mark reaches the bottom of the steps, he shows off his moves, a step here, a step there and it makes the girls collectively laugh, everyone except Becca who groans and hide her face in one of the couch throw pillows.

"Looking sharp, Mr. K," Kelly calls. There's a tremor in her voice, recalling the last time she'd been in the Keeler home, passed out on the couch, but Mark just gives her a smile like he doesn't even remember it happened. "At least someone has a hot date tonight."

"Thank you very much, Kelly Parker," Mark says, smoothing his hands down the lapels of his jacket. He walks to the closet in dark socks and riles through it. "I trust you girls are old enough and smart enough to not let things get too out of control. No burning down my house. Faith, that means you."

"Uncle Mark," Faith says, like she really is a blood relative. "Might I remind you who was super insistent I be the one to start the scary dragon barbeque the last time I was here?"

Mark laughs at the memory only Faith and him can enjoy. When he finally finds a pair of black shoes, he closes the closet door and goes to sit with the girls. "Faith is a natural on the grill."

"I didn't know the fire was going to lunge out at me when I lit it! I could've lost my eyebrows!" Faith shouts, pressing her hands to her cheeks. "Thank God I didn't. I'd probably eat my feelings into a food coma. I think I'll leave the grilling to the pros and stick to baking."

"Is that what we're doing tonight?" Kelly asks. "Just fyi, Faye, every time I look your way I find you stuffing your face." Kelly playfully pokes her like she's the Pillsbury doughboy and it makes Faith giggle and wildly kick her feet, eliciting a laugh from Kelly. "You're such a freak."

"A freak that wuves you," Faith baby talks. She hugs her again and Kelly doesn't protest. "Uncle Mark, so you don't have to worry I'll give you a rundown of our evening. We are going to bake and watch a bunch of horribly disturbing horror movies because what's more anti-Valentine's Day than horror movies? Then we'll paint body parts and talk about boys and other non-fire-starting shenanigans."

"I heard fire-starting shenanigans. Should I be worried?" Kim asks. She comes downstairs in a lovely, flowing dress with an ivory lace shawl as a little cover up. Faith flies out of her seat and hugs Kim even though it's only been a few days since they've last seen each other.

"You look amazing!" Faith pulls back so she can look at Mark and Kim together. "You're so cute together like, in a Gene Kelly and Debbie Reynolds You Were Meant for Me Singing in the Rain kind of way."

"That is quite the complement," Kim says.

Mark grins. "Should I bring the umbrella along?"

"And I'm sure Payson or Becca can lend you a fedora," Faith says.

"I don't even own one," Payson says at the same time Becca says, "Dad is not wearing mine."

Kim leaves them a list of emergency contacts and remembers them to turn off the stove and oven when they're done and lock the doors. After Mr. and Mrs. Keeler leave for the evening, the girls move to the kitchen. Faith is a general, instructing the others what to do. Though she's over-the-top like Faith so often is, it's nice to see her passionate about something.

Once the entire house smells like guilt-free double chocolate brownies, they migrate to the living room, flip off the lights and watch Mike Myers stalk a teenage babysitter. Faith's eyes are on the screen, wide, lips parted and teeth clenched. The TV emits a loud scream and Faith jumps, scrambling to move closer to whoever's closest. Lucky Payson.

"Why is he doing this?" Faith cries, obviously deeply affected by what's happening onscreen. "Don't go in there! Don't go in there! Of course she goes in there right when I tell her not to!"

"Faith, she can't hear you. Unlike the rest of us," Kelly points out, disapproving of Faith's natural speaking volume. "And—spoiler alert—he kills her. And her boyfriend too."

"Boo. Kelly, shut up."

Just as predicted, the half-naked girl and her boyfriend ("he looks like Bassnectar") are killed by Myers and Faith makes sympathetic sounds. "Imagine how her mom and dad are going to react when they finally find her mutilated body. And I'm sure the boyfriend is a drug dealer or a DJ. Imagine all the disappointed junkies and musicheads. It's so sad."

"Faith, who thinks about things like that?" Payson asks.

Kelly makes a sound almost like a laugh. "Keeler, you just answered your own question."

"Faith, you dated all these boys?" Becca asks. Her eyes add, and if you say yes you are my hero. The younger gymnast has a MacBook Pro sitting in her lap as she looks through the collection of photos from Faith's European getaway. Photo after photo show her with a number of different people (majority boys) in various parts of the world.

"No, silly. Just friends I made," Faith says. The picture is of a big group with Faith at the center, standing in front of the Trivet Fountain, throwing coins, mid-air over their shoulders. "Oh! That's my traveling hippie band I was telling you about! I originally wanted to pull an Almost Famous, sexually uninterested groupie thing, but then I somehow ended up singing backup and shaking shakers throughout Italy. That guy right there," Faith points, "Embry, he tried to teach me how to play the accordion. You would have liked him, Kel."

"What makes you think I'd like him?"

"He's a musician, ink fanatic, hot but nerdy," Faith explains. They (well, other than Becca) can all feel the implication and where the conversation is headed. Kelly doesn't like it.

"So, Becks, who is your boy and why is he spending the sappiest weekend of the year with your sister's boy-man?" Kelly asks.

"They live together," Becca replies. She stops on a photo of Faith with a giant piece of pizza folded over as she tries to stuff it into her mouth in one try. In all the pictures, if Faith isn't playing nice with a boy, then she's eating. "Conrad Cooper."

"Really?" Kelly laughs. "You like that guy? I—"

Payson loudly coughs into her elbow and gives Kelly a sharp look. Their eyes meet. Message sent and received. They agree that learning your crush is crushing on Kelly Parker, someone you consider a friend and gymnastics idol, probably isn't the best way to spend tonight.

"—I saw him around Denver Elite," Kelly says. "Marty was in love with him and devastated when Conrad came to Boulder. I think he even cried. So pathetic."

"I don't blame him. Conrad is perfect," Becca says dreamily. "He's tall and cute and sweet and he loves animals and I love his accent. Conrad is the best!"

"I concur. At least one of us has good taste in dudes," Faith says. "My favorite thing about Connie is how much he loves food. Oh! And he rides horses! The other day we were having a Nerf war at the lake house and Conrad showed me a picture of his horse back in Texas. It looked like Maximus from Tangled!"

Kelly isn't very impressed, though not much impresses her to begin with. "Which is only appropriate since it sounds like you're both describing a storybook prince or something."

"He is," Becca insists, failing to pick up on Kelly's insult. It reminds them of how young and innocent Becca still is and how nice that used to be. "Did Payson tell you about the time Conrad's crazy manager lady was harassing Payson and Conrad basically saved our lives?"

"Sheila Buboyan, the one you warned me about," Payson says. The name trigger something in Kelly, something she tries to cover up and it even steals Faith's attention from the TV. Payson feels like she tugged on the wrong string and she tries to sooth it by not forcing Kelly to address it. "Just Conrad doing what he always does. It's sad he's leaving gymnastics, though."

"Aye oh!" Faith shouts, just as eager to change the subject. "And another one joins my club!"

"But it's for a good cause," Becca says.

Kelly scowls. "There's no such thing as a good reason to leave gymnastics. Let me guess. He's leaving to go 'find himself' and ditch his friends when they need him and he'll probably end up somewhere in Europe and have all these lame stories about meeting hot guys who don't speak English, eating weird things and getting weird sunburns and peeling, etcetera etcetera."

Faith frowns. "Kel, we talked about this. You know I—"

"Faith, I'm making fun of you," Kelly says, spelling it out for her with a cheeky half-smile. When Faith realizes, she narrows her eyes and throws a handful of popcorn at Kelly.

"You're just jealous!" Faith shouts. Payson lets out a breath, seeing them like this. It's almost as if Rio never happened. Being able to move on so quickly and so swiftly is really a testament to the strength of their friendship. "Fyi, Kel, there's always Amsterdam. You can still come with. You know I want you to, but not nearly as much as Nicky wants you to."

"Payson," Kelly says. "Where do your parents keep their booze?"

"No," Faith says, scooting away from Payson and over to Kelly. "Kelly, don't."

"I'm joking. Again. God, lighten up. I have more respect for the Keeler fam than that," Kelly assures her. Faith hugs her and Kelly enjoys it even if she won't say it aloud. They stay like that for a good portion of the night and they move on to more important topics like gymnastics and Payson's relationship with Austin.

The next morning, Payson wakes up in her sister's bed, Becca snug up beside her. Watching one horror movie after another and being in an old house with creaking floors, Becca was almost as on edge as Faith, who was ready to start boarding up the windows, ranting about violent mutant savages try to rape her just for Kelly to point out that boarded up windows won't keep out the phantasmagoric preschoolers, which sent Faith into even more of a frenzy.

Payson winces when her bare feet meet the cold hallway floor. When she tiptoes into her room, she finds Faith still asleep, alone. After using the bathroom, Payson makes her way downstairs. She prays Kelly didn't snap and turn the kitchen upside down hunting for liquor. It's the worst-case scenario, but also at the front of Payson's mind. She goes downstairs, but pauses outside the kitchen when she hears voices on the other side of the swinging door.

"Tea?" Kim asks.

"Thank you, ma'am," Kelly replies.

"So Marty told me your dad's in town."

"Exactly why I'm not home right now," Kelly explains. "He won't be for long. Kolkatta, India, this time. He'll be fixing up kids with cleft palates. They'll still be living in poverty, but at least they'll look better… Wait, why is Marty talking to you about me?"

"It seems to me like he's talking to anyone who'll listen," Kim says. "He's worried about you and so am I. We didn't really get a chance to talk the last time you were here so let's talk now. What's been going on with you lately?"

"I don't know what you want me to tell you, Mrs. K."

"Kelly, you showed up at my house drunk. How am I supposed to see that and not assume something's wrong? My girls adore you. Payson would do anything for you even if it means putting her future on the line. Becca idolizes you. Mark and I consider both Faith and you apart of our family. All I want is for you to tell me what's going on so I can figure out a way to help you through it. This is what family does."

A long pause follows and it feels like an entire minute goes by. Payson gets as close to the crack in the door as she possibly can and strains her hears to listen.

"It's okay," Kim says. "I know this isn't easy for you. Take all the time you need…"

"It's like, I want to be a good person, but what's the point in pretending? I've been like this all my life. I'm not fixable. I feel like I'm standing on the edge of something…something horrible and I have people like you Keelers and Faith and I used to have Nicky… And you all somehow make me forget how close I am to falling over the edge, but I always do. I do it without thinking and it sucks and it hurts, but it's the shit I have to deal with every freaking day and it's shit that never goes away. I appreciate you wanting to help, but it's momentary and I know that and, God, I just said shit a bunch of times in your house…"

"Kelly."

The chair feet scratch the kitchen floor and Payson can only imagine either Kelly trying to run or Kim hugging her right now.

"I know you don't understand," Kelly continues, "and I'm glad because I wouldn't want you of all people feeling the way I constantly feel. You have no idea how much I hate this. I hate being this way. God, look at me. You probably had this amazing date with your husband last night and here I am talking about all my sh—issues and I'm probably ruining your morning—"

"You're not," Kim assures her.

"I am."

"No. I'm proud of you. It means the world to me that you trust me enough to tell me what you just did. Kelly, I can't change the things that have happened to you or the things you've done. For the most part neither can you, but you and only you control your future. You are not helpless to change your situation. Do you hear me? You are not helpless, Kelly Parker."

There's a muffled sound that might be a whimper or a sigh or a refusal and then silence again.

"You can talk control of your life and your feelings and you don't have to do it alone," Kim assures her. "You have Marty, Faith, all us Keelers. Even Nicky, I'm sure. It is not momentary. You're always welcomed any time. I'm sure my kids would call me cheesy right now, but I really do believe that family is forever and we are your family."

"You're really great, you know?" Kelly says. "You always try to get to the heart of things which means you always assume there's a heart to get to."

"I've seen your heart, Kelly. I've heard the stories. Good stories. And that isn't anything to be embarrassed about. I know you're probably annoyed and wondering why I'm always up in your business, but that's how I show I care and I don't plan on stopping any time soon."

"So should I expect random drug screenings?" Kelly asks. There's a smile in her voice, Payson can tell. "But mainly Breathalyzer tests, right?"

"Don't be surprised," Kim jokes. "We cool?"

Kelly laughs unexpectedly. "Yes, ma'am."

"So, anything else you want to talk about? Nicky maybe?"

"Mrs. K…"

"I know no teenage girl wants to talk about boys with an old person like me. All I'll say on the topic is that Nicky Russo is a nice boy. We've had him over for dinner, mostly tagging along with Faith, and I swear, every single time he asks Payson about you and how you're doing. Honey, if he's willing to be there for you, why don't you let him?"

Kelly sighs. "Because I don't trust him. I…I'm scared to trust him again."

"People change. Sometimes change can happen without us realizing, sometimes we change because we want to. If you can change for the better maybe Nicky can too."

Suddenly the door swings out from against Payson's ear and she sees Faith blaze past her and into the kitchen with a loud, moment-ruining, "Good morning, family!"

"Good morning, Faith!" Kim says, trying to draw her attention and give Kelly the time to recompose herself. "Come eat. We have fresh fruit and freshly squeezed orange juice."

"And we can make coffee and pancakes, right?" Faith asks.

"Only if you help."

"Absolutely."

Kim steers Faith away from Kelly to the stove. Payson slowly walks in and goes straight for the refrigerator, not even thinking to comment on the way Kelly's eyes are red and glassy, but for a whole other reason than what's become her norm. Payson grabs the orange juice and stops by the cupboard for glasses. When she moves to the table, Payson holds a glass out to Kelly and gives her a smile. Making an attempt to smile back, Kelly reaches out and takes it.

…

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Authors' Note: We played a lot with ideal love and more realistic love. What do you consider romantic? Romeo and Juliet? Anything at all in this chapter? And another familiar face comes to Boulder in the next chapter. Who do you think it is/want it to be?

Review.

#WeFaB #LLD2 #LLDforever