What Doesn't Kill You
A Clique Fan Fiction
Chapter 21

We headed off to college at the end of that summer
And we lost touch
I guess I didn't realize even at the moment
We lost so much
I haven't seen you in ages
Sometimes I find myself wondering where you are

Chris Plovert hadn't spoken to Dylan-actually spoken to her, in a full fledged conversation with laughter and good thoughts-in years. Since seventh grade, right at the end of the year. She'd headed off to Hawaii as soon as she could-right at the beginning of summer, and hadn't looked back once. She'd ignored every single text Chris had sent her. Of course, since they'd all been horrible and awful, he couldn't really blame her. He'd called her horrid names and sent her crude pictures. All because he'd thought it was funny to taunt her. He didn't really think any of that-but she'd pretty much used him and Kemp just to look attractive. She'd wanted two dates. And then she'd gone out of her way to act like a complete and total dude, and that wasn't the Dylan that Plovert had wanted to be with. So, long story short, after that summer, they'd lost touch. Neither of them, especially Plovert, realized that they were losing not only each other but true love as well. So, yeah, they hadn't talked to each other in years-and Chris was always wondering how Dylan was...what she really thought. And if she really missed him. He wondered if she thought that he was a mistake...or an incredible mistake.

But sometimes mistakes were just the best memories of all. Dylan was like that old song that you heard on the radio after years and years, yet you still could remember every single lyric and sing along to it like you'd never lost the song at all. Plovert was full of Dylan related messages. He never deleted a single text message he'd ever gotten from her because he always felt like he was deleting some sort of history-the history of Dylan and Plovert.

"What's more important?" Chris asked suddenly. He was with Cam and Josh-the only two members of their old group who were still miserable. Derrick had just gotten back together with Massie, just about an hour ago when the storm had started. Now, they were at Derrick's house, cuddling on the couch. It made Plovert miserable to know that a happy ending could be so close to him, yet so far away for him. The other three boys were over at his house, sitting in his living room with the TV on. But he knew they were all thinking about the same thing. Their past loves. "To love somebody, no matter what they think...or to be loved by somebody no matter what you think?" He wondered. He was honestly asking Cam, the most romantic of the boys. But it was Josh who replied.

"What's more important to a bird? His left wing or his right wing?" He asked, not removing the pillow that was covering his eyes. None of the boys knew how it had happened, but suddenly, they were all friends again. Maybe it had just taken Derrick and Cam making up for them to all text Derrick and say it was good to have their best friend back and to call Josh and invite him over when Cam had shown up close to tears.

"How does Derrick do it?" Cam blurted. "Just...always get his way?" He asked.

"It's not because fate's unfair, Cam-because life's unfair, but that doesn't mean we all have sucky destinies because of it. No, Derrick get what he wants because he goes out and he changes the course of his future." Josh said.

"That settles it then-I'm going to get Dylan," Plovert jumped up.

"Dude, it's storming out there! There are flash flood warnings everywhere-and you don't have a car," Cam said, rolling over onto his side and propping up on an elbow. "You don't even have a license," He said, raising an eyebrow.

"I don't care-I'll walk!" Plovert declared, walking towards the door. He grabbed a jacket and was pulling it on when he heard Josh's snicker.

"He doesn't have a liscense?"

"I DIDN"T SEE THE LADY IN THE WHEEL CHAIR, OKAY?" Plovert snapped as he walked out into the storm, the door slamming shut behind him.

~CLIQUE~

And the way you moved me
Was like you were reading my mind
I can still feel you lean in to kiss me
I can't help but wonder if you ever miss me
I haven't seen you in ages
Sometimes I find myself wondering where you are

Dylan Marvil wasn't single. She didn't believe in it. She was in a relationship with freedom, that was all. So no, she was not single. She was, however, friendless. She'd snapped at Claire on the phone, telling her to shut up about the original PC members. Claire ha simply hung up and was not answering her calls now. Olivia was ignoring her as well. That left Dylan alone with her freedom and her memories. And the only thing that sucked more than that, was the fact that all of her memories were about the one who had taught her what first love really was. Christopher Plovert-the new IT boy at BOCD, the one who every girl wanted. Of course, now that Derrick Harrington was single, Chris had competition. Dylan pulled her computer closer to her and clicked onto facebook and screamed. Derrick wasn't single. No, he was with Massie, the girl he'd loved the entire time they'd been together.

But, it wasn't the fact that Massie had something Dylan couldn't have...it was the fact that Massie got her happily ever after and Dylan was stuck with just memories of the boy who's soul and heart were just like hers. It was the fact that Massie no longer considered Massie her best friend and wasn't telling her anything about her life. Dylan hated that she didn't get to talk to Massie-she needed Massie after all. But Dylan didn't really miss her...not compared to how much she missed PLovert. Nothing could compare to that. She loved him-and she could still feel the butterflies in her stomach when she thought of their near kiss in seventh grade at the Lovestruck Dance, right before the bomb warning had been launched and they'd looked up and giggled, racing towards their friends. Ever since that moment, Dylan had been in love.

She hadn't talked to this amazingly lovely boy in years...it had felt even longer than that. And she knew that he clearly didn't miss her, or else they'd be together right now. He wouldn't have just stood around and let her be miserable. Then again, to be fair, he'd figured she loved Derrick. But, teenage dating was not always about love-it was about fun and true happiness...which, if she was being honest, she didn't exactly have with Derrick. She wasn't happy-not truely happy. SHe hadn't been that happy since eighth grade, before Massie had moved away. And Derrick hadn't exactly been fun-but that wasn't his fault. They both knew that the other was in love with one of their ex best friends. Massie-that was the only person who was on Derrington's mind. And Plovert was the boy who Dylan always wished would be there when she opened her eyes after each and ever kiss.

"DYLAN! I LOVE YOU BUT I'M TOO AFRAID TO TELL YOU!" Dylan kicked the computer off of her lap and rolled to her side, running to the curved window seat in her room. She tossed open the window, ignoring the rain that was pouring in and covering the silk cushion on the wooden bench. She stuck her head right out of the window, not caring how soaked she would get and momentarily forgetting about her white tank top that she'd carelessly tossed on over a cheetah print, lacy, Victoria's Secret water bra. She squinted, trying to make out who was calling to her, but it was much too dark too see anything, especially with all the rain. "FACT: THE PEOPLE YOU REALLY WANT TO TALK TO ARE SOMETIMES THE PEOPLE YOU DON'T TALK TO!" The screaming continued. She knew the voice, it was oddly familiar, even though Dylan was sure it had been ages since she'd last heard it.

And that's when she realized...it was Plovert. It was the boy who could break her heart but she'd always love with all of the little pieces. It was the boy who would love her no matter how many times she'd hurt him.

"PLOVERT?" She shouted.

"DYLAN?"

"COME UP HERE!" She giggled. "I want to be able to see you when I tell you I love you," She screamed.