Math doesn't pluck up the courage to call Alice until lunchtime on Monday. He manages to catch her just before she goes into a meeting at the radio station.

"Hey, do you remember me? We met at Baze's re-opening party? Math?" he asks, his lack of confidence showing. In most ways, he's a confident, self-assured man. But when it comes to women, his confidence hits the floor.

"Of course I remember you. How's things?" asks Alice.

"Things are great. Um, I was just wondering if you'd like to go out to dinner some time? Maybe this weekend?" he asks tentatively.

Silence.

"Hello, are you still there?" he asks, panicked. He can't have put her off that quickly, can he?

"Yeah, I'm here. I'd love to go out with you. I'm being called into a meeting, so could you ring me later and we can arrange everything?"

"Absolutely. I'll call you this evening, if that's all right?"

"Perfect. Talk to you then," she says, hanging up. Trina has just walked past her, and she doesn't like people making private arrangements during work hours.

Math jumps up and down. Realising he's in school, and therefore in public, with teenagers, he looks all around him anxiously to make sure no one can see him. There's no one there, so he quickly bounces again before heading off to his next class.

Tonight is the official opening night for Open Bar, and Baze is running around like a head with its head cut off. He's feeling super frantic about everything, and he's driving Jamie insane.

"Baze, will you please calm down before I have to knock you out with some chloroform. Everything is in order. The drinks are being delivered in an hour, the food is on its way, the dj is booked and ready to go, and anyone who is anyone in Portland is going to be here tonight. Now relax, and chill out! You're giving me a headache."

"You're right, you're right. I'm sorry. This is just freaking me out. So much is riding on this bar being a success, and I don't want to do anything to jeopardise that!"

Jamie walks up to his friend and pours him a beer.

"Everything is fine. The bar is going to be the biggest bar in Portland, and you have the best bartender in town as an employee, now sit down and drink this before I smack you over the head with the bottle," he says. Baze looks at Jamie. He takes a deep breath and knocks back the beer. This is going to be a long day.

Lux meets Jones for lunch at school. She nearly falls off her seat when she sees him eating salad.

"All right, who are you and what have you done with Jones?" she jokes.

"What can I say, you've become a terrible influence on me. Before you know it, I'll be wearing those little hats with the pocket on the side," he laughs.

"I think it might suit you," she giggles.

"How did things go yesterday with your family? Was Cate ok with the baby?"

A smile pops onto Lux's face at the memory.

"She was amazing. She and Julia were chatting away like they've been friends for years, it was great. Ryan is so in love with the baby, it was really sweet. I think things are going to be great between them. They have worked through all their issues, and things are going well," she beams.

This is exactly what she wanted when she was lying in her bed in Sunnyvale, thinking about a life she could only dream about. She has a fantastic, loving mother, a supportive and caring father, an amazing step-father, and the perfect boyfriend. The only thing she's missing is her best friend, but Tasha was getting out of juvenile detention in a few short weeks. She hoped the time would fly in.

"I'm glad to hear things went well. Sounds like everything is turning around?"

"Yeah, they are."

Her phone vibrates in her pocket. She lifts it out and glares at the screen.

"I'll be back in a minute, I need to take this," she says, leaving the table and heading out into the corridor.

"Bug, what do you want?" she shouts down the phone.

"I need to see you, it's important. I'm outside!" he says, hanging up before she has the chance to protest.

She quickly looks back into the lunch room. Jones is riffling through the salad bowl, picking out the tomatoes. She heads outside before giving herself the chance to think about it.

Bug is sitting on his bike, waiting for her. Lux's mind goes back to the many times she would come out of school and find him waiting for her. It always put a smile on her face, but now, it's chilling her blood. Why is he back after all this time?

"What do you want?" she asks, walking right up to him with her arms folded in front of her.

"Well aren't we on the defensive? I just want to talk, that's all," he says, seemingly hurt.

"Bug I just want to know what you want, I have class starting soon."

"All right. I'm moving back to Portland, and I wanted to know if we could get back to where we were before I left?"

Lux can't believe it. She had feared something like this, but didn't think he would have the nerve.

"Are you serious?"

"Yeah. I know I messed up before I left, and I'm sorry about that. But I want to make it up to you. Maybe we can go back to the days when things were good between us."

"No, Bug. I've moved on. My life is different now, and I'm not going back. I can't make you stay away from Portland, but I can make you stay away from me. I don't want to see you again, Bug. Please, leave me alone!" she says, turning to leave.

"I love you Lux. I always have, and I always will!" he shouts after her.

Lux doesn't respond. She heads back to school and goes back to Jones.

"Um, I have to go, I'm not feeling well. Could you pick up any homework assignments for me?" she asks, grabbing her bag.

"Yeah, sure. Do you want me to come with you?" he asks.

"No, I'll be fine. I'm just going to head home and go to bed. I'll call you later, all right," she says, quickly kissing him before heading out.

"Cate? Ryan, are you home?"

Lux bounds into the house, but there's no one there. She heads upstairs and collapses onto her bed in a deluge of tears. She can't believe how quickly things have changed. From telling Jones how well things had gone at Julia's to this new nightmare with Bug.

The front door opens and closes. Heading downstairs she finds Cate in the kitchen, putting away groceries.

"Cate?"

Her mother turns around. When she sees the look of anguish on her daughter's face, she throws her arms around her.

"What's happened? Are you sick?"

"No, Bug came by school. He's moving back to town, and he wants me back," she says in between tears.

"What's he doing back in town? I thought he was gone for good?"

"So did I."

"Does he know about you and Jones?"

"I don't think so. I've never told him about Jones. I don't think it would matter. He knows what he wants, and he goes after it. I don't know what to do, Cate."

"Well hopefully hearing you say you don't want him will make him realise that he's wasting his time. If he doesn't, then we might have to go down the legal route."

"I don't know if I want to go that far."

"We'll see what happens. If he leaves you alone, then we'll drop the issue. If he doesn't, then we are going to do everything to make sure he stays away from you, don't worry about that. If you see him again, Lux, you call me. Does Baze know about this?"

"He knows that he called me, but he doesn't know about today."

"All right. Well I'll call him and let him know what's happening. Do you want to go and get some rest? You look exhausted?"

That's the best offer she's had all day. She quickly goes into the bathroom to wash her face before heading back to her room. She's asleep within seconds.