After the lunch bell rings, Rick is quick to leave the table and walk into the rush of students. The three girls look at each other in confusion, already reeling from Rick's confession.

Courtney turns to Beth earnestly, "What's going on with Rick, that was completely out of character for him."

Beth sits there quietly, thinking of what she could say. Oh, you know. He's been living on the farm all by himself since the summer. His hourglass makes him act like a raging dick, and apparently it makes him feel overly emotional towards them. But Beth knew she couldn't say any of those things. And by the look on both Courtney and Yolanda's faces, they have no idea what is going on with Rick.

Beth closes her eyes in frustration. She shouldn't have to lie for him, but what is she supposed to do? What he's going through isn't her place to tell them. It's between them. And if Rick wanted them to know he would tell them, right?

Beth opens her eyes and shrugs, "Maybe he's feeling remorseful for how he's been acting towards Cameron the last few weeks?"

Yolanda scoffs, "Oh, please. Regardless of what Rick says, we all know he hates Cameron. He's just agreeing because you did."

"What?" Beth says in disbelief. "I didn't say anything."

Yolanda shares a look with Courtney who grimaces. "Beth…" Courtney says in her 'I'm goning say something you're not going to like' voice. "You didn't have to. It was written all over your face." Beth stares at them in confusion. What look?

Beth shakes her head, not understanding what they mean. "You guys have it wrong. I never agreed to anything with Rick."

"You didn't have to. Rick took one look at you and folded. He knows that you want what's best for all of us and that means agreeing with us two. He knew he'd be out voted and you decided for him. Even if you didn't say a word." Yolanda gets up and sits down next to Beth, taking Rick's empty seat. "Yes, Rick just told all of us that he cares about us very much, but I don't think he cares about us the same way he cares about you, Beth."

Beth's eyes widen behind her glasses as she takes in this new information. If she were being honest, she knew her relationship with Rick was different than his relationship with Yolanda and Courtney. He treats them like his annoying little sisters, but never with her. He always listens when it matters most. He's first to protect her in a fight, like he did last year with Artemis. And even the last few weeks. He always picked her up for school and always waited for her after school to take her home. Never once has he done that for Yolanda or Courtney.

He does treat her differently and she never noticed until now.

Beth grabs her bag from under the table, "I need to go." She stands up and starts to walk away, but the sound of Courtney's voice forces her to turn around. "You should talk to him, Beth. You're the only one he'll listen to."

A feeling of anxiety passes through her as she walks out of the lunch room and down the slowly emptying hallway. Beth has a free period…and so did Rick.

Thinking for a moment, Beth thinks of all the places Rick would go after what happened.

Not his car…but where?

They would usually meet up in the library to work on homework and relax before seventh period history, but she had a feeling he wouldn't be there today.

He'd try to be alone…

Before Beth and Rick were friends, she would often find him hiding down the music hallway. There were a bunch of abandoned music rooms after the district had cut funding to the orchestra class, only leaving band and string ensemble as the only running music classes at Blue Valley High.

Realistically, Beth could ask Chuck where Rick was, but she didn't want to do that. She wanted to find him all on her own gut feeling. And her gut was telling her to go to the music wing. Hiking her backpack higher on her shoulders, she takes the long walk down the hallway, past the science classrooms, to the mostly abandoned part of the school building.

It was sort of a cemetery for old school equipment. Busted tables lined the hallways, broken lockers full of trash and rust line the walls. If it weren't for the daylight, and her need to find Rick, she would never ever enter these halls willingly.

As Beth turned the corner, she came face to face with a busted cafeteria table, one that has a very distinct burn in the middle of it. Beth looks away as she hurries down the hall, knowing well enough Courtney's cosmic staff was to blame for the decaying table.

In the distance, she could hear the distinct sound of sniffles coming from the old orchestra classroom. Her heart jumps in her throat hearing the sadness coming from Rick. She approaches the classroom slowly, leaning against the doorway peeking in to see if it were truly Rick.

And it was.

He was sitting against the wall on the farthest side of the classroom with his knees drawn up, with his head resting against his folded arms. Beth felt her heartbreak seeing Rick in such a state. She is so used to seeing him as Hourman, this strong person that protects her and their town. But the boy before her is nothing more than a teenager. A sad scared teenager.

Beth steps into the classroom, unsure how to approach him. He clearly was in his own little world that he missed the soft steps approaching.

Trying not to startle him, Beth sets down her backpack, making a soft thump sound on the blue carpet, and she takes a seat next to him. She settles close enough that her arm is pressed against his.

Beth was surprised he didn't react to her being there with him, she for sure expected him to be mad or say something rude. But instead he turns his head to look at her from the corner of his eye.

"Beth?" his voice sounded so small and unsure if she was even real. She places her hand on top of his knee in comfort. To let him know she was there for him.

"Hey." She whispers back. "I wanted to see if you were okay." The concern was evident in her dark brown eyes. "You seemed upset when you left lunch."

Rick hides his face from Beth again. "I'm fine." He mumbles into his arms. "You can go."

A spark of anger flares in Beth's chest, "No. Not until you talk to me, Rick."

Her tone caught his attention enough that he picked up his head and rests it against the hard white wall behind him. "There's nothing to talk about, Beth. Leave it alone. You don't need to solve everything."

His eyes were red from crying and his voice slightly horse from the tears. It was devastating to see him like this, and Beth will do anything to get back the sarcastically funny guy that she lov-.

Beth's eyes widen at the revelation.

I love Rick.

Love. One of the few words in the world that remain a mystery to Beth Chapel. Sure, she loves her parents, she loves her friends, but she wasn't in love with these people. But she was in love with Rick. And she didn't even realize it. All the times he would text her she would get excited or the times when he would get her a hot chocolate before school because it was her favorite in the colder months; she would get a rush of warmth from the kind gesture. All the times he sat with her and just listened because she needed someone when Chuck was gone. All of it was love.

And now it was her turn to return the favor.

"I don't care how mad you get or how many walls you might want to smash. But I will be right here for you, Rick. I'm not going anywhere." Her voice held so much conviction, so much she was surprised with herself. And by the looks of it, so was Rick. It seemed to be the final crack in the dam, an opening of the floodgates that was Rick's anguish.

He reaches out to her, pulling her close to his chest. His arms wrap around her, cocooning her to him in such a way that leaves Beth breathless. She wraps her arms around his torso and rests her head against his chest, feeling the sobs through his body. He rests his head against the side of her head trying to gain some sort of control. But he can't. It's like his body has been holding this all in for so long that it feels like it will never end. After the summer, he didn't know what to do once he was out of jail. He felt helpless and weak when he went home to find Matt was long gone. The first night, he spent it tearing up the house in anger and frustration at himself for losing the only family he had left. And then the grief set in, but Rick refused to accept it. So he put all his effort into resurrecting Grundy.

But all of that was building, especially when he knew his hourglass wasn't working anymore. His frustration towards his lack of time elevated his emotions, but he always kept them in check in fear the team would find out.

But then Beth was there that night, at the Pit Stop. Just sitting there helping him with the hourglass and he felt at ease and safe. Which was something he hadn't felt in a long time. Which is why he felt comfortable enough to tell Beth about the hourglass and how it wouldn't hold time the same way anymore. He knew Beth would understand, he knew she would inspire him to do better, to be better. She was the light in his life that he needed to snuff out the darkness he let festered for far too long.

And today was his breaking point.

He needed her.

He needs Beth.

"I-I'm sorry I'm-m a mess, B-Beth." He cries. "It's j-just too much and I-I think there's s-something wrong with m-me." Beth pushes back enough to cup Rick's face in her hands and brush away the tears. She didn't realize it, but she felt a wetness on her cheeks too. With a shaky hand, Rick cups her cheek and does the same.

"it's perfectly normal to be upset Rick, but keeping everything in is what's hurting you."

Rick takes a shaky breath, "I just—" he shuts his eyes tight, forcing more tears to fall. "My head has been hurting recently, and I just don't feel like myself anymore. Ever since Eclipso, everything in my life has been utter shit." He opens his bloodshot eyes and looks deep into her eyes. Beth can feel heart flutter at the intense gaze.

Ricks' thumb grazes her cheek, brushing away any remaining tears. "But through all that shit, and how I have been acting lately, you've been the only constant thing in my life."

Beth's breath hitches. She searched his eyes for any sign of the hourglass' influence, but all she could see is Rick, her Rick.

He gently rests his forehead against hers, trying to get as close to her as possible. Beth's hands fall from his face and wrap loosely around his shoulders, anchoring herself to him. She didn't know what to say to him. All of these confessions are sending her mind into a frenzy and all she can think about is his arms wrapped tightly around her and the steady sound of his breathing.

After a moment of silence, Rick pulls back to look down at her. A small smile gracing his lips. "You know I meant it, back in the cafeteria. Everything I said."

Beth smiles in return, "Yeah, I know."

Rick looks away bashfully and looks back at her. "Umm but there is also something else too…" his tone causes her pulse to race. What else could Rick possibly have left to say?

She tilts her head in confusion, "What is it, Rick?" She lets her hand fall to his chest, over his rapidly beating heart. "You know you can tell me anything, right?"

He lets out an airy laugh, "Yeah, I know. But uh…" Right away Beth noticed his demeanor change. His face turning serious but also a hint of fear in his hazel eyes. "I care about you, a lot."

Beth smiles, "I care about you too, Rick." But her smile faulters when Rick shakes his head and reaches out to cup her chin.

"Beth," his thumb strokes her soft skin. "I care about you." He watches as it finally dawns on her. If he weren't already holding her chin, she was certain her jaw would have dropped.

"Wait so you—" her mind was racing a mile a minute. Rick Tyler likes her, like really likes her and her mind can't seem to understand that. She can see him waiting for her to say something back but she was awestruck. There was nothing she could say without making a fool of herself.

His hand falls from her face, accepting that she doesn't feel the same way. "Look—I get it. I'm just the asshole who refused to acknowledge your existence for years and basically made a fool of himself. But I wanted you to know." He wishes he could stand up and walk away before he could make himself look more foolish. But Beth was settles between his legs and not moving at all. He wasn't quite sure she was breathing if he were being honest.

"Uh, Beth?"

"What?" Beth she shakes herself out of her stupor. "I'm sorry, I think I'm hearing things. Did you just confess that you have feelings for me?" Rick's lips quirks at the corner before turning into a full smile. "Yeah, I did."

"Oh." Oh…

He waits patiently for her to collect her thoughts. He knows her well enough that she is trying to process all of this the best way she can. And after a few moments she finally comes through.

"I never thought that you would feel the same way…" She can feel this overwhelming sensation coming over her. "I just thought this was one sided."

Rick shakes his head, "If I'm being honest. I've always seen you, Beth. I just never had a reason to talk to you, but sitting at that table was the closest I got for years." He confesses. "And then Courtney came along and helped move me in the right direction. You all did and I appreciate everything you all have done to make me a better person."

"Oh, Rick." Beth could feel the tears threatening to fall again. "That's so sweet." She reaches down to take his hands in hers. "But we need to discuss something important before this goes anywhere…"

He squeezes her hands, "What?" his voice laced with concern.

Beth takes a breath, preparing herself for his reaction. "We need to fix the hourglass properly. It is causing damage to you that you can't see."

"What damage?" he asks annoyed. Ah yes, there is the hourglass influence she's been waiting to see. She figured his mood swings were connected to the hourglass lacking a limiter, but she wasn't sure which emotions were connected to those changes.

"Whenever you get annoyed or angry it is tenfold. There is a fine line between normal behaviors and abnormal behaviors." Beth states and continues. "Two weeks ago, when we were going around and taking down the cameras, Chuck scanned you while wearing the hourglass."

Rick shrugs his shoulders in boredom, "Okay, and?" the annoyed tone started to seep in and she noticed he slipped his hands from hers too. She can already feel the change already.

Her Rick was gone.

"And," she emphasized. "not having a limiter is causing harm to your physical form. Your biology cannot handle that much exposure to the hourglass. Like you said before, you're having headaches and not feeling well? That's from the hourglass."

She can tell Rick is listening to her, but she also notices the tightness in his jaw and his hands clenching tightly. "So what? You want me to stop being Hourman?"

Beth lets out a huff, "No, Rick. I want to help you fix the hourglass properly so you don't hurt yourself further."

His eyes narrow and his face gravitates closer to hers, "What do you mean by 'fix it properly'."

Beth shifts back from Rick, feeling an unease starting to form between them. One second he was confessing his feelings for her, the next he was shutting down and acting cold.

"We need to put the limiter back in place. It is the only way to prevent any further damage to yourself."

He gives her an incredulous look, "But why should I give up having limitless power? Why should I have to resort to only having an hour of strength a day and nothing more?"

"Because—"

"No." he cuts her off. "I won't put the limiter back in. It's out of the question, Beth."

This was not what Beth expected to happen. They finally were on the same page and then it all fell apart in a matter of minutes. This heavy feeling settles in her chest as she pushes away from Rick and stands up. She grabs her bag from the floor and looks back at Rick, who's staring at her with a mixture of sadness and anger.

"I'm telling you now, Rick. This will be your downfall if we do not fix this. You will be very sick and then we will never be able to come back from that." Beth pleads with him. "I'm only walking away because I don't only care about you Rick, but I love you." Beth sniffles and pushes through all the feelings wreaking havoc within her. "And because I love you, I want you to heal and be the best version of yourself. But that," she point to his hourglass strapped to his belt. "that will be the death of you."

Not caring to wait for whatever rude remark he would have to say, Beth leaves the classroom and walks straight out of the school building.

She refuses to believe that the boy she's loved for so long would chose a death sentence over life.

That his words from an hour ago were meaningless if he were no longer here.

What's the point in caring if you can't be with the people who love you?