In the little corner room of the lavish house that sat in the middle of a peaceful neighborhood. That is where she spent time with him. It didn't matter to her what they did, only that they were together. They spent countless hours playing games, watching TV, and taking photos. It'd been weeks… and it still felt heavenly to her. Every morning she waited for his knock and his welcome, knowing they'd get to spend another day together. She loved him. Or… at least this is all what Cody thought.

His stomach turned as he woke up and climbed out of his small bed. He peered through the crack of his bedroom door to look at the closed room at the other end of the hallway. When won't she be there? When can she move back home? Cody couldn't tell if he was going to be happy for her if she left or miserable by the idea. Ever since they left Hawaii, he's been happy in her company. But one day she was going to leave… and the relationship of their friendship would be unknown. As he knocked on her bedroom door, he felt glad. Glad he was able to care about someone that cared so much about him. She welcomed him in and he stayed in the threshold.

"Uh… get dressed." He proposed, "It's a nice day; let's head outside." Sierra watched as he shut the door. She made her way out of bed and started to get ready. She felt excited for the first time in a while. Even though they'd traveled the world together, she found the best moments of her life happening right here. In this little room. She loved the feeling of spending time with someone who wants to spend time with her.

It had been the first time in a while she went down stairs. He waited for her in the hallway to help her get out the door. Outside was a small patch of soft grass and a single tree that arched over the quiet yard. Sierra watched from the concrete as he set down a small blanket by the base of the tree. She leaned her crutches up against the house and wobbled over to where he sat.

He smiled as she sat beside him, "You're walking better."

"Maybe." She watched him get out plates and cans of soda from a bag. She felt conflicted. Did he love her? Or was she looking into it too deeply? She looked at him starry eyed.

Cody quickly caught on to her, "It's a lot nicer than staying up in the room all day. I thought we could try eating out here for once." He looked down at the soft grass… then back up at her. A single glace called him back to the day they left Hawaii. He remembered seeing the defeat and loneliness she wore on her face. Being here… with him… she seemed so much happier. She was beautiful.

As they ate, talked and laughed together, a slight breeze cycled through the yard. She laid her head on his lap, falling into him with the wind. As he stared down at the girl with warm eyes, he stroked the hair of her wig and moved it to the other side of her head. He noticed a small patch of dark brown hair growing underneath. She was staring to recover. She was beautiful.

"Be honest; do you still have feelings for me?"

She opened her eyes and lifted her head up, "I don't know if I really had feelings for you in the first place. Not real feelings. I think that's what I've come to understand at least." She looked at her friend. Her celebrity crush and her genuine bond with him felt like they lived on separate planets. It was a whole different world to Sierra. A world she felt most at peace with.

Cody didn't feel satisfied by her response, "How are you feeling about me now then?" It didn't feel right to him. She was supposed to be in love with him. The foot rubs, toothbrush snatching, and tea drinking was in their past… why was he holding it against her? Her affections weren't how they used to be. He was greedy.

She hesitated, "I… I don't think it matters anymore. I don't care if we're friends, I've told you that. I'm happy with whatever happens." He never took his eyes off her. His feelings for her were still unknown… even to him. He'd never bonded so much with anyone before and their past is what helped them grow. But… did he really see himself falling in love with her?

They sat under the tree in the summer breeze. Just the two of them. Her mind and thoughts spilled out of the back of her head as he leaned into her. She felt her heart race, as it has over and over again. She had so much love for him and it was unconditional. She closed her eyes and kissed him back. As they sat under the tree in the summer breeze, she felt euphoric.

He leaned away from her as she sat frozen in the grass. She watched as her hands started to tremble. Like old feelings flooding back but… this time was different. She lifted her hand slowly before having it grabbed by his.

"I don't want you to feel like I'm trying to change you. You're allowed to have feelings. I owe you that." She remained blanked. Why was he doing this now?

She stuttered, "You… don't owe me anything." He knew he was treading into a difficult situation. He cared about their friendship and he didn't want to mess with her emotions as much as he already had. But there was more to their friendship than just the time on the plane; there was more to their friendship than just the time they spent in the little room.

He sighed before smiling back at her, "Well I owed you that anyway. I just want to be historically accurate." She pushed him jokingly and they shared a laugh. As they sat together in the summer breeze. As they laughed, as they ate, as they kissed. The two of them were truly at peace with one another. They shared a moment on the grass naively as they were unaware of the pair of eyes watching them from the small window.

When they were finished eating, they packed up the blanket and food containers. She grabbed her crutches and he helped her back up the staircase. As he followed her and watched her head into the little room, he felt a hand grab his shoulder and pull him back. Sierra turned around and saw his mother motion him away from the door. She closed it slowly and sat on the floor, with her ear against the paneling.

Her heart started pounding as she heard the muffled sound of them talking on the other side of the door. She heard a lot of noise. A single word made its way through the door like a knife to the chest. Stalker. It never bothered her before that people called her that… but this was different. She wanted so badly to give Cody the chance to see more than that. It's a word that will follow her around for presumably the rest of her life. But as long as he didn't mind, she didn't care. She made her way over to the bed and sandwiched her head between a folded pillow. She put her hand on the sleeping cat next to her and waited for the noise to go away. After a couple agonizing minutes, Cody quietly entered the room and sat on the edge of the bed.

"I'm sorry if you heard any of that. I just don't think my parents really understand what's going on."

Sierra lifted her head up and looked at him, "I don't why it bothers me so much. That your parents hate me and that they want me to leave." She sighed and closed her eyes. He was put in a tough situation. As annoyed as his parents were of her unexpected appearance in the house, he couldn't fathom the idea of sending her away. He realized that he needed to be more trusting and honest with her. She'd been very grateful and he wasn't being as genuine as maybe he thought he was.

He sighed, "Yeah, it bothers me too. It's not fair to you to stay in this room all the time." She widened her eyes as she made the realization. She remembered all the times he brought her food, all the games they played and movies they watched on her tiny laptop, the cat that made his home on the living room sofa that was moved into her room, the fact that he welcomed her into the home and told her she never had to go downstairs. Was she not allowed to go downstairs? Was she really that much of an unwelcome guest? Was the place that made her feel the most wanted all a joke? All of a sudden, the little room she loved spending time in felt like a tiny broom closet; suffocated in the space. She wanted badly to collapse but her mind became numb to the defeat.

"I don't want to stay here if I'm not welcome. I don't want to get kicked out of another house."

"No-no. You are welcome here." The idea of her leaving terrified him. He did everything he could to make her comfortable in that room. He did everything he could to try to convince his parents that she was different and she needed him now more than ever. There was one thing that he knew he needed from her to make it better. Something he dreaded asking from her.

"You and I both know what would help my parents understand why you're here." Sierra blanked at the statement. He had been very quiet in regards to the situation with her mother and father. It took a level of trust and vulnerability for her to talk about; a standard she never thought she'd have to hold against him. She was taken back by the idea of sharing her piece with him.

"I-I can't. Not like this."

"I won't make you do anything you don't want to do. But… would you feel more comfortable if we went somewhere else?" He felt overwhelmingly guilty for trapping her in this room. As happy as they've been in the little room. He never gave her a chance to explore the unfamiliar town. The mere idea of leaving the room, made her intrigued.

"Maybe…"

He stood up and headed to the doorway, "Pack an overnight bag. We can leave shortly." She laughed at the unexpected situation but felt overjoyed as she quickly packed her essentials. Sierra thought about her friendship with him. There was a lot to be thankful for when it came to him. He never had to appreciate her kindness; he didn't have to be her friend. She looked back and realized how miserable she would've been after the show without him. She thought about that first day back in Ontario and how long she would've waited for someone to take her home. Despite any bumpy roads they've been on, and any to come later, their friendship was everything to her. He came back into her room with his own bag to ask if she was ready. As they made their way to the edge of the street, she grabbed him abruptly by the arm.

"Thank you... for everything."