Port Charles High-

Georgie stood by her locker during the break between classes. She hadn't seen either her boyfriend or Brook for the entire day, but that wasn't exactly unexpected. After all, sometimes people ran late. Georgie was never one of them, but Dillon and Brook had their own problems that they needed to work out at any given time, usually involving their families. Funny the way that she thought of them as families. After all, they were related. But Dillon, who may have still had the last name of Quartermaine, had distanced himself from his family just as much as Jason had before him. In fact, if it wasn't for Brook, who Dillon did appreciate and love like a true member of his family, Dillon probably wouldn't have anything to do with his family aside from the times where he felt like he needed to be involved with them. Usually, that came at Damian's insistence that he spend some time with his family.

Sometimes, the closeness between the two of them was scary, and Georgie couldn't help but get a little jealous. She understood why they were friends, and she loved the fact that Dillon had found someone who he could confide in, someone who wasn't a female. Before Damian, Dillon had only had Georgie and Maxie. Other people were too busy distancing themselves from Dillon because of who he was, and because of everything that Kyle and his friends were saying about him. Kyle was just jealous because Dillon was the kind of person that he could never be. A rich boy with a heart, someone who wasn't stuck up and snobbish, like him.

But, it wasn't all fun and games. There were plenty of times that she wanted them to stop being so close, and she wanted Dillon to confide in her the way that he confided in Damian. Most of it came from the way that Damian helped Dillon during the ordeal that he went through when Lila died. Damian was there for Dillon first. Not only because he lived right across the hall, but because Dillon called him first, because Dillon felt that he could help more than she could. Even though Georgie admitted to herself that it was true, because of what Damian had been through in his life, she still would have liked to have been that first person that was called, not a second person, not an afterthought.

Was it a little selfish? Probably, but she didn't care. Georgie may have been the one that people depended on when they needed someone who they wanted to be impartial, but what about when she wanted someone to depend on? Who could she turn to? Why couldn't she find someone that she could confide in the same way that other people could? What made her so special that everyone came to her, but nobody opened their arms to hold her when she was in pain? It probably had something to do with the fact that she never showed her pain. Georgie was always so busy dealing with everyone else and their misery that she barely took the time to recognize the pain that was inside of her own soul. An oversight, one that she wanted to correct, but probably wouldn't be able to because of the way that she was. Georgie couldn't change the person that she was, no matter how hard she tried.

The time continued to pass along without anyone that she wanted to see turning around the corner. Georgie was alone. In more ways than one, she was alone. Sadness swept up inside of her. Leaning against the locker, Georgie pulled out her cell phone and dialed Dillon's number first. Was he not at school? The phone rang a few times, and she even listened to hear if she could hear the sound of his phone going off in the hallway, but there was nothing but the chatter of the other students. Dillon's voice spoke in the phone, but it was his voice mail, nothing else. "Dillon, hi, it's me. I just… I wanted to know where you were. Are you at school? I haven't seen you, and break is almost over. Call me, or text me when you get this message, please. I love you." A similar message was left to Brook, taking out any words that gave the hint of love. But, when the bell rang, Georgie walked to her next class without anyone by her side.

The Docks-

Dillon's phone was on, he heard the phone ring, he looked down at it as soon as he pulled it out of his pocket and he saw that it was Georgie. He wanted to answer it, but he stopped himself from doing it because he didn't really feel like unloading on her. He'd done that too often, and, knowing her, she was probably at school. Georgie only took days off when it was of the utmost importance, she couldn't even fathom taking a chance at risking that perfect GPA that she had.

"I'm sorry, Georgie," he whispered, thinking about her beautiful face. He loved the girl so much, but, at that moment, he didn't want to be a burden on her in any way, shape, or form. Who could blame him? He'd leaned on her so much throughout their relationship. From the time that he met her, before he realized how much he loved her, Georgie was his friend, his companion. That much hadn't changed, but, at that moment… no, he couldn't do it.

"Dillon?" Elizabeth saw the boy on the bottom of the docks. She wasn't very close to him, but she had seen him plenty of times around Kelly's, and she found him to be a good kid, with a great sense of humor and of self. Plus, he was Emily's cousin, and Emily had always spoken highly of him, from the moment he arrived in Port Charles that day when Tracy left him.

Dillon turned his head over his shoulder to see Elizabeth. Not wanting to bother her either, he just smiled, trying to hold back the inner darkness, "Morning, Elizabeth."

"Shouldn't you be at school?" Elizabeth asked as she walked down the steps and stood by him. "I mean, it might have been a while since I traveled the halls of Port Charles High, but I certainly remember having to attend school at around this time. Playing hooky?"

"Something like that…"

"Do Jason and Courtney know?"

"Why would they care?"

"Because you live with them," she said softly. "You're their responsibility now, Dillon. They took you in when your family threw you out, remember? I know you're at that age where you think that you can do whatever you want, but at the same time you should at least respect the people who opened their home to you. I mean, you are Jason's cousin, after all."

"Try telling him that…"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Jason doesn't want me there, Elizabeth," Dillon replied. "He's letting me stay because it's important to Courtney, and, don't get me wrong, I appreciate everything that they do for me, I appreciate the fact that they give me a place that feels more like a home than the mansion ever did. But… sometimes it isn't enough…"

And there, underneath everything that Dillon put up to protect himself from being hurt, like he had probably been hurt when Tracy just threw him at the Quartermaine's doorstep, was the sensitivity that he tried to keep hidden. "Dillon… what's wrong?"

"It's just… sometimes I wonder about Jason. I see how much he cares about Michael and Morgan, and I understand why he cares so much about them, because of Sonny and Carly and how much he thinks about them, and the fact that he was Michael's father for awhile… but, it's like, when I look at Jason, I don't see anything. I see him looking at me as if he's saying, 'oh, that kid's still here…' and I can't help but remember that it was the way that people looked at me when I was staying at the mansion."

"Jason's a complicated person, Dillon. He always has been, he always will be…"

"Do you think anyone really understands him?"

She shook her head, "No, I don't. As close as Courtney and Carly are to him, they probably can't understand most of what he's feeling. A part of that is because, on some level, Jason probably doesn't even know what he's feeling either. Jason was and still is one of the best people I've ever met, Dillon. Don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to insult him by saying that, but he has a lot of baggage on his shoulders, baggage that he doesn't want people to see. And when they do see it, like I did a few times, he tries to push it away, change the subject."

"That doesn't help me much…"

"I know, but I'm just saying that Jason might not seem like he cares, but that's just the way that he looks all the time, Dillon. Jason is the type of person who is afraid of opening himself up, because of what he does, because of the fact that he knows that it could all be over tomorrow, that he could end up on the floor tomorrow, leaving behind everyone that he loves. Do you know what that's like? No, you can't know what that's like, because you're not that kind of person. Nobody can understand that kind of weight."

"So what do we do?"

"If you're me, you let it push you away so much that you just end up resenting Jason for what he is, and that hurts him more than he ever deserves to be hurt. If you're like Courtney, you find a way to make it work, you find a way to compromise… and, I guess what you're looking for is to feel like you actually belong somewhere. So, why don't you try asking him how he feels about you? If there's one thing that Jason doesn't do, it's lie. No matter what."

"I guess…"

"Look, I'm not going to tell you that it is going to solve all your problems, because it won't, but it will at least give you something. You said that you want to feel like the house is more than the mansion, but the only person who can make that happen is yourself. If you want to be broody and miserable, then I can't stop you, and neither can Jason or anyone else… but, Dillon, nothing ever comes from having that kind of anger in your heart. Believe me, I know."

"Is it really that simple?"

"Things are usually simpler than we want to make them out to be. We like to make something out of nothing as a general rule of thumb. I don't know if that's the only thing that's bugging you right now, Dillon, but I know that if you take one step towards finding a way to deal with that kind of sadness and hurt, it will help make everything else seem a little less tremendous."

Dillon nodded. He thought about every word that she had told him, and he realized that she had a lot of points. It was that simple, and he knew that Jason wouldn't lie to him. The question was, did Dillon want to ask Jason? What would he do if Jason said that he didn't want him around? What would he do if Jason wanted him to leave. Could he find a way to make it work? To be alone again. His mother had said that he was always welcome at the house, but he knew Tracy better than that. The minute he wanted to come back she would find a way to strangle the life out of him again, try and mold him into the way that she wanted him to be. But he wouldn't have that, he couldn't sacrifice himself in that way, not again.

"I know that you're going to do what you think is right. But, you know, if you ever need a friend, I'm usually at Kelly's, and I'll do what I can. If you need references on my abilities as a friend, I'm sure you'll find some in your immediate circle of family and friends. Just don't ask Carly…"

"I know better than to ask Carly about anything, Elizabeth. Thanks, though. This really helped me out."

"Not a problem. I'll see you later, Dillon. Bye." Elizabeth gently touched his shoulder before she walked back up the stairs and towards Kelly's, giving one last glance at the boy, who continued to look out at the sea. Hopefully things would work out that way. If not, she would find a way to help him.

Outside Port Charles Community College-

Just in case someone was watching her, because she never put much passed her father, Maxie made her way to the Community College, but she had no intention of ever going inside, at least not at that day. She wasn't going to sacrifice her college career because of one person, even someone that she loved as much as Damian. She wasn't that girl anymore.

"Hey, Maxie…"

Maxie turned around to see a familiar face, although not exactly one of the most welcome faces that she could have seen. Not wanting to be rude, she smiled anyways, "Hi, Robbie. How are you?"

The boy, Robbie, hadn't changed much since high school, as evident by his attire and the way that he spoke. Maxie once hung around him from time to time, mostly because he was one of the people who was in Kyle's group. She had seen him at the community college, but kept her distance. "I'm cool. I mean, school sucks. My parents said that if I didn't get a job or go to school they would kick me out, though, and I'm too young to be wasting my time behind a counter asking people if they want fries with that, you know?"

Maxie felt that she had lost a few points of her IQ when she heard him talk, but, she saw something in Robbie that she hadn't seen before, a chance to feel something other than the misery that she was feeling before. "Yeah, Robbie, I understand completely."

"So… you going to school?"

"Not today, I just needed to stop by for a few seconds. How about you?"

"I've got a quiz that I need to take. I wish I could miss it, but I've already missed three classes." It was only the second week of class. His parents never said that he needed to have a good attendance record. "And I should get myself over there before I'm late. The teacher won't let you take the quiz if you're late. See you later, Maxie."

"Wait, Robbie, can I ask you something?"

"I guess…"

"You want to grab a bite to eat later or something? You know, a date?"

"Yeah, that would be great!"

"Good, I'm glad. Meet me here at around seven, okay?" Maxie smiled and walked away, the smile faded as soon as she turned around, though. A part of her hated what she was doing, but, she just wanted to get over it, someway.