The day went by pretty uneventful. There were people coming up to me to say "hey", and "welcome back", and there were people that would just whisper to the people around them as I walked down the halls. But I ignored it, with the help of Miley and Oliver, and made it through my first day of school without getting sick or collapsing.

I was so excited to go home afterwards, my parents were going to come see me tonight before they flew off to Vancouver for the next couple of weeks. The bus ride home seemed very long, and even though I had Miley and Oliver sitting right next to me there was nothing that could get my mind off of how long it was taking. It was like today the bus driver woke up and decided that he was going to go 2 miles an hour today. I groaned, and looked out the window at the beach we went by, and listened to the angry drivers behind us that agreed with me that the bus was going too slow.

I looked back at Miley and Oliver, and felt myself getting sleepier. So I rested my head on the window and looked up at the ceiling until Miley announced we were at the house. I ran up the driveway way before Miley and Oliver even got off the bus, and I was in the house for 10 minutes before they arrived again.
"What took you so long?" I asked, jumping up and down. Miley stepped back and tried to stop me by putting her hands on my shoulders.

I noticed Oliver was holding the mail, "We went to the mailbox." He told me, walking over to the kitchen and placing the envelopes on the counter so that Mr. Stewart could find them.

I nodded, suddenly looking around the house to see if Mr. Stewart was home with my parents yet. But it didn't look as if that were the case, and I plopped myself on the couch, Miley and Oliver doing the same.

"How'd you like your first day back at school Lily?" Oliver asked after a moment on silence between the three of us.

I shrugged, "I was okay I guess." I told Oliver and Miley, "but now I have to go back to doing homework."

Miley laughed, "But only for a little while longer." She said, pulling a blanket over our laps and getting up to make some popcorn. "Schools almost out for the summer."

This was true, "but that doesn't help my case." I told Miley, turning around to face her at the kitchen. "We still have to study for finals, and I'm dead meat because I haven't been in school for so long."

Oliver turned around to look at Miley as well, "We'll help you Lily." He told me, resting his head on his arms near me. "I'll give you my notes, and Miley will give you hers, and we'll all study together."

I turned back to face the television, "woo, sounds like a ton of fun." I said sarcastically. Oliver laughed and turned to me again.

"What sounds like fun?" A voice asked from the doorway. I knew exactly who it was without looking, and immediately got up from the couch.

"Dad!" I yelled, running into his arms as mom popped up at his side along with Mr. Stewart. "Mom! I missed you guys so much."

They kissed my head, and I let them in the house so that Mr. Stewart could place their bags down. "I'm sorry we have to leave again Lily." My mom told me, kissing my cheek, "I would do anything to be here with you every minute, but treatments are so expensive nowadays." I nodded, hoping that Miley wouldn't catch on, "How's living with the Stewarts sweetie?"

I looked over at Mr. Stewart, "I love being here." I told my mom. "It's like having another family, but I miss you too."

They nodded, and I sat back down with Miley and Oliver as Mr. Stewart directed my parents to the kitchen to eat before they had to get back on a plane in three hours. I beamed at Miley and Oliver, and we dug into the popcorn, ignoring Mr. Stewart's opinion on how we would ruin our dinner.

For the next few hours, I hung out with my parents most of the time, they gave the three of us presents from San Diego and we immediately put the shirts on and ran around the house with them – I think we were sugar high from the soda's. But when it came down to my parents leaving, I practically cried and held onto my parent's legs to stop them from going out the door. I knew it was going to happen eventually, so I kissed my parents again and hugged them tight before they left. Miley, Oliver and I sat outside until the car was down the driveway, yelling and waving goodbye, and once we knew they couldn't see us we stopped and walked back.

I sighed, sitting down on the couch with Miley and Oliver, looking down at my shirt – that was twice the size of me, in consequence of my weight loss due to chemo. We snuggled up in the covers again, and watched a movie despite the fact that we were supposed to be doing out homework.

"I wonder how Blake's doing," I wondered to myself when we were done with the movie. Oliver and Miley looked at me, "Maybe I should call her." Miley and Oliver nodded, and I got up from the couch and went into the kitchen picking up the portable phone and bringing it into the spare bedroom my parents were supposed to be staying in.

There were a couple of rings before anyone picked up, and it surprised me when my aunt's voice came onto the phone.

"Hello?" She said, with her Australian accent, "McKayne residence."

"Hey Auntie Katherine," I said quietly into the receiver. "May I speak to Blake please?"

It took a while before my aunt realized which niece she was talking to, "Oh Lily dear." She said again, "How are you? Are you feeling any better?"

"A little," I told her. "I went back to school today."

"Really?" Aunt Katherine sounded surprised and glad. "That's so wonderful, hold on – here's Blake, I think she realized it was you… I'll talk to you again dear, I love you."

I said I love you back, but Blake came on the phone before my aunt heard it.

"Lily," Blake yelled, "Are you good now?"

I laughed, four-year-old sisters can be so funny, "Not yet Blakie," I told her, "but I will be soon."

Blake laughed, and screamed into the receiver again, "Are you coming to San Francisco to visit? Because I miss you."

I smiled, it was hard not having Blake around – she always seemed to know how to cheer you up. "I miss you too Blake," I told her. "But I can't visit, but maybe you can come to Malibu with Aunt Katherine for a little while this summer."

I heard Blake clap her hands, "that sounds like fun Lily.' She told me, "Summers almost here where I am, did you know that?"

I laughed, "Here too." Blake laughed, and I could hear my aunt say something in the background, "How's school Blake?" I asked, knowing this conversation was coming to an end.

Blake thought about it, leaving a long amount of silence over the phone, "School is good." She told me at last, "I'm learning a lot of new stuff, and I want to show you next time."

I nodded, "Well, I want to see it," I told Blake, "And I'm looking forward to."

"Good," Blake said, laughing. "I go now Lily, we talk much more now."

"Alright," I said into the phone. "I love you Blake, I'll call again tomorrow okay?"

We agreed on a time, and both hung up so that I could join Miley and Oliver on the couch again.

A/N: Thanks for the reviews everybody! Am so sorry that I haven't been able to post very often - I'm trying to adapt to my new life here in Sydney. Have registered in homeschooling system, because it's almost summer here and I need to finish my junior year, I've started a kickboxing class with my sister Katie, and a figure skating class with my sisters Phoebe and Christine... so, I'm very busy - but hopefully this weekend/week I'll be able to post at least every other day! Thanks again for the reviews!
-Rosie