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Skating around aimlessly, on a board that wasn't even mine, I was trying not be commune with my thoughts. I didn't like myself in the least at that moment. It was better that way, anyways. I didn't need to be headstrong and try to argue with Jay. I'm not sure what I was doing was even considered skating., but rather should've been called rolling.

It's perfect when you roll right into someone without thinking, though. Especially when that person is one of the least pleasing people to see, ever, in your opinion.

"Watch where the fuck you're going," I heard a voice say as I landed flat on my butt on the ground. Not just any random voice, though, oh no. The embarrassment of any random voice was not sufficient to punish me. I looked up to meet the face attached to said voice. Tony's wild eyed, wild haired self stared down at me, a spilled coke in his hand, the remainder on his shirt.

Oh, God!

"T-Tony… I'm sorry," I stammered, not thinking. He even looked surprised by my making an apology. I pulled myself to my feet and brushed myself off, assessing the damage I'd done by spilling his drink on him.

"Great job, Ingram," he hissed, promptly removing his shirt, which startled me a little. I'd seen Tony shirtless before, granted, but not so suddenly, you could say. Wait, was I really paying that much attention to Tony? I must've been more upset than I initially suspected.

"Kiss my ass, Alva," I said, my voice obviously missing it's usual fire when I insulted him.

"Whatsamatter? You and Jay not patch things up?" He teased. I shot him a very hateful look.

"That's not funny, Tony," I said, more weakly than I should have. Why, hello there, sharks… I'll just cut myself open and bleed in this water, if that's okay with you! He gave me a weak shove and smirked.

"Someone else already ruin your day, princess?" He asked, seeming bored with taunting me, already.

"My day has been beyond ruined," I mumbled, beginning to skate back and forth again. He stuck his foot out and tripped my board, sending me head over feet onto the cement. Seething in pain, I kicked his shin.

"Fucking idiot!" I yelled, holding my knee. Skinned and burning, I blamed him completely.

"Stupid bitch," he shot back. I rolled my eyes again; his insults grew less and less original over time.

"Listen, Alva," I shouted, pushing him and remaining in his face, inches between us, "I don't have the patience for your shit right now. I've got my own shit to deal with as far as Jay goes, and I've spent the night with Stacy, who's father is in the hospital. Unless you really think you qualify for my pity or attention, stay the fuck out of my way. Clear?"

My judgment was obviously not the best, but you have to give me credit for standing my ground. Even he did.

"You've got a lotta balls, Ingram," he said, without budging. "What do you mean Stacy's dad is in the hospital, though?" It was refreshing to know that the worries of their friends mattered to Jay and Tony, no matter how self absorbed the pair could be.

"It's a long story that you shouldn't hear from me. The point is, I don't have time to fight you today, Tony," I said, calming down a bit. I regained some composure and stepped back a few paces.

"You need a ride to Peralta's?" He asked me, looking away in faux nonchalance. I was shocked, utterly. I didn't say anything.

"Well, do you?" He demanded, impatiently. I shook my head. Stacy's was close enough and I didn't need Tony to take me anywhere.

"Good, I'm busy, anyways. I was only asking for him. He likes having you around for some reason." He defended his ever having asked me in the first place.

"Thanks, I guess," I said, still not sure of what was going on with him.

"Later, Ingram."

----

"I don't want to cause you anymore trouble," Stacy said, sitting on his couch with a blanket draped over him. I was making tea in the kitchen, still able to see him through the cut out in the wall. Why was I making tea? Because I was uninspired in the art of care giving and tea seemed like it would soothe him, somewhat.

I brought him a glass in and sat down beside him. He looked like the walking dead; dark circles pooled under his eyes and his skin seemed paler than usual. I just wanted my same old Stacy back.

"You didn't cause me any trouble," I said, faking a smile for his sake. He saw through it quite easily. I'd given him a bit of the back-story about Jay and the fit he threw.

"I know Jay had to have been upset to put you out like that," he said, sadly. I worked harder to sell the smile.

"That's unimportant right now, Stace," I assured him, touching his arm. "How's your dad?"

He shrugged and shook his head. "They expect him to wake up, they really do. They just don't know when." There was a long silence between us that I wasn't willing to be the one to break.

"You don't have to be here," he said. He killed me with that earnest look on his face. I touched his face, but quickly withdrew my hand.

"I know, but you're important."

"You and Jay are important, too. He loves you, Lily," he said, the topic seeming to prove a welcome distraction for him as much as it was proving a delicate issue for me.

"Do we need to talk about this, now?" I asked, gingerly.

"Would you rather talk about my father, laying in a hospital, not even able to breathe for himself? Sorry, but this conversation is much lighter," he said, sharply. I stayed quiet again, never really being prepared from harsh words from Stacy. They just didn't come often enough to be predicted.

"I just don't understand, Lily. What do you see in Jay that you don't see in me?"

"Stacy…" There I went again, saying people's name's like it made a terrible difference in the grand scheme of things. He just continued to look at me with his big, honest blue eyes.

"I see a lot of things in you, Stacy, I do," I said, sitting closer to him, "But I don't think this is a conversation for the here and now. Can we just put all of that behind us, just for now?"

"You know, by being here, you're just going to damage things between you and Jay even further, right?" He sighed and accepted my laying my head on his shoulder.

"If he loves me so much, he'll get over it," I replied, only half sure of the truth in that statement. Jay had looked heartbroken, and yet I still sought solace there next to Stacy, as much to comfort him as myself. I was a mess.

"Lily?" He said, quietly, running a hand through my hair. I grunted in reply as if to ask 'what?'.

"I don't know if you should be here, or if you really want to be here, but I'm glad you are."