AN: Thanks to adryules99, IheartORANGE, anniecakes13, Princess Cutie, and bitterxweetlife for reviewing. I was going to combine this chapter with the next, but it's already 4 pages long, so I kept this one separate. As of right now, there are three chapters left (including this one): Confrontation, Explanation, and Realization. Here we find Lilly racing off to Oliver's aid...but does he want to be helped? RR as always.

Lilly pounded the pavement of Malibu faster than she ever imagined she could. The rain was a torrential downpour, and to make matters worse, thunder boomed in the distance. Thunderstorms were never a friend to Lilly. If she saw lightening, she could snap into a strange mood herself. This could only add to the fear that was already overloading her brain. Despite any distractions, she trekked onward.

The distance between the Stewarts house to Oliver's was much father than Lilly expected. She could walk from her house to Oliver's with no problem, but that wasn't the case. Running all this way was making Lilly exhausted. Not only was she sore physically, but just being up and functioning this late at night was starting to catch up on her. Also, the wind blew her hair, which was down, in her face. She kept trying to push it back as she sped on.

There wasn't a car in the driveway when Lilly had finally made it to the Oken house. Lilly knew that Oliver was only allowed to park in the garage if his parents weren't home. No lights were on in the entire house, but Lilly wasn't going to take any chances.

"He's got to be in there!" Lilly thought. "Where else could he be?"

Lilly ran to the front porch. Without even stopping to catch her breath, she jiggled the knob of the door. To her surprise, it wasn't lock; the door opened with great ease.

"Oliver!?" She screamed, letting the door fly open and crash back against the wall. "Oliver where are you!?"

After searching every room on the first floor, she flew up the staircase still crying out for her best friend. She ran over to his bedroom door. She jiggled it's handle. This one was locked tight.

"Oliver!" She banged loudly on his door. "Oliver, open the door!"

There was no answer.

"Oliver, I know you're in there, now open the door!"

Lilly yanked at the handle a few more time. Still no answer.

"Please, Oliver! Just let me in!"

Nothing...

"Wha...what if I'm t-too late?" Lilly asked herself out loud in a much quieter tone of voice. "Wha...what if he's d-done something?" Lilly slowly fell to her knees. Her head sunk. "Wha...what if he's..."

"I'm glad you think I'm that stupid..."

"Oliver!?" Lilly he's flew up from the floor and she scrambled to stand. "Oliver! You're ok!"

"I'm fine." Oliver voice boomed angrily from behind his door. "Now go away."

"No!" Lilly shouted. "No, I won't go away! Not until you explain what the heck's going on!"

"I'll tell you what's going on. Someone just broke into my house, banged on my door like a mad man, and now's refusing to level my premises when I asked them to!" Oliver voice was raising.

"What's the deal with this note, Oliver!?" Lilly shouted. "I came back from my date and Miley handed me this crumpled piece of paper that you dropped off for me."

"I gave her the note to give to you, yes." Oliver explained. "So what are you doing here?"

" Well I read you chicken scratch, and it sounded like a suicide note to me!" Lilly explain.

"I already said I'm not that stupid!" He fought.

"Maybe I'm the one who's stupid!" Lilly replied. "I'm the one who just ran all the way over from the Stewart's because I wanted to help. I just wanted to save you from pain and misery...from who knows what! You won't open up to me! You don't even have the decency to show your face!"

Oliver had been silent this time, taking in everything Lilly had been saying.

"I just wanted to talk to my best friend!"

Oliver had heard enough of Lilly's plea. He yanked open the door, grabbed Lilly's arm, pulled her inside his room, and slammed the door shut all within a matter of seconds.

"You wanna talk!?" Oliver said, breathing heavily. "Then start explaining!"

Lovers quarrel by nature, but Oliver seems to have snapped. The next chapter is BIG. Lilly spills the truth, leaving Oliver to react in the only way he knows how. Check back some time Saturday for this crucial chapter. Keep reading!

-drummer8907