Disclaimer: The usual non-ownage applies.

Warning: Italics and First person are flashbacks.

"That is it, young lady," Sonny's mother shouted from the lower level of the house. Sonny was sitting in her bedroom again, not really doing anything. "You've spent the last month sitting around and moping! The only time you've come out of that bedroom is for school and for meals and I'm sick of it," she continued as she climbed the stairs, "If you're not out of that bedroom in the next thirty seconds-" The door to Sonny's room opened. Sonny wasn't looking so good. Her face was slightly puffy and red and she was wearing baggy sweatpants with a hoodie that looked two sizes too big. Her hair was limp and dull and her usual smile was nowhere to be found.

"Sonny, you've got to do something to take your mind off it. You can't just sit up here and cry forever," as usual her mother knew everything. "Now why don't you go take a shower, get dressed and when you come down I'll give you something to do."

"K mom," Sonny said. It was a Saturday and since she'd been back, all she'd done with her Saturdays was sit in her room with the lights off thinking about the people back in Hollywood. Her mom was right. She needed something to do to distract her.

Half an hour later, Sonny came down the stairs, clean, dressed and looking a little better. Her mother was waiting for her, a scrub brush in hand.

"Don't you feel better?" she asked.

"A little," Sonny replied.

"Good. Now, I came up with something for you to do. It's pretty warm out today and the porch hasn't been cleaned in almost a year. I don't have time to do it and Dad doesn't have time to do it, so we were hoping you would."

Sonny winced inwardly. Scrubbing the porch was not the easiest job. Even with the long handled scrub brush it was tiring and you were sore for days afterwards. Still, it was something to do.

"Ok," she said, taking the brush from her mom. Slipping on her flip-flops she walked out to the porch. Unlocking the door from the porch to the outside she stepped out and grabbed the garden hose.

It wasn't the messiest job she could have been given. In fact it wasn't all that bad. The worst bit, at least this time, was that it gave her lots of time to think. Usually she enjoyed the job, but right now time to think was not what she needed. Time to think meant allowed her mind to wander. Anymore a trip down memory lane meant a trip to Hollywood. From there it was an easy trip to Studio 3 and from there to Studio 2 and one blonde-haired, blue-eyed diva in male form. And of course thoughts of Chad brought back that one last encounter – the one that drover her over the edge and made her decide to leave.

The day hadn't been the best. Rehearsal hadn't gone well and the worst was it should have. They had just started my most recent sketch, a modernized spoof on Pride and Prejudice. It was set in Hollywood and Mr. Darcy's character was a stuck up actor who wouldn't even look at Lizzie, an up and coming star. I had taken it to Marshall and he laughed the whole way through. Nico and Grady both thought it was wonderful and Zora didn't seem to care. Tawni, on the other hand had quite a bit to say about it. I thought that Tawni would be happy about the sketch – she got the role of Jane, the beauty of the family. And at first she was. For about ten minutes. Until she decided that the skit wasn't about Mr. Darcy and Lizzie Bennett. No, Tawni was positive that it was really about - and this was the part I didn't get - Tawni thought the skit was about Chad – Chad and me! It wasn't true, there was no way it could be true. I wrote the sketch, I should know. By the time we got back to our dressing room Tawni was threatening to back out of the sketch unless I admitted that it was about Chad and furthermore that I'd been harboring secret feelings for him. The claim was ridiculous and infuriating, and there was no way that I would even consider telling Tawni such falsehoods. Then, to make matters worse, who should walk in during our shouting match but Chad himself. He apparently heard us fighting all the way over on Studio 2 and when he heard his name, he decided to come see what the matter was. I was sure he'd take my side on this one – he couldn't afford to be seen as fraternizing with the enemy. Instead, he chose Tawni's side. It was humiliating. I'm used to his regular taunting, but this- this was awful. In the end, he tried to force me to kiss him, I kneed him where it hurts most and ran out of the room. Since that day I haven't been back to the set. I sent my mom to get my stuff and turn my resignation in to Marshall.

"So, this is what you came back for? To pretend to be Cinderella?" It was Chad's voice.

"And now I've progressed to hallucinations?" Sonny asked the world in general, "What is it with me?"

"Not that I blame you, but what makes you think this is a hallucination? Other than my angelic looks, of course," Chad's voice said.

"Because," Sonny answered it, "Chad would never come to Wisconsin, and if he did he'd never apologize because he's too much of a stuck-up, self-centered jerk to-"

"Is he, Sonny? Is he really?" The voice interrupted her. Fed up, she turned around, just to prove to herself that Chad wasn't really there.

And stood, stunned, watching the real, live Chad Dylan Cooper get soaked by the running hose she'd already forgotten she was holding.

A/N: So, I have good news and bad news. The good news is: I think this'll be done in one more chapter (albeit a long one). The bad news is: It's gonna have to wait. I'm going to a conference this weekend and I'm not going to have any time to write, so it'll probably be about a week before the final update. I'm really sorry, but at least I got this much up before I left =)

On to a happier note - please review, no matter how short, so I know what you're thinking. If it helps I'll give you a question to answer: Do you think I should write more SWAC fics? I have ideas, but I wanted to test the waters with this one first.

And finally, a shoutout to all of you who gave me suggestions for the reason Sonny left, and a special shoutout to KSpazzed who's idea was closest to the final product. Also, thanks to everyone who's been reading - you've made this my most popular fic yet =)

OK, that's all. Hang in there, have a nice day, and please, please, please review.

~Laure =)