Disclaimer: I don't own Sky High.

The rest of the school day seemed to fly by, and as she made her way toward the bus to leave, Ivy's thoughts began to wander.

Her first day had proved more interesting than she'd previously hoped. Aside from her frantic attempt at suicide, she'd also met a handsome stranger, and found a teacher with whom she'd really connected. She liked her other teachers well enough, sure, but none of them compared to Mr. McCabe. He'd made Ivy feel so safe. It was a feeling that had been forgotten by Ivy all those months ago, and yet he'd allowed it to resurface in just a matter of moments. She was astounded, but grateful.

As Ivy neared the doors of the bus, a loud shout jarred her from her thoughts.

"Ivy! Ivy, stop!"

She felt someone grab her arm. Ivy whipped around nervously, only to find Layla staring at her, doe-eyed.

"Sorry," she said, not releasing her grip. "I didn't mean to startle you, I just… I wanted to catch you before you got on the bus."

"Yes?" said Ivy, pulling her arm away slightly. Layla let go of her, blushing.

"I… Well, I wanted to apologize… for lunch today. It was really out of line for me to say anything to anyone. I'm sorry for making you feel so uncomfortable. I haven't been able to stop thinking about it since it happened and I just… I wanted to catch you before you left, that's all. If you don't wanna talk to me again, I totally understand… I just… wanted to say sorry," said Layla.

Ivy considered Layla's speech for a moment; she did seem genuinely upset…

Layla turned to walk away.

"Layla," Ivy chirped. The redhead turned back to her. "Save me a seat at lunch tomorrow?"

Layla gave her a large smile and nodded before rushing off to her group of friends. Ivy immediately recognized Warren towering over them. He would have appeared almost menacing, if not for the fact that he was holding hands with a dainty blonde and smiling. Ivy felt an unfamiliar burning sensation in the pit of her stomach, but doused it quickly as she boarded the bus.

As she took her seat, she glanced back at the group through the window. Right before take off, she could've sworn she'd seen Warren staring at her.

—

Ivy opened her front door to find her mother sitting at the kitchen counter. She didn't glance up from the magazine she was reading.

"Hi, Mom…" Ivy said softly.

Her mother still didn't look up. She flipped a page in her magazine and took a sip from the teacup she was holding in her left hand. Ivy sighed.

"Mom," she began tenderly, making her way over to the counter. Her mother looked up, now. "I just want to say… I'm really, really sorry for how I acted this morning. It was really horrible of me to say those things to you… It's just… I feel like you don't look at me the same anymore… That's all."

The ringing silence that followed tugged on Ivy's heartstrings. She stared at her mother intently, feeling her face getting hot. Tears began to well up in her eyes.

"Mom…" she began again, but before she could finish her mother stifled her with a hug.

"Oh, Ivy," she said. Her voice was wet with tears. "You know how much I love you. I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry for all of it."

Ivy was crying openly now, too, and in that moment she knew nothing else mattered. What was in the past was in the past; every mistake they'd made had been forgiven in that moment, with that beautiful, wonderful, loving embrace; they only had the future to look forward to, and to Ivy, nothing looked brighter; and so the two women stood, embracing in the middle of the kitchen, and cried.

When her mother finally let go, Ivy looked up at her.

"Now," she said, sniffling; she smiled. "Tell me about your first day of school."

—

That night, Ivy lay awake for hours. She felt physically exhausted from the day's events, and yet her mind had never been more active.

As she stared at the ceiling, scenes of her earlier brush with death reeled in her head. She closed her eyes, wanting to forget how close she'd come to jumping off of that ledge. The thought made her stomach queasy. She could see the clouds drifting beneath her feet, feel the rush of the wind on her face… and she saw him, too; his chocolate eyes looking at her—through her—right into the depths of her very soul. And that wonderful heat…

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!

Ivy opened her eyes to the sound of an alarm.

6:30 A.M.

Time to go to school.