"Keely, you've got a little..." Via pointed to the tip of Keely's nose, which was spotted with frosting from a cupcake she was eating.

"Mmh." Keely rubbed her upper lip. "Did I get it?"

"No, it's your nose," Tia said, laughing. Keely frowned and wiped at the side of her nose with a napkin.

"No, it's– I'll get it," Via said, leaning forward and reaching across the table, dabbing at Keely's nose with a napkin. Keely's eyes tracked down to Via's hand.

"I can't deal with all this estrogen," Owen said aside to Seth. "We're outnumbered now. Phil was a pretty quirky guy, but at least he balanced us out, you know? Ow!"

Owen's comments were silenced by Via elbowing him in the ribs. "Honestly, Owen, you can be so insensitive sometimes. I'm sorry, Keely," she said, turning away from Owen. "You know how he is."

Keely shook her head. "It's okay. Just cause I miss him doesn't mean we can't talk about him, right?"

Via shrugged and nodded. "I don't really see why not. That is, if you're comfortable with it..."

Keely offered a lopsided smirk. "I'm okay, Via. I'm totally fine."

"Glad to hear it," the Brit responded with a grin.

"So if we found someone to sort of balance out the ratio here, then it'd be-- OW!" Owen let out another grunt as Via's elbow collided with his ribs again.

"I don't think Owen was suggesting we replace him," Via said, giving Owen a reproachful look. He just winced as he rubbed his side.

Keely laughed as she rested her cheek on her hand. "You two..."

"Us two? You mean him and me? No, no, there's no 'us two'. There's no 'we'."

"Sure there's not." Keely grinned as Via's cheeks flushed slightly with color.

"Come off it," Via said, shaking her head.

"I know, I know," Keely said, raising her hands, "he's impossible to deal with and you'll never be with him." Via smirked and nodded.

Keely checked her phone for the time. "Mm, well, I'm gonna get going a few minutes early. I have to stop by Mr. Lombardi's class to pick up that make-up work..."

"Okay," Via said, glancing at Tia and Owen, who were engrossed in a conversation. "I'll see you after school, though."

"Yeah, sure thing. Later, Vee. See ya, Seth."

"Hmm? Oh, yeah, see ya," Seth said, looking up from his open calculus book. Via turned to talk to him as Keely got up and left, and he quickly slapped his book shut and turned his focus to her.

Keely spent the five minutes before class in the restroom. She stared at her reflection intently, studying the cold look in her eyes.

Am I really fooling any of them?

She turned on the water and washed her face. Water ran down her cheeks and dripped off the tip of her nose. She stared intently at herself in the mirror again. The bell rang. She sucked in her breath through her teeth.

"Showtime." She forced a smile onto her face and grabbed a paper towel to dry off.

- - -

"Hello?" Tia answered her phone, holding it against her cheek with her shoulder as she typed away on her computer, finishing an essay for her English class due in the morning.

Sobbing came from the other end of the line.

"Keely? Are you okay?"

"He– he–..."

"Keely, what's wrong? What happened?"

"He's leaving. He's moving, Tia."

"...You mean for good this time? Because—"

"Yes, for good," Keely snapped. "I wouldn't be calling you like this if we didn't know for sure."

Tia let out a sigh, and stood up from her computer, taking her phone in her right hand. "I'm... I'm really sorry to hear that, Keely..."

"This can't be happening... what do I do, Tia?"

"There's... there's really not much you can do, is there? I mean, it's not like you can just... move with him..."

"I know that, Tia... I– I– I just, I can't believe this is happening... I can't handle this, Tia!"

Tia bit her lip. There was nothing she could do to help. Keely had come to her in her hour of desperation and there wasn't a thing she could do to make her friend feel better. "Well, I mean, couldn't you still call him up, though? I mean—"

"It's not like that, Tia! I just– I mean, it's not the same... It's never going to be the same..."

"I... I'm sorry. Really, I am, hon. I just..."

"I don't know what to do, Tia..."

"...Enjoy your last days together?"

"...I don't even know if I can do that... knowing it'll be over so soon..."

Tia heaved another sigh. "Give me a few minutes. I'm coming over."

Keely let out a shaky breath and disconnected the call. She drew her legs towards her body, hugging her knees tightly. She let her head drop forward and shut her eyes tightly, trying to keep her sobbing silent, so her family wouldn't hear.

"How could I have let this happen?.... I knew this was the only way this could end... He could never stay here. But I let myself fall in love with him anyway..."

She chewed her bottom lip some more, fiercely blinking back tears. She knew it couldn't have been Phil's fault. It had to be hers.

But he fell in love with me too... it can't be all my fault...

Or maybe I'm just telling myself that to convince myself that it's not my fault. But I still fell for him, either way. And I had to have known he could never stay here. So yeah, it is my fault.

The doorbell rang. Keely started to get up when she heard her sister call out, "I got it!" from downstairs, and slowly sat back down on her bed, hugging her legs. Tia knocked on the door, and Keely told her to come in.

"Hey," Tia said softly as she saw Keely huddled into a ball. "How you holding up?"

"About as good as I expected to," Keely mumbled. Tia sat down on the bed next to her, and Keely turned her head away, resting her left cheek on her right knee.

Tia sighed softly and put her arm around Keely. "It's okay. I know this must be hard for you..."

"That's barely scratching the surface."

"Mm.... poor Keely... I really am sorry to hear about all this... If there's anything I can do for you, you know you can ask, right?"

"There's not really much I can think of that you can do for me... or that anyone can do for me..."

"That's okay. I wouldn't really know what to do anyway."

Keely let out a small laugh despite herself. "I just...I feel like the only person who ever really loved me for me is leaving..."

"You don't think your family loves you?"

"That's different. I know they do, but that's not the same. You know what I mean."

Tia sighed. "You know, even if you don't feel like anyone does, I can assure you that Phil isn't the only one who loves you. I know it feels like you're the only one who cares about yourself, but that's just not true."

"It sure doesn't feel like it," Keely muttered.

"Just because they're not making a big deal out of it doesn't mean they're not out there. You're not alone, Keely. People love you. Don't forget that. Things will get better. I promise."

"How can you say that?" Keely asked in a heavy whisper.

Tia shrugged and let her hands fall into her lap. "I just... know."

Keely bit her bottom lip and looked out her window. The streetlight on the corner flickered sporadically. A stray cat slinked underneath a mailbox. The sun was down, but the air remained pleasantly warm. Countless stars illuminated the night sky. The stray cat darted across the street upon hearing a dog barking, its fur standing up on end.

"How long are you going to stay here?" Keely asked, bringing herself out of her reverie.

"You mean tonight?" Keely nodded silently. "I don't know. Until morning, I guess. I don't want to just leave you here."

"You don't need to stay all night, Tia... I'm fine. I'm totally okay."

Tia bit her lip. "Well. You're not getting rid of me that easily. Come on. Audio diary mode." Keely slowly looked over at Tia, who mimed a zipper motion across her lips.

She laughed softly, leaned against Tia's shoulder, and sighed, wondering where to begin.

- - -

"..."

He heaved a sigh. "I know. I know you know. Somehow it doesn't make it any easier."

"No. No it doesn't."

She wasn't crying. Her voice wasn't even shaking. She didn't look bothered by the news at all, but he knew her flat affect was just temporary. Maybe the news hadn't sunk in yet, or maybe she just didn't want to break down in front of him, but she wouldn't look shell-shocked forever.

"For good this time," she eventually choked out, not even in the form of a question.

"For good this time," he echoed. She folded her arms over her stomach and looked down, hunched over slightly.

"Of course. Of course this would happen."

"I'm sorry, I just... It's reached the point where we can't—"

"I always wanted to believe that we'd be together forever somehow... guess I just got deceived from the start..."

"No, Keely, that's not what I—"

"You're right. It wasn't you. It was me. I deceived myself into thinking this could've really been something... when I knew this was the only way it would ever really end. Just like it always ends. You're leaving me just like Dad left Mom..."

"It wasn't supposed to be like this, Keel... I would never—"

"I know you would never. But that doesn't really matter, does it? They are, so, you have to. Simple."

"That doesn't make it right," Phil said. He dimly recognized that he felt he was playing the wrong role in this conversation.

"I didn't say it did. I just... I understand what has to be done. Doesn't mean it's right.... sure doesn't mean I like it, but... what can we do?"

"Nothing, other than enjoy what time we have left together..."

Keely looked up at Phil, and he saw a tear silently fall down her cheek.

- - -

"So what's the plan for today?" Phil asked as he walked Keely home.

"Today? Today, we go to the park."

"What's happening at the park? Is the fair back in town?"

She looked over at him. "Now if the fair was in town, wouldn't I say we're going to the fair?"

"Maybe. But maybe not. I can never quite tell with you, Keels."

"Hmm, well, after the incident in the Hall of Mirrors last time, I don't really think another night at the fair is ever going to happen."

"I've told you a hundred times by now that wasn't my fault!"

"You just keep telling yourself that, Phil," Keely said as they walked up the sidewalk to her house. "Believe the lie."

"It's not a lie, it's the untarnished truth!"

Keely laughed and opened the front door. "Mom's not home right now," she explained.

"Right. Is she at the park? Is this some sort of surprise party? You know it's not my birthday, right? No day is my birthday, actually."

"I know, I know, you emerged from your natal pod at exactly midnight on June 28th..." Keely tossed her backpack on her bed and picked up a video camera. "You can drop your stuff here, if you want. You won't be needing your anatomy textbook."

"Right," Phil said, dropping his bag next to Keely's. "Guess... to the park now, then?"

"Mmhmm!" Keely nodded perkily, headed out of her room, and glided down the stairs, with Phil following quickly behind her.

"So what gave you this idea, anyway?" Phil asked after a brief silence.

"Nothing. Or everything. Or you. I'm not sure."

Phil smirked. "That really doesn't tell me anything, Keels."

"Can't you be patient?" she asked with a laugh. "Honestly, Phil, you'll find out what we're doing soon enough..."

"That's not soon enough!" Phil protested. Keely let out a giggle.

"Can we change the subject or something? The longer you ask about what we're doing, the longer it's going to take to get there."

Phil let out a sigh and folded his arms over his chest. "Fine," he said, in his best imitation of Keely.

"Was that supposed to be me? Just what are you trying to say, Phil Diffy?"

"I'm Keely and I make Phil tell me everything, but—"

Keely interrupted him with a laugh and a playful hit on the shoulder. "You're such a dork, Phil!"

"Okay, okay," he said, chuckling to himself, "I'm done. I promise."

It was a gusty afternoon, but warm and sunny. The trees along the edge of the park waved their leaves invitingly as the two teens walked down the street.

"Now what would be a good spot..." Keely mulled over her options as she surveyed the grass. Phil stopped by a tree which had their names carved into its trunk. He smiled, and opened his mouth to call out to Keely, but she was already beckoning him over to the top of a small hill.

"What's up, Keel?" he asked, walking up beside her.

"This spot. It's perfect," she said, gesturing to a small sapling no taller than ten feet swaying in the breeze. "Set it up."

"Set it up? Set what up?"

"The shot, you dork!" she replied, pointing to the camera still in his hand.

"Oh, right! Uh, so yeah, let me just... set up this shot here..." Phil took a few steps backwards, then turned around and investigated the camera, trying to hide the fact that he didn't have a clue what he was doing.

"Need a little help, there?" Keely's teasing voice rang out from behind him.

"No, I totally got this," he answered. She clearly didn't buy it, and walked over to him.

"Let me help there, Science Genius Boy." Her hand gently brushed over his and flicked the switch from "off" to "record".

"I totally knew to do that. Um... why's the screen still black?" He looked up to Keely for guidance.

She laughed softly and took a step closer to him. He slowly leaned towards her when she softly said, "Try taking the cap off the lens..."

Phil slowly looked down at the camera and did as she suggested. "Oh, would you look at that..." he said to himself, looking at the trees and the grass in the small screen.

"Okay, Phil, stay with me here," she said, now standing by the tree again. "Now set up the shot. Make me look good."

"Ah, you already look perfect," he said with a wave of his hand. "Now what are you going to do here?"

Keely grinned. "Just hit record, dork."

"Alright, so just... so the red one, yeah? Wait... Wait, is it on?"

"Uh, yeah. Did you think the big red light meant it was off?"

"Well, sorry, I'm not really used to using these," he said, dripping with sarcasm.

"It's not that complicated, though."

He waved away her criticisms with his free hand. "Okay, so just, do whatever it is that you do, then..."

Keely stood up tall and cleared her throat, clasping her hands in front of her. "Hi, I'm Kee– wait..." She let out an annoyed sigh. "It's so windy out here!" A particularly strong gust of wind came as if on cue, and she brushed a strand of her hair out of her face. "I want this to be perfect. Can you hear me?"

"I hear ya fine, Keel. We're good to go."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure the wind's calming down anyway."

"Okay..." She recomposed herself and looked straight into the camera lens. "Hey there... It's me, Keely... And these are ten reasons why I love Phil Diffy."

Phil turned his focus from the framing of the shot up to the beaming blonde up on the hill. He grinned back at her broadly.