RECAP:

"I love you too."

Her words were so soft, but to me I felt like she screamed them into my soul. I snapped out of my thought and released a breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding. She smiled up at me, her expression cute and naive. Oh God, I loved her so much.

"I've loved you for a while, too." She said. "I just- well, when everything happened with Skylar, it was never the right time. And when I was in the ambulance, and you said it to me, I thought you meant it was a best friend. Like a brotherly love."

"Sonny, no." I whispered to her, moving in closer so we were merely centimeters apart. "I could never love you that way. You mean theworld to me." I reached up and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. Her cheeks flushed, and she leaned in a bit. "Really?"

"Really."

And I captured my lips with hers.

Do you hear me?
I'm talking to you
Across the water,

across the deep blue ocean
Under the open sky, oh my, baby I'm trying

~Jason Mraz~

Portlyn stood outside the commissary, playing with her hands and listening to Tawni tell her what to do.

I mean, don't get her wrong, Portlyn is always in style, and she alwaysknows how to dress. But Nico, her Nico, when it came to him she lost her mind. She didn't know anything. With him on her mind she couldn't tell the difference between stilletos and pumps.

And for Portlyn, that was verybad.

But, she learned, that if she wanted to get her man back, this is what she had to do. So she looked back up at Tawni and pretending to be listening to her and nodding occasionally. "Look confident... don't be shy... show him what he's missing... hard to get..."

But in truth, all she could think about was how Nico would react at her new found look.

Tawni paused, looking at her watch, and then nodded. "It's time." Portlyn didn't know what was happening next, but all of a sudden Tawni was pushing her into the commissary.

Crap. This is it.

Portlyn walked in, trying to look normal and confident. Her hair was curled to perfection, looking as natural as possible. She was wearing a blue and black printed top with a black miniskirt. Her short black boots gave her another three inches, which she was grateful for. Tawni had also managed to pull off a smokey eye, even though Portlyn tried talking her out of it. She didn't want to look too much. All the guys eyes in the commissary turned to her and bulged. Normally, she's like the attention. No, that was an understatement.

She'd love it.

But she wasn't interested in the guys whose eyes lingered in places they weren't supposed to. Her eyes were all for Nico, and Nico only.

Damn, he had her whipped.

Her eyes scanned the commissary until she spotted him. He was sitting at a table with Grady, making jokes and laughing. Personally, most of his jokes were lame, but that's one of the reasons why she loved him.

Grady looked up and saw her. He looked flustered, and Nico turned around.

He froze, his eyes scanning her. But unlike the other guys, his eyes only looked at her body for less than a second. They met her eyes and stayed there, and Portlyn had never felt more naked in her entire life.

He stood up, his eyes bulging. She nervously began tugging down her miniskirt and playing with the hem of her top, self-conscious under his gaze. But then Tawni's words rung in her ears.

"Show him what he's missing."

She straightened up and went right passed him, acting as if he didn't exist. She shouldn't be pining over him. If he wanted her, he would come and get her.

She went to the front of the line and asked Brenda for a lobster. The old woman flashed a yellow-toothed smile and handed it to her. Portlyn looked down at it- it looked delicious, but she wasn't hungry. Oh well. She turned around and began walking to the empty Mackenzie Falls table when she realized that Nico was still staring at her. And she couldn't take it anymore. She had to go and talk to him. She just had to. She started walking towards him when her boots stepped on something slippery.

And before she knew it, she was on the ground, warm butter and lobster all over her. Everybody gasped and stared, but Nico rushed forward to help her. Her eyes stung with tears as she realized what a fool she had made of herself.

The second he reached her, she stood up and ran as fast as she could away from Nico, everyone's eyes, and the deep pain inside of her heart.

"Don't be late next time!" The Mackenzie Falls director roared at Skylar. He rolled his eyes and walked past the red-faced director as if he didn't exist.

In truth, he had woken up early this morning, but I didn't feel like going to work. He just laid in bed thinking. He lived alone, so he had peace. He had gotten to work at around 8:30, a half hour after his scene was scheduled. His director was furious- to say the least. But hey, he was bumped to being a recurring character.

Skylar whistled and walked down the halls, his hands in his pockets. It was 12:00, and he was bound to find someone to have lunch with.

Deep down in his heart, Skylar felt even lonelier than usual these past few days. It was nearing the end of summer, marking five years without Angelica. But even after five years, Skylar could still picture her smiling as if he was right next to her. He still remembered every detail of her face; from the bright brown eyes to her tiny nose. She had a birthmark the shape of a moon on her back, which Skylar was always memorized with. He always thought that it was a sign she was special, that she was an angel. But more than her face, Skylar longed to her her laugh. He longed to twirl her around in the rain like he used to, with everything around them freezing but the heat of their bodies and passion enough to sustain their warmth.

It just wasn't fair. She was everything to him. And now-

"WOAH!" Skylar yelped, almost crashing into someone when he turned a corner. He bit back a snide remark and looked up.

"Sorry man-" Chad began, but when he saw that it was Skylar his eyes turned ice cold.

Just like his heart.

"Whoops, we didn't see you there." Sonny said, not even looking at him. Her gaze was fixed on Chad, and she was smiling happily. Her arm clung to his, her bright red nails looking like fire on his blue shirt.

Skylar gulped. That was the exact way Angelica used to walk with him.

Sonny tugged on Chad's arm, and he looked back at her. "Right, Chad?" her voice was stern and he sighed. "Yeah man, we weren't looking." "Whatever." Skylar replied, digging his hands into his pockets. Just looking at Chad made him sick. His blonde hair and blue eyes resembled those of the man who Angelica was with at the Cafe. Ever since the moment he met Chad, that was all he could think about.

That's why he lied to Chad about the bet. He didn't want Chad to have a happy ending with Sonny. Chad didn't deserve it. Of course, Skylar felt bad about Sonny ending up in the hospital, but personally, he thought she had some issues. I mean, you don't have to threaten to jump off a cliff if you had a fight with your best friend.

But wait-

Skylar looked at how Sonny's arm was looped around Chad's, her eyes looking at him with a weird expression. He remembered how Chad always acted protective of her, how he hadn't noticed her dating any guys in a while.

"Are you two dating?"

Sonny and Chad jumped apart in surprise, as if they didn't realize they weren't supposed to be so close around him. Sonny bit her lip and Chad scratched his head awkwardly. "No." Sonny said quickly. Skylar raised his eyebrows at the two of them.

Oh God, it was so obvious.

"It's none of your business." Chad said quickly. "Because we're not." Sonny chimed in. Skylar rolled his eyes.

"Okay, don't worry, I won't tell anyone your little 'secret'." He said, putting air quotes around 'secret'. In all honesty, he didn't want to talk to Chad, so he just looked at Sonny. "So, Sonny, since to everyone else you're not in a relationship, how about I pick you up at seven?" Skylar smirked and watched Chad's face turn bright red.

"THE HELL!" Chad yelled, causing Sonny to jump. She crossed her arms and turned to Skylar. "Skylar, whyintheworldwould I go on a date with you of all people?"

"Because." He said. "I'm everything you could ever want. I'm handsome, charming, amazing, need I go on?" Chad came closer to Skylar with the coldest expression he could muster. "Listen here, slick-shot. If you even think about doing anything with Sonny, let alone asking her, I'll make sure you look like a freakin blue smurf by the time I'm done with you. Sonny is my girl. Not yours."

I peered behind Chad to see Sonny lips twitch up a bit.

Skylar scoffed. "Well, she already owes me big time. So it's the least she could do to accept my proposal."

"Wait. Wait. Wait." Sonny cut in, pulling Chad backwards a bit. "Why do I owe you anything?"

Skylar's arms flew up, exasperated. "How many times do I have to tell you? I friggin saved your life. If it wasn't for me, you'd still be flat on the street!" He exclaimed. Sonny cringed, and Chad's eyes flashed with pain.

"I tried to get you." Chad said softly, turning to her. "I was going to push you out of the way. But Skylar wanted to be the hero and pulled me back." Chad turned back to Skylar, merely inches away from him. "In that one second she could have been dead. But you didn't want me to be the good guy. You risked her life for nothing. So guess what? She doesn't owe you shit." He spat in Skylar's face. Sonny pulled his arm back. "Chad, c'mon. Please. Let's just go." She pleaded, not wanting a fight.

"Yeah Chad, go run off to your perfect life. But guess what? Sonny might say no to me now, but I still got God knows how long to change her mind." Skylar said coolly. Chad's eyesbrows scrunched up. "What are you talking about? You're time on the show is almost done."

Skylar shook his head. "Nu-uh. The director likes where my character is going. So guess what? I'm a recurring character for the rest of the season. And last time I checked," Skylar pretended to be counting his fingers. "The season's not over for another eight months."

If looks could kill, Skylar would be burning in hell by now from the look Chad was giving him. Sonny looked pained and kept trying to pull Chad back. "See you two later. Oh, and Sonny," Skylar came closer to her. " Remember. You don't choose who you love." Skylar whispered into her ear. She shivered as Skylar walked away. Chad was still frozen in his spot, his teeth clenched.

Skylar was never this mean to anyone. In high school, everyone loved being around him. But Chad just brought out the worst in him. And poor Sonny was always there to witness it.

"Chad." Sonny whispered when Skylar was out of sight.

"Who does he think he is? He thinks he could just walk into our studios and pretend he's king around here? Well let me tell you something-"

Chad's rambles were silenced with Sonny's lips. He quickly shut up and enjoyed the kiss. He could feel her smiling through it.

"Now," She said, pulling back. "What were you saying?"

"I honestly can't remember." Chad said helplessly, memorized by the kiss. "Good." She said, standing on her tippy-toes to peck his lips. "Now let's go and tell everyone, before Skylar starts causing more drama." She grabbed his hand and they walked along, Skylar forgotten for the moment.

"Zora. Please."

"Hahaha." The tiny voice squeaked. "I told you that you'd regret entering a prank war with me. Nico and Grady might have quit, but I never quit." She rubbed her hands together evilly, her eyes squinted, staring down the three 16 year olds. They shifted uncomfortably in their seats, unsure of the little girls next move.

"So, boys," She began. "I don't want to have to hurt you. But, it seems like I have no choice."

"Hurt us?" Nico asked. He gulped. "What are you talking about?"

Zora's eyebrows raised. "Don't you remember our deal? Whoever lost would have to dye their hair orange." "But we didn't loose." Rick demanded. "Oh, really?" Zora grinned. "Jake came up to me the other day, asking to end this. Youguys" She said, pointing at all of them. "Forfeit."

"DUDE!" Rick yelled. "IM SORRY!" Jake said, looking down. "The little girl freaks me out." Nick shook his head in dissapointment."Okay, what about we just give you a hundred dollars and we're even?" Jake asked her, feeling guilty.

"Five Hundred."

"The hell! Two hundred."

"Four."

"Three."

"Five!"

"SOLD!" Jake yelled, jumping up. "HAH!" He yelled, pointing his finger in Zora's face. He turned back to Nick and Rick. "Poor girl can't negotiate."

"YOU IDIOT." Nick screamed, tackling him.

Rick looked at Zora sheepishly.

"Do you take checks?"

"You Jerk!" Tawni screeched, barging into Nico and Grady's dressing room. There was no way to lessen her fury. Her red dress was as furious a color as the fire raging inside of her.

Nico jumped- he was just in the middle of making a card house. The five floors of Kings and Queens crashed down as his hand jumped in surprise. He looked at her, wide eyed. "TAWNI! I WORKED FOR AN HOUR ON THAT!"

"Well, good!" She yelled. "That's the least of what you deserve!" Her fists were clenched, her eyes burning with rage. Portlyn was one of her best friends. Sure, she still couldn't figure out why Portlyn had chosenNico of all people, but nobody chooses who they love. And Nico is always trying to get girls. Why is it that when a girl tries to get him he steps all over her? It just didn't make sense. Nothing did anymore.

"What are you talking about?" He interjected, looking confused. Tawni rolled her eyes and places her hands on her hips, huffing. "You know exactly what I'm talking about. Don't go playing the dumb one. You- oh gosh, what is that smell?"

Tawni sniffed the air and cringed- it was like a mixture of smelly feet and week-old cheese. She raised her eyebrows at Nico, who scratched his head awkwardly. "Yeah-um, Grady wanted to see what color rotten cheese would turn-"

"Okay, too much information." Tawni interrupted, lifting her hand up for him to stop. If there was one thing she learned on this show, it was to never ask Nico and Grady a question. She inspected her nails that were right in front of her face, momentarily lost in thought of what color they should be."TAWNI!" Nico exclaimed, making her jump. "Oh gosh, what? Oh, right." She became serious again, her private fashion moment over. "Portlyn waited for you for a half hour yesterday at the commissary. You never showed. That was really jerky of you. And then today, with the whole lunch incident? Don't you realize how shes feeling at least? And you have the nerve to just sit and make card houses-"

"Wait, wait wait." Nico interrupted her. "Commissary? I never knew we were supposed to meet up."

Tawni's eyebrows raised. "oh, really? Listen Nico, you can lie to anyone, but nobody lies to Tawni Hart."

"I'm not lying!" He exclaimed. "When did she supposedly tell me about our 'meeting'?"

"She called you. And even if you didn't hear your phone, you would have surely seen the missed call alert. I mean, helloooo, we work on a show for goodness sake. You always have your phone on you!"

Nico's face showed somewhat understanding. "Tawni, my phone is broken."

"Liar."

"Seriously. Look." He went over to his dresser and opened the top drawer, pulling out a flat piece of metal. Tawni went over and grabbed it from him, inspecting it. She saw broken pieces of glass mushed into metal. "What happened to it?" She asked him, handing it back over to him. He sighed and put in back into his drawer, closing it. "I dropped it in the parking lot and Grady accidentally ran over it with his car. It's going to cost me two hundred bucks to fix it."

Tawni put her head in her hands. "Oh, Portlyn. She must feel like a fool."

"Tawni, can I ask you something?"

She lifted her head out of her hands. "What?"

"Why was Portlyn dressed like that today? She looked like you attacked her with makeup and clothes." Tawni bit her lip. "Uh, I kinda did." Nico gulped. "Huh?"

"Well, she thought you stood her up. So I kinda got the idea to show you what you missed out on." Tawni grinned sheepishly. "It almostworked, until she slipped on that stupid banana."

"Oh my God." Nico said. " That was for me? I don't like her like that. She looked too fake. I love her when she's herself."

"Well Nico, you have to tell her that. She's probably in her dressing room right now, mourning." He sighed and Tawni put a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Good luck." She whispered.

Boy I hear you in my dreams
I feel your whisper across the sea
I keep you with me in my heart
You make it easier when life gets hard

~Colbie Caillat~

Hola guys (:

hopefully ill regularly be updating on friday nights/saturday mornings!

Hope you like this chap, but i didnt get many reviews for the last one :(

Please send in your ideas, it will let me write these much fast and juicier!

Luv you!

Please review (8