Disclaimer: I definitely don't own Sonny with a Chance.

This story needs to be told, and I need to tell it. It wouldn't let me give up, and I don't want to. Whether I finish this in a month or 10 years, I will finish it. To everyone who's still reading, thank you so, so very much. I appreciate all the support and kindness you've sent my way.

…..

It broke my heart to see him this way, and for a minute I almost told him that it didn't matter, that we could still be together, that I could be supportive of him right now no matter what. I wanted to tell him that our love would overcome this. But all of it felt like too big of a lie.

So instead, with tears streaming down my cheeks and the bitter taste of the future on my tongue, I whispered, "I think you need to go now." And I stood up and walked to the door, holding it open for him while doing my best to act as though he wasn't ripping my heart out with every step he took closer to that door. And when he was gone, I broke down.

I cried for Skylar. I cried for Chad. I cried forthis childwho had no reason to be yanked into this tainted world just tosufferalong with the rest of us. But most of all, I cried for what I lost of myself tonight. Because after this, I couldneverbe the same.

…

It took me four days, thirteen hours, twelve minutes, and nineteen seconds to pull myself together after Skylar left, but eventually I knew I had to face reality. I couldn't escape work forever, and besides, I would hate myself if I spent one more minute crying over a boy who would never know what true love and friendship meant. I needed to wipe away my tears and find a way to live the life I'd made for myself, even with all of its ups and downs. And so I did.

I went to work Saturday morning with the intent of filling out some paperwork and enjoying, to the best of my ability, a simple, quiet day. By happy hour, I would be ready to face the world. Until then, I would put on my bravest face and act like I didn't feel empty inside until it was true.

When I got there, however, I wasn't alone like I'd thought. Chad sat on the steps leading into the bar, his face tense and his lips drawn together in a frown. As he saw me approach, his eyes lit up like stars, and he hurried to stand up as I unlocked the door. "I thought you might be here today," he murmured softly, resting his right hand on my forearm, and, consequently, causing the hairs on the back of my neck to stand up. "Can we talk?"

I didn't respond, instead pushing the door open forcefully with my free arm and avoiding his gaze. When I pointedly held the door open, he took the hint and ducked inside, his body casting a long shadow on the countertop.

I dropped my keys on a nearby table, pulling out a chair with my foot and gesturing for him to sit down. "If you're waiting for me to cry into your arms or something, you'd better sit down. You're going to be waiting for a while."

With a sigh, Chad walked over and pushed the chair back in. "That's not why I'm here, Sonny. I'm here because I'm your friend and I heard that – "

I cut him off, venom in my voice, my hands trembling at my sides. "You're my friend? Since when? The way I see it, you're a selfish ass who couldn't care less about anyone but himself. You manipulate people, Chad. You've manipulated me more than once. So no, we're not friends, because you don't have friends. You have people you use for your benefit and then, when you're done, you cast them aside like a broken toy. You're a leech, Chad, and you know what? I'm not broken." Angrily, I yanked the door back open. "You need to leave. There's nothing here for you to fix."

Slack-jawed, Chad stared through me, his face a shade of violet I hadn't seen in a while. "You're wrong, Sonny. I care more than you think. I care about you, and Brit, and the baby – ."

I scoffed, interrupting him yet again. "You mean the baby who probably isn't even yours to begin with?" He paused, confusion in his bright blue eyes. For once, I was a step ahead. A surge of power coursed through my veins, and for an instant I wanted nothing more than to hurt the boy who had everything he wanted and more. "You heard Skylar and I broke up, right? Do you know why? If I had one guess, I'd say it's probably because he slept with your girlfriend, knocked her up, and didn't think to mention it until months later when it was convenient for him to tell me! So don't tell me you care about this child. It's probably not even yours."

The second I shut my mouth, I knew I'd made a huge mistake. Chad looked downright sick, his face pale, his eyes dull and lifeless. As the sky darkened outside, it felt like a mist had covered us as well.

With a shaking hand, Chad grabbed the door handle, using it to steady himself as he stepped outside, shutting it behind him without a word. The look on his face filled me with remorse, and as I heard a car engine start, my stomach knotted together. I shouldn't have let him go.

…

At approximately four in the afternoon, right as I was packing up to go, the front door swung open and shut, a distraught Chad Dylan Cooper dragging himself inside. It looked like he'd been crying, and his voice was hoarse and soft when he spoke. "Are you sure?" he croaked, his voice cracking sharply.

I bit my lip, took a deep breath, and built up the courage to walk over and wrap my arms around his limp, trembling torso. I was close enough that I could feel his lungs working for air, and smell the salt on the lone tear that ran down his cheek. All the anger I'd felt toward him before had been replaced with regret. He had honestly been trying to help me in the only way he knew how. "I shouldn't have said anything."

Chad pulled back, his eyes wide and lost, his pupils dilated and unfocused. "No, Sonny, I needed to know. You did the right thing, okay?" He sniffed, looking down at the ground despondently. "I just don't know what to do with what I know."

I chuckled dryly, pulling out a chair and sitting, motioning him to join me. He sat as I replied, "I completely understand. Why do you think I've been hiding from the world for the past five days?"

Chad reached out and lightly placed his hand on top of mine, a gentle frown on his face. "I'm so sorry, Sonny. You should never have had to deal with any of this. If I had just left you alone, or gone to a different bar that night, Skylar probably wouldn't have told you how he feels and this wouldn't be happening." He looked down shyly, pointedly avoiding my gaze. "You wouldn't be going through this."

I shook my head, curling my fingers into his and letting out a soft sigh. "That's not true, Chad, and you can't blame yourself for this. I won't let you be a martyr."

I knew I was letting him in again, and I hated how weak he made me, but mostly I just wanted to feel like I wasn't so alone, and his touch offered that. Plus, with each passing second, I knew I was going against every piece of advice Skylar had given me in regards to Chad, and I couldn't help but feel a little smug about that.

In a sick, twisted way, I wanted Chad to hurt me again so I'd have something to focus on besides the loss of my best and only friend. I wanted to shut out the outside noise and focus on something besides my swirling thoughts and overpowering emotions. I wanted a distraction. I needed a distraction.

I rested my eyes on the sight of my fingers intertwined with Chad's, an idea suddenly forming in my head. It was the worst plan I'd ever come up with, and yet I threw myself into it whole-heartedly. Quickly, hungrily, I threw myself over the table and pressed my lips to Chad's, kissing him with all the strength I could muster.

He must have had the same train of thought as I did, because he wasted no time in yanking me closer, his lips attached to mine with the same amount of unrestrained passion, his eyes whispering secrets into my soul as we kissed. He tasted like mint and heartbreak, and I couldn't get enough.

Distraction, an old friend once said, is the cause of the downfall of humanity. Wherever it goes, destruction and pain follow. I no longer believed that, because I no longer believed in him. Skylar, in all his lethal grace and glory, was my downfall. Anything after that was just collateral damage.

Alright, there it is. Chapter…15? Is that right? In any case, I couldn't give up on this story. I never forgot about it; I just needed to wait for the story to be ready to write itself. Should I do it? Okay, I'll do it. SMILES!

LOL