I'm determined to finish this before it's one year anniversary, so here is the next chapter. Thanks as always. :)

Please let me know what you think. Enjoy!

I was on a high for what seemed like weeks after the concert. School couldn't faze me, neither could looking for a new job. I spent my weekends with Riker, back to our old habits of using his bedroom as our study and play zone. School was boring. It was just after midterms and the work kept us busy. There was also talk about the winter formal, set for two weeks from our concert day, and everyone was losing it.

The boys had to ask the girls, and it made for insanity. I already knew Riker was taking me, as he had told me the day it was announced that he was. Rydel on the other hand, was not happy. All she ever wanted to do was see Ellington, which was a bit of an issue. They weren't officially together, but they'd been spending every other weekend together with Ellington driving out to see her. But in order to go to the winter formal, she had to go with someone from the school. And Ellington wasn't.

"I don't know what to do," she whined one afternoon as we all sat in front of the TV. "I want to go, but I don't want to go with someone else."

Riker looked at her sadly. "There's no way to do it though. The school isn't going to allow him in. It's not prom."

She pouted. "Then I'm not going. I don't care who asks me. I'd rather be with him."

I glanced at Riker, who shrugged lightly and focused back on the movie. I knew how upset she was, but there would be other dances that she could see him with. "Well, we could always have an extra dance here after. Everyone's invited."

Rydel smiled at me, but shook her head. "It's alright. He's been driving out here for the last few times. I'm going to meet him in Colorado and spend the weekend there."

I raised my eyebrows, giving her a suggestive look. She threw the pillow at my head.

The dance came quickly, and by the time it rolled around that Friday night, it was all people were talking about. Rydel offered me all her best products before taking her parent's second car to Colorado, leaving me with Laura to prepare for the dance. Riker was with Wes (he wasn't very happy about this) and they were doing their own preparation.

"I want to have sex tonight," Laura said in the middle of curling her hair.

I stopped, mid shoe search and stared. "What?"

"I want to have sex tonight," she repeated as if it was nothing. "Lots of hot, passionate sex."

I was honestly surprised, "You haven't had sex with Wes yet?"

"Don't make me sound like I'm such a whore!" she laughed.

"I'm just surprised," I admitted. "You've been with him longer than I've been with Riker."

"And have you had sex yet?" she demanded.

I blushed this time, "No, but we're in a different situation. I want to though. But I'm not in a rush."

"Neither am I," she laughed. "But tonight is the night."

I giggled, leaving her with that thought, and glanced out the window. I could see Riker with Wes in his room, looking downright bored. Her boyfriend, at least in our eyes, had the personality of your every day wall, so it probably meant they were doing nothing but staring at the TV screen until we called. Luckily, we were almost ready.

I got up, glancing in the mirror at my outfit. Per the request of Rydel, I was told to wear green, as it brought out the color in my hair and eyes. And she was right. I didn't look like I had a leprechaun on, I looked like a fairy that drowned in a sparkle lake. I was okay with that.

"We look hot," Laura commented, in a deep red dress. "I'm so getting laid tonight."

"You're coming back over for a few drinks after, right?" I asked.

She gave me a look, "How else do you think it's going to go? I need those drinks. Liquid courage," she laughed.

I smiled, shaking my head. We had a few mutual friends meeting here after the dance to drink a bit, not that either of us did, and I knew that Riker couldn't. But it meant a bit of fun in what was already an awesome time, so I wasn't going to protest.

Soon, there was a knock on my door and we ran (or balanced ourselves) down the steps in our heels, praising each other one last time before swinging the door open to reveal our gorgeous dates. Even Wes looked less like a cardboard model tonight. Riker, as per usual sent my heart jumping in my chest, and I ran the distance to him, pressing my lips on his.

"There's my girl," he murmured into my ear.

"Coordinating tie," I commented, flicking it at his face. "Thanks, Rydel."

He laughed, and he took my arm, leading me to my car. I was the driver for the night, since the others planned on drinking. We arrived to the dance within a few minutes, going our separate ways with promises that by the end of the night, we'd find each other.

I left Riker at the table to grab us some drinks, and took in the scene. The main room was covered with balloons and decorations, music pumping through a DJ system set up in the front. Girls were already dancing with their friends to a loud pop song that I didn't recognize. I grabbed two waters, trying to dodge the insanity and finally made it back to our table where Riker sat. I know we were on a bit of a different situation than the others. That kind of dancing would not work for us. But I enjoyed watching the others as they partied, getting up a couple times to dance with Laura to some songs we loved growing up.

Finally, there was a slow song about love and I turned to Riker, giving him a wide smile. "Can't get out of every dance," I teased.

He laughed and stood, offering me his hand, leaving me into the middle of the floor. We wrapped our arms around each other, my face pressing into his chest. I heard his heart beat despite the music and fell into a comfortable step, dancing until the song ended and we were back to staring each other in the eyes. Another song came on, the new song by Neon Trees and I couldn't help but think this was the perfect time to tell Riker of my plan.

"So, I have a surprise of my own," I told him, letting him twirl me to the chorus of Sleeping With a Friend. He raised his eyebrows, "I know you like Neon Trees."

"Did you get me a Neon Tree?"

I shoved him, shaking my head. "No. But I got you tickets to meet them for the holiday."

He paused, giving me a crazed look. "Seriously?"

"Why do you sound so shocked?" I demanded, shaking my head. "I work wonders. I'm a badass. We know this."

He laughed this time, still shaking his head. "I can't believe this. How? When?"

"A couple months," I explained. "Personal meet and greet and concert to only a select few fans. I pulled major strings and might have had to sell my liver, but it's all good."

He laughed again, kissing my lips. "Just had to out do me."

"What ever gave you that idea?"

The night went on and we danced a few more times, but I kept it simple so that I didn't wear him out. I knew we still had a long night ahead of us at my house, and it would be a while before he could head to bed. A little after eleven though, the party ended and we piled into the two cars that would take everyone to my house. Soon, we were back inside and there were plenty of drinks and other illegal activity for minors to go around.

Laura was already almost drunk, leaving me to believe that she'd found her own stash at the actual dance. I rolled my eyes as she demanded that Wes take off his shirt, and laughed when he ignored her to go hang out with some of his friends for a bit. Awkward. She pulled me aside and I lost sight of Riker for a moment, trying to see where he headed when she started to whine.

"Help me, Rem! I need to have sex. Someone needs to have sex with me right now!"

"I'll do it," a sleazy guy from a grade below us stated. I gave him a look and Laura gagged.

"Guess not," I laughed back. "Keep on going."

Laura whined again, "Come on! Wes is more interested in getting drunk and I'm right here and I look hot as hell!"

"And you're also wasted as hell," I agreed.

She rolled her eyes, "Details, details. Get me sex!"

"Alright, alright. Give me a second to form a plan. Jeez. You do realize you're looking at your virgin friend who has only read about sex in her pathetic novels and have absolutely no experience on how to get a guy in bed?"

"You have a boyfriend!"

I again rolled my eyes, taking her hand in the direction that her boyfriend strolled off to. I then heard the cheering and chanting, and the pleas from a very familiar voice. I immediately dropped the hand of my drunk best friend and pushed open a half closed door to one of the guest rooms to find it filled with smoke and reeking of pot. By the window were a few guys, including Wes and Riker, and they had my boyfriend pinned against the wall, trying to force a blunt in his mouth. "No!" he snapped, coughing as the smoke surrounded him. "Stop! Please. I don't! I can't. Stop!"

"Hey!" I snapped, loudly and angrily, literally about to toss the smallest guy out of the room. "Get the fuck off him now, or I'll do it for you."

Two of them backed up, but Wes just waved his hand at me, going back to taunting him with the illegal drug. I glared at his blatant rudeness and stupidity, storming up to him and literally yanking him by the collar so that he stumbled back. Then, I promptly slapped him across the face, hard and making it red. He gasped, ready to come at me, but I was just not in the mood. "Fuck off, now," I growled. "Laura's or not, I will hurt you."

"Bitch," he muttered. "We're just trying to have some fun. Your boyfriend is such a fucking loser. Won't even take a hit. Live a little, why don't you?"

"Get out of my house!" I screamed, fully done. "Now!"

Laura, finally finding her way into the room noticed he was holding his cheek and looked embarrassed. She took one look between us and than began to listen to what her loser boyfriend began to spout and in a few seconds, was just as angry at me as he was. I rolled my eyes, not having time for this, still trying to get to Riker who was still surrounded by several guys, while not forcing him with the pot, were still smoking around him, and he was coughing. I didn't care what any of them had to say. I just wanted to get him out of there.

"Remy, for real? What the fuck? You hit my boyfriend!"

"If you weren't drunk off your ass right now, you would see why I'm angry!" I snapped back, turning to face her with rage filled eyes. I pointed to the blunt, then to Riker who looked even worse, then back to her. She rolled her eyes. "Are you kidding?"

"Oh, poor Remy and her sick boyfriend!" she snapped back. "Ruining the fun for everyone else. Pity me, pity him! We're such a special couple. We have so much fun sitting at home every weekend and acting like a bunch of fucking losers! You know what, fuck you! Don't touch my boyfriend ever again. Better yet, don't talk to me ever again! Come on Wes, let's go!"

They stormed out, leaving the others to follow. Finally, the room cleared and I was left alone with Riker, who looked just as shocked as I'm sure I did. I bit down on my tongue to hold back from screaming, and then rushed over to him, taking his hands. His breathing looked labored, but he wasn't coughing anymore. "I'm so sorry," I murmured, trying to keep my anger directed in the back of my mind. "I didn't know they were doing that. Are you okay?"

"Fine," he assured me, looking still a bit worse for wear. I shook my head, trying to keep myself from losing it. My best friend had just said some of the most hurtful things she'd ever said to me, and chose her asshole boyfriend instead of me. Awesome. Gotta love it.

"I'm going to get you some water. Sit down. Don't move."

He rolled his eyes at my protectiveness, but obeyed me. I ran back into the kitchen, forced open my fridge and came running back in. I handed it to him, and sat down beside him. "Well, I never thought I'd see a time when she'd do that to me."

"I'm sorry."

"What?" I shook my head. "What for?"

"For causing a riff between you two. For her believing that I'm ruining your life."

"Riker," I started, not sure how to continue. "No. Just no. You realize what she said isn't true, right?"

"It is in a way."

"No," I demanded. "It's not. At all."

He shrugged. "I just feel like it's my fault."

"No," I couldn't stop saying. "Just no." I leaned against him. "I love you."

I forced everyone out of my house a little bit later, done with the annoying idiots that I thought were also my friends. It was clear that what happened had already spread, so it didn't take much to get everyone gone. Besides, I was barely popular to begin with. Laura was the one who got the people over, and since she currently hated me, they did too.

Soon, my house was empty and I was standing in the hallway in my fairy dress, feeling stupid and angry and alone despite Riker being in the next room. I ached for Laura despite everything that happened because she was the one who I ranted to. Riker came up beside me, placing an hand on my shoulder. I finally broke down, crying on his shoulder and he held me, waiting for me to calm down enough to clean up the mess the others left behind.

By the time he left an hour later, almost two am, I was still a mess, just not on the outside anymore.

I went upstairs, looking at the mess that we'd left behind that afternoon to get prepared, throwing all the items into the floor in the corner, collapsing onto my bed. Laura's words hurt. They were meant to hurt both me and Riker. But what she did hurt me more. The fact that she chose her boyfriend over me and didn't bother to listen to a word I said bothered me. She didn't understand his condition as well as I did, but I knew she knew how much he meant to me. And I wasn't sure where all the sudden hatred was coming from. Was she jealous? I couldn't see why. She seemed head over heels for her meathead boyfriend. I never voiced how much I disliked him. So it didn't make sense to me.

The night continued on and I eventually fell asleep, though the fight remained on my mind. That night I had my first nightmare about the shooting.

They happened frequently after that night. I got along easily after the fight, ignoring Laura at school and pretending she didn't exist, but it still did hurt from time to time. But the nightmares kept happening and each time, the person being shot was someone else I cared about. I would be back at my job, waiting on customers when the person would walk in, pull out someone from the back room, and shoot them in front of me. I could do nothing to stop it, and I had to watch the blood seep around my feet as I tried to help.

It drove me insane at night and I feared sleep. I was lucky that it didn't bother me during the day.

At first, that is.

The weeks following the party, I tried to keep it together. Luckily, Rydel was on my side and their father had remained nice, leaving us with little other problems. We did just what Laura accused us of, spending our nights together at his house, watching movies and relaxing. The winter was a brutal time for most people, but the winter for someone with his disease meant germs. And plenty of them. The flu went around the school sometime in late February and it caused chaos for the healthy students, forget Riker. Out of precaution, his parents forced him home for almost a week.

My nightmares got worse.

I began seeing the masked man everywhere.

Bang. He shot my parents. Bang. He shot Rydel. Bang. The worst… he shot Riker.

I woke up in cold sweats almost every time I closed my eyes.

Finally, the flu broke at school and Riker was welcomed back. I had a cold myself that I'd just gotten over, leaving me forbidden from seeing him for a few days.

By the time we were both back together, I was a wreck. I didn't sleep at all anymore, and it was clear. I blew it off as the cold, and despite Riker's worried gazes, I managed to keep up my fake smile for almost a week. Then, one day in our history class, he was quizzing me on what our test would be the next day during downtime. Was answering him one second, the next was I was dozing off. I thought I was back in the store when he shook me and I remember screaming, hitting the floor with a thud.

All eyes were on me. I wasn't on the floor of the store, I was on the floor in class, and Riker looked terrified. He got up, helping me stand and ushered me out of the room, sort of like I had a few months back during one of his attacks. He forced me to a private hallway and then demanded, "What is going on?! I ignored Rydel when she said you were acting weird, but now I know something is up. Are you okay? Please, don't lie to me."

I was quiet for a moment, knowing I couldn't lie to him. He had been so honest with me in the last few months, and I'd been the exact opposite. I sighed, "I've been having nightmares about the shooting. I guess it's finally just registering in real life. I'm sorry."

"Remy…" His tone of voice was enough.

I nodded. "I know. I'm going to talk to someone. I swear. I promise. No more lies."

The rumors about Riker started a few days after that. I didn't know what they were talking about, but we all heard the whispering. The same guys who had been in the room with Wes, Riker, and I were the ones who said the most, passing around inaccurate information and laughing like idiots. Laura, who still glared at me like I kissed her boyfriend or something, helped fuel the fire. She began to tell everyone the truth, which I wasn't sure was much better.

Riker got exactly what he feared. Pity. People began opening doors for him, teachers who didn't know asked if he wanted to use the elevator. And some assholes also began to bring in hand sanitizer and tissues, mocking him when there wasn't anyone else around. I was furious, but tried to keep it quiet so that no one else heard.

He took it better than I did. He ignored people, continued upon his day.

I snapped the day someone took a tissue, sneezed in it, and then wiped it all over the desk he was about to sit in. Actually, I didn't see it. Another student did, one who was not Satan in teenage form, and told me. I luckily stopped him from sitting down at the chair, and had him switch with me. I wasn't sure which kid did it, but I hoped they watched and were just as angry as I was.

In my attempts to not kill someone, I thought maybe talking to Laura could help me. After all, she couldn't hate me forever and she had to know what had happened in that class was seriously a real risk for him. I cornered her one day after class and tried to plead my case.

She literally sneered at me, "Oh, tell it to someone who cares. Everyone should know that he's a health risk to us all."

I pulled her back as she tried to walk away, "You know just as much as I do that he's not contagious!"

She laughed, "Oh? Oops. What a mistake."

"Seriously? Why are you doing this?" I asked, trying to understand what had caused her to hate me so much. "He's my boyfriend. Do you realize how much I care for him? What if that kid had a cold? It could seriously hurt him, Laura."

"He shouldn't be in a school then," she insisted. "In a bubble maybe."

With one last snicker, she left me in the hallway, back to trying to force away tears.

One thing got better, others got worse. I had been talking to someone about my nightmares and they were slowly beginning to fade. Now, my best friend was trying to ruin my life. Again. I couldn't help but think the universe did not want me happy.

That was until the week of Spring Break, when Riker surprised me after school with a cabin in the mountains for just us, for two nights. He grinned, his smile so wide that I thought he might shatter his face, kissing me as I broke down in tears. He was the one being tortured more than me and yet, I cried often these days.

"We deserve this," he told me. "We deserve this. Pack your bags. We leave tomorrow."