I don't see Danny until he comes Monday morning for school. I come out of my room and he is sitting on the couch in the living room. "Hey," I say.

Danny scrambles to his feet. He hurries over and his big arms encircle me. I lift my right leg off of the ground and I transfer the weight onto Danny. I squeeze myself closer to him by hugging him back. My crutches fall, but I don't care. "I've missed you."

"I've missed you, too." I close my eyes. "It has been a long weekend."

"It sure has." Danny hugs me tighter. "Are you hungry?" He pulls back. Too soon.

I look up at him. "I guess so." I put my crutches back into place and I turn into the kitchen. "I can't believe they're making us go back to school today." Yesterday, everyone received a call saying that if they are able, they were required to return. It'll be the first day of school without Emily.

"Yeah, but there isn't much we can do about that." Danny pulls out a chair for me and I sit in it. He pushes me in. Everything is already set on the table. Cereal and milk. I grab the granola and I pour it into my bowl. Danny pours the milk for me. I eat as Danny talks. He takes my bowl when I'm done eating.

"Where's Alex?" I ask Mom.

"He's not ready to go back to school today. Maybe tomorrow," she says as she puts the milk in the fridge.

I nod as I stand up. I trip over a chair and Danny catches me before I fall. "Thanks."

"Are you okay?" Danny asks. He returns me to my standing position. He keeps his hand on my back.

"I'm fine. I just tripped," I say. "Let's get in the car." Neither Danny nor I sits in the front. We sit side to side in the back. I lean against him. "I've missed this most of all."

"So have I." Danny holds my hand instead of holding me. I prefer this. I seem closer to him, even though there's an extra arm between us.

My mother closes her door loudly. I look at her and she is staring right back at me. I lift my head off of Danny's shoulder, but I keep my hand in his. "Ready to go back to school?" She asks.

"No. Not without her," I answer. My vision starts to become blurry so I close them. Danny rubs the back of my hand with his thumb. I try to keep my breath slow and steady, but I can't. It becomes uneven. Don't cry. I focus on Danny's fingers woven around mine. I focus on his thumb gliding across my hand. Eventually, I calm down enough to open my eyes. I look up and we're already at the school. I shift my eyes over to Danny and he smiles. I smile back. "Let's go." Danny nods.

We get to class and everyone is there. Well, everyone that normally comes. Everyone except Alex. And Emily. If I didn't have crutches, I would grab Danny's hand. Right as we sit down, Dr. Elliot stands in the doorway. "I'd like to see Lucy please." I grab my crutches and I stand. I maneuver my way past backpacks and people until I stand in front of him. "Follow me." And I do. We end up at the main office. When we get into his small office, he helps me sit in a chair. "First off, I'm sorry about your loss, Lucy. I truly am." I guide my eyes to the ground. I study his shoes. "Secondly, Emily's mother dropped something off for you. Apparently Emily had been keeping a journal about everything you two did together. Here, take a look." I look up and he is holding out a notebook. I take it from him.

As soon as I turn the front cover, I see Emily's full name and I burst into tears.

"Is there anything I can do for you right now?" Dr. Elliot asks.

"Danny," is all I say. I need his comforting more than ever. Dr. Elliot nods and he walks out. I sit stoking Emily's name until the door opens again.

"Lucy, are you okay? Dr. Elliot told me everything," Danny says. He pulls a chair up next to me.

I look at him. "No. I'm not okay. He gives me this thing, the last thing I have from her, and you expect me to be okay?" I look back at her name. A tear falls and lands on the page.

"No, Lucy. I didn't expect you to be okay." Danny places his hand on my knee. "Do you want to read it?"

I shake my head. "I don't want to remember everything we've done together. I'm not ready for that."

"Maybe instead of opening the memories, it'll help close them. Maybe you need to relive the moments that she wrote down. It might do exactly what you need right now." Danny takes his hand from my knee and he places it on my hand instead.

"I know, but I'm just not ready." I close the journal. I place it on the floor and I turn to Danny. I look up at him with my red eyes. I want him to comfort me.

"Come here." Danny pulls me onto his lap. I wrap my arms around his neck and I cry. "Everything will be fine, Lucy. Eventually you'll read this and you'll laugh about it." Danny holds me with one hand around my waist and my head with his other. "You can get through this."

"How? You're the only person that can comfort me and my dad won't let you in my house. I don't think I can."

"Lucy. You're overreacting. Even if I'm not always there, you'll be able to find comfort." Danny pulls me away. "I think you need to rest." He tucks my hair behind my ear. "Dr. Elliot said that his office is yours for today. You can come and go as you please. If you ever need me, just text me and I'll come as fast as I can, okay?" I nod. "Okay. Let's get you situated." Danny helps me lay down on the floor. He lays his jacket over me. "I'll come back every two hours, or whenever you need." He kisses my forehead. "Sleep well." Danny stands, turns the lights off, and he leaves the room. I drift to sleep.

When I wake up, the first thing I do is grab Emily's journal. I decide to read the first entry. It was from five years ago. 'Today Lucy and I went swimming in the ocean. Lucy almost got stung by a bee. She was mad at me because I kept laughing at her. (I still think it's funny.) Lucy had to go home early, so we weren't able to watch TV, like we always do.' I sit up and I hug the book close to my chest. I remember that day. I hear Emily's laugh in my ear. I pull my left leg up to me and I lay my head on it. I start to cry. The door opens and the lights flicker on. Has it already been two hours?

Danny slides next to me. I feel his hand gently rubbing my back. "Did you read some of it?" I nod. "That's good. What was it about?"

I know what he's trying to do. He's trying to make me laugh it off. I sit up and I lean against him. I'm still clutching the notebook. "It was five years ago. We went swimming and I almost got stung by a bee, so I was crying. Emily laughed at me and I didn't like that." A laugh escapes me.

Danny smiles. "Hey, there's that laugh. I've missed it. Anyway, what happened next?"

"That was pretty much it. Apparently we normally watched TV, but I had to go home early, so we didn't." I open the journal and I look at her name again. I trace the heart that dots her i.

"Sounds like you two had lots of fun," Danny says.

"Of course we did. She was my only friend. We did everything together." I rub the page between my fingers. The words 'only friend' race around in my mind.

"Do you want to come to class with me or do you want to stay here?" Danny asks.

"Umm..." I could stay here and be lonely, or I could go to class and be with Danny. It isn't a hard decision. "I'll go with you."

"Okay. Here." Danny reaches his hand out. I look at him. "Let me hold the notebook. You can't carry it and walk at the same time." I gently place it in his hand. "I'll keep it safe." Danny slips the journal into his backpack. He stands and brings me up with him. I grab my crutches and I lean on them.

"Do I look okay?" I ask him. I don't want to go to class looking like a total mess from crying.

Danny looks at me. "You always look good."

"You know that's not what I meant," I say. I can't help but smile at him. Danny smiles back but he still doesn't answer my question.

When we leave the office a kid walks by me and he whispers, "Broken." He kicks my crutch out from underneath me.

I fall. I try to catch myself by putting my right leg down, but pain rushes through me the second it touches the ground. I continue to fall. Danny catches me before I hit the ground. He pulls me up and my hands rest on his shoulders. My head falls on his chest. I look down and I see his feet, one of mine, and both of my crutches. He keeps his hands on my waist and I slide my hands down to his forearms.

"Are you ready to go?" Danny asks. I nod. I pull back from him. He keeps me standing as he reaches down and grabs my crutches. I take them from him and I place them under my arms. His hand stays on the small of my back the rest of the way to class.

I stay with Danny for the rest of the school day. I don't want to leave him again. When we get to my house, Danny doesn't come in. I look at him. "You're dad doesn't like me, remember? I don't want to ruin the chance I have of him accepting me. You'll be fine."

"Danny. Please. I can explain everything to him if he wants me to. Come read Emily's journal with me. We can stay up here, where he can see us," I plead. I tilt my head as I look at him.

"Fine." Danny walks into my house. "Besides, I have the notebook."

We sit under the big windows - which still haven't been fixed - on the couch as we read my past. After every few entries, we have to stop because I need a break.

I close the notebook. "I think I'm good for today. I've relived enough." I lean against him in a certain way that his hand can reach mine. He grabs my hand and his fingers nestle between mine. "I don't want this to end."

"Neither do I," Danny says as the front door opens. I look up and I see Dad.

My dad rubs the bridge of his nose. "Lucy. I thought we've been over this."

"What's wrong with this, Dad? Why won't you let me be happy? What do you have against him?" I ask.

"It's not him, Lucy. It's you. You aren't ready for this. You're only 17."

"Exactly. I'm 17. I'm old enough to know what I can and can't handle." I try to sit up but Danny pulls me back down. "Danny knows me better than you do. He knows what makes me laugh and what makes me cry. What keeps me calm and what makes me angry. You don't even know my favorite color."

"Yes I do. Your favorite color is pink," Dad answers. He folds his arms confidently.

I shake my head. "It used to be pink. Ten years ago. Danny, what's my favorite color?" I know he wants to be left out of this, but I need to prove a point.

Danny sighs, "Light blue." It's not just any light blue. It's the same blue as Danny's eyes.

"I'm giving up on you," Dad says. He throws his hands in the air and he walks away.

I relax and I form myself against Danny. "You should be nicer to your father, Lucy."

"I know. I just don't like it when people tell me what I can't do. It sets off a bomb inside of me. I really should learn to control it." I close my eyes.

"You will." Danny wraps his other arm around me and I lay mine on top of his.

"I need to get away from everything. I need a vacation." I remember that why Danny went to jail and what my punishment was. "Oh yeah. We can't. We're on parole."

"You make it sound like it's terrible. Look at the bright side. We don't have anywhere to go, so we'll always be together. We can take a tour of our state this summer. Or we can swim, every single day."

When he mentions swimming, I think of Emily. "But wouldn't it be so much more fun with her? I don't know. I've always had Emily around."

"Well, now you'll always have me. No matter what," Danny says. No matter what. I smile. They are three simple words that mean so much. They mean that even if you end up in a wheelchair, they'll still be beside you, helping you learn how to walk.

I turn my head into him. "Maybe I'll just leave my family and I'll live with you and your family." I think how weird it would be living with them, considering the fact that I've never met them. "When will I meet your parents, Danny?"

"I don't want you to meet them. They aren't very... considerate of others," Danny says.

"It's not like my dad is very considerate of others." A tear slides down my cheek. Whether my dad tried to hurt my feelings or not, he did.

"You know, Alex and your dad both have the same characteristics. They both want to protect you. Alex tried to protect you from me, too. Remember that day?" How could I forget that day? That was the day that Alex yelled at me. It was also the first day that Danny comforted me. The first time he put his arm around me. I nod. He's right. They are both just protecting me. They just need to know me better. "I remember. That was the first day I saw you cry." If my hands weren't preoccupied, I would give him a light punch, but they are, so I nudge him instead. He laughs and I laugh, too.

We talk for the next hour until Alex comes out into the living room. "Alex." I sit up, breaking the connection between Danny and I.

"Lucy. Can I talk to you? Alone?" Alex asks.

"I'll be outside if you need me." Danny stands and he takes the warmth in the room with him. I hide a shiver.

Alex takes Danny's place next to me. I haven't realized until now how big Danny is. Alex's structure is very similar to my dad's. They are both tall and skinny. "I've been thinking, Lucy, about a lot of things. I've been thinking about you and Danny, I've been thinking about Emily. And I've been thinking about moving. Both Dad and I have."

"What? You're going to leave me? You can't." The first idea that pops into my head is that Mom and Dad are having problems, and Alex is easing Dad's load. But Alex said that he was thinking about moving. "Why are you two going to move?"

"Because I need help. And Dad wants space away from everything. Away from you and Mom," Alex says. So they are having problems. But why would he want to get away from me? I start to crumble inside. Two of my 'protectors' are leaving me. At least Alex isn't leaving because of me.

"What did I do wrong? Why does Dad want to leave me?" I ask.

"He told me that he doesn't want to be here while you're 'ruining your life', as he said."

"What? With Danny? He doesn't understand. Danny cares about me and I care about him. Why can't he understand that?"

Alex dodges my question. "We're leaving after the funeral on Saturday." He stands up and he walks away.

I stand up and I head to the door, without my crutches, hopping on my left foot. I open the wooden door and Danny is sitting on the ground. He turns around and he quickly stands and grabs my arm. "Where are your crutches?"

"Inside. There's something I have to tell you." Danny helps me back over to the couch. "My dad and Alex are moving." I say it as fast as I can. I don't want to taste the words as they come up my throat.

"What do you mean they're moving?"

"Alex told me that he needed help and Dad needs..." I close my eyes. "Dad needs time away from my mom and me." I open them again, but I can't see anything clearly. I blink the tears away.

Danny hugs me and softly kisses the top of my head. "I'm sorry, Lucy."

"Why? It's not your fault my life is terrible," I say.

"It's not your fault either. Certain people do certain things and they harm other people, sometimes without trying to." Danny's hand glides over my hair. "You need to let them do this right now. They'll come back."

"I know Alex will, but Dad is leaving me. I don't know if he ever will."

"If he doesn't, that's his problem. I don't know why anyone wouldn't want to be with you."

"I could name a few reasons why people don't like me." And I could. I'm not pretty, I'm not funny, and I'm a complainer.

"That's because they don't know the real you. Just give them time," Danny says.

We sit in silence until Mom comes out. Her eyes are red. Dad, or Alex, must have told her. "Danny, I think it's time for you to go home," she says.

I don't argue with her. We have things to talk about. "I'll see you tomorrow Lucy." Danny gives me a final squeeze before he stands. He closes the door behind him as he leaves.

"So I take it that Alex told you everything." Mom sits down next to me.

"Yeah. Why is Dad leaving me what did I do to him?" I ask.

"He told me that you didn't have any respect for him. He doesn't want to be here when you do what he told you not to do."

"I do have respect for him. Just because I don't agree with everything he says doesn't mean I don't respect him as my father. Uhh." I place my head in my hands.

"Everything will be different after they leave. First, our food bill will go down," she says. I smile. "Second, we'll be without two great men in this house."

"Do you know where they're going? When they move?"

"Alex is going to live somewhere special for a month. Then he'll join your father in Orlando."

"Orlando? That's so far away? Why can't they move somewhere closer, like Gainseville? Do the not want to see me ever again?"

"Of course not. They just need a breath of fresh air."

I nod. I open my mouth to tell her about Emily's journal, but my stomach roars at me. "Do we have anything to eat?" I ask instead.

"Of course." Mom stands and heads into the kitchen.

We eat some kind of burritos for dinner, which I don't really care for, but I eat them anyway. Throughout dinner, no one says a word. Annie and Jackson haven't been told anything yet, so they tried to get us to talk, but it didn't work very well. I spend the rest of the night in my room, reading from Emily's past. I eventually stop myself and I force myself to sleep.