"Remind me again why we're best friends?" Max joked, hand buried in a family size bag of Ruffles. I stared him down, fighting the urge to reverse the question back on him.

For as long as I could remember, Max had been able to pack away a good five meals a day without gaining an ounce. My mother, a nurse practitioner, had assured that it was no more than be graced with a fast metabolism, but I had better ideas. I'd come to the conclusion after he'd cleaned out my entire fridge while my mom and step-father were on a business trip a year and a half ago that Max Park was, in fact, not human. It would explain how he was also able to go from one sport to the next as the seasons ended and began without as much as breaking a sweat and still managed to keep his soon-to-be valedictorian status.

"Zoe." Max snapped his fingers in front of my face, so close to the tip of my nose that I felt his nail graze it. "What's going on with you? You've been in your own head all day."

I grasped the cart tightly, averting my eyes so I didn't fall victim and cave under his intense gaze. It had been a little over four hours since our meet up on my patio, and I still couldn't get Ryder out of my head. If it wasn't the crazy request he'd made bouncing around inside my head, it was the look of hopelessness residing in his eyes as he spoke them. Hearing the words, I had thought it was some kind of sick, warped joke, but that thought had quickly vanished upon seeing the seriousness in his expression.

"Zoey." Max repeated, this time in a sing-song voice. "What's going on in there?"

He pressed his finger into the side of my head before I had the chance to dodge the gesture. I shrugged a shoulder and retrained my eyes on the produce section of the grocery store straight ahead. "Nothing. Just a little tired, I guess. Ryder and his dad woke me up again this morning."

He leaned over the side of the cart, resting his foot on one of the wheels as his eyes roamed me.

"That sucks." he commented. "But I want you to stop lying to me, Zoe. You may be able to fool Gabby with all your excuses, but I'm your best friend, I know you."

I looked over at him, running the tip of my index finger along the knuckle of my other hand. I knew better than to try and dodge Max's question again, he'd find a way to get it out of me one way or the other, and I'd rather neither of us waste the time or effort of one of his crazy tactics of getting me to spill.

"Ryder Blake showed up on my porch this morning." I whispered.

"And?"

"He mentioned he was diagnosed with Leukemia a few days ago like it wasn't a big deal before asking me help him kill himself." I continued. "You can't tell anyone, Max. I mean, I shouldn't have even told you. He probably just wants it to stay a rumor and not have anyone know if it's true or not. It's his story to tell, not mine. You can't tell anyone, okay? Not even Gabby."

The mention of not telling the third member of our trio seemed to stir a little bit of aggravation in him. I knew very well he had a strong disliking for Ryder, and he probably figured it was in our best interest to spread the news like wildfire.

"Sure, whatever." he muttered, then added a few seconds later, "What are you going to do?"

I looked at the shelves of cookies to my right. "I don't know. What do you think I should do?"

He started ahead a few steps, grabbing a couple more bags of chips and setting them in the cart, deep in thought. After adding some pretzels to the mix, he breathed out a sigh.

"I think you should be cautious, Zoe." he responded. "This is Ryder Blake, we're talking about. The guy lies, hell, he's probably a pathelogical liar by the point."

"You don't lie about cancer, Max."

He opened his mouth to answer, but is cut off by someone suddenly ramming into me so hard that I nearly trip over my own foot and hit the ground. Tilting my head back in anger, I blinked in surprise when I saw who it was.

The last time I'd seen Cade Thompson was a couple weeks ago when he gave Ryder a ride home after he wrecked his motorcycle doing some crazy stunt to impress a girl. But the boy standing over me didn't look anything like the outgoing, goofy, sarcasm enthusiast I'd been friendly with since the second grade. Once lively and joking hazel eyes were vacant and dark, dark bags carrying them only adding to the lifeless expression he wore. His mess of unruly caramel hair had been buzzed entirely, but he involuntary rested his hand on his head anyway.

"Sorry." he muttered. I rose back to my feet, but Max was in front of me and shoving Cade before I had the chance to brush off the situation.

"What the hell, man? Watch where you're going!" Max snapped.

Cade straightened, fists at sides losing color as he restrained himself. I stepped between the boys before a fight could break out.

"It's fine, Max. It was an accident and both of our faults." I assured my best friend, my palm flat against his chest as I pushed him back. I looked over my shoulder to find Cade eying me, looking as if he wanted to ask something, before he shook his head to himself and walked off, disappearing to the other side of the store.

Max and I watched after him in silence. Once he was out of sight, I punched Max's arm playfully. "I can handle myself, idiot."

He cracked a smile that didn't meet his eyes.

"Did he seem a little off to you? He's usually in pretty good spirits." Max said. I wasn't sure if he was talking more to himself or me, so I kept to myself and started pushing the cart again. It isn't until we're standing in one of the monstrosities of a line at the cash register that he crossed his arms over his chest, casting a look in my direction as he forced the words out.

"Maybe you're right." it takes me a moment to realize he's referring to Ryder. "Maybe he really is sick."

*

I waited about an hour after Max dropped me off at home to make my way to the Blake's porch. My mind was still a chaotic mess of wrong and right. I knew I shouldn't be involving myself with Ryder, but my pity and heart had far different opinions than that of my head. Rocking back and forth on my heels once on the mat, I lifted my hand to knock, but stopped when my hand was only about an inch from the door.

"What the hell are you doing, Zoey?" I murmured quietly. I spun on my heel, only to be met with amused striking blue eyes.

"Couldn't get enough of me, hmm?" Ryan teased as he trekked up the driveway, swinging keys around his index finger. I crossed my arms over my chest to stop myself from smacking the smug smirk from his face.

"Is Ryder home?" I questioned, deflecting his flirtatious comment. His smirk faltered a little, eyes everywhere but me.

"He's out." Ryan shrugged. "I don't know where he is."

I almost called him out on his lie then and there, but decided I didn't want to spent my evening fighting with Ryan Blake. I heard how Blake fights went on the daily, and it was likely I wouldn't win it.

"Let him know I stopped by then, yeah?" I raised an eyebrow before brushing passed him and walking down steps, skipping the last as I relaxed a little. I was halfway across the yard when Ryan yelled after me.

"Zoey!"

I looked back. "Yeah?"

He dropped his gaze to the keys in his hand for a moment, then clenched them into a fist and met my questioning look.

"Believe him. He needs you."

And without another word spoken, Ryan Blake turned his back to me, stepped inside his house, and shut the door behind him.  

***AN****

*Unedited*

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