Whoever said time heals all wounds never encountered James Talon Harrington the Fourth. It seemed the longer she went without talking to him, the harder it became. Luckily, Nicky's problem kept her busy most days. Besides offering support and an endless amount of cupcakes, Keeley helped her best friend navigate through the new world of parental dating. Her evenings, however, were another story.  Without anything keeping her occupied, her mind drifted to Talon. She never realized how integral their nightly routine of phone calls and texts had become.

For two weeks, the silence mocked her. It became a constant ache that ate away and left her feeling hollow. She tried to fill the gap, but nothing worked. Even reading had lost some of its pleasure. She couldn't touch a romance book without her chest seizing up.  

If that wasn't bad enough, Edgewood's annual Homecoming dance was fast approaching. The student body was abuzz as they gossiped about who was going with whom and which latest fashion trend they were going to wear. For the most part she tuned them out, but every now and then a stray comment would make its way to her. In those few moments, she allowed herself to imagine what it would be like to go to Homecoming with Talon. Then, seconds later, reality would set in and like a balloon losing air, her dreams hurtled back down to Earth.

As Keeley made her way to her school locker, she took solace in the fact that Nicky wouldn't be going to Homecoming either. She was scheduled to work that night. Once Nicky finished her shift, they planned to raid their kitchen pantries and then bust out the karaoke and spend the night pretending to be rock stars.

Her feet slowed as she approached the long row of lockers. Pacing up and down the hallway was Gavin. He looked nervous as he chewed on his nails, sporadically shaking his head and muttering nonsensical words.

"Gavin?" she asked in surprise. He'd been avoiding her since she learned about his connection to Talon, even going so far as to stop using her locker. "What are you doing here?"

He immediately stopped pacing and dropped his hand from his mouth. "I came to see you." His eyes turned shifty as they darted around the hallway. Satisfied that no one was listening, he shoved his hands into his jacket pockets and turned his attention to her. "Can we talk? Privately?"

She had a good idea what he wanted to say. "Listen, you don't have to worry. I'm not going to tell Zach you're related to," her voice dropped to a low whisper, "you know who. Your secret is safe with me."

His cheeks flushed as he let out a curse. "I didn't even think about that. Zach would go ballistic if he knew. Thanks for not squealing on me."

Taken back, her brows pulled down into a frown. "Then what did you want to talk about?"

He pressed his hands even further into his pockets. "It's about JT."

Her posture stiffened as she gave him a wary look. "What about him?"

"He—Well, you see....I...uh..." A light sheen broke out across his forehead as he pulled at the collar of his shirt.

Keeley resisted the urge to shake the words right out of him. Instead, she leaned against her locker and patiently waited for him to spit out what he had to say.

"He'll kill me if he finds out I talked to you about him," Gavin finally confessed.

"Technically you haven't said anything yet," she pointed out.

"He'll know." His gaze became distant. "He always knows."

"Hey, you can still walk away with your life fully intact. No one has to find out we had this conversation." She drew a giant X over her heart. "Promise."

His eyes flashed with determination as he pounded a fist against his palm. "No. I can't let fear rule me. I need to be brave in these troubled times. Besides, everyone's counting on me. I can't let them down."

"There's multiple people involved in this?" she asked sounding perplexed.

"I was the only one who volunteered to talk to you."

"Taking one for the team. You're a real hero," she told him dryly.

He shook his head and let out a grave sigh. "Don't put me on a pedestal, Keeley. My intentions are purely selfish."

Amused, Keeley pushed herself off the wall and stood directly in front of him. "Is there something you would like to tell me, Gavin? Because my patience is starting to run thin."

He closed his eyes and drew in a deep breath. When he opened them, he blurted out, "You need to talk to JT. He's driving the family insane. He keeps alternating between angry screamo music and sad country that borderlines on suicidal. Yesterday, I saw his dad pick up his stereo and attempt to throw it out the window. And don't quote me, but I think his mom tried to poison him." He leaned forward and whispered, "She offered him cupcakes that she baked...all by herself!" Straightening, he continued, "I'm afraid if this goes on, someone is going to wind up in the hospital...or jail. You need to talk to him and sort things out."

She threw her head back and laughed. But when he didn't join in, she realized he was serious. "Sorry," she coughed, trying to contain her laughter.

"This may be funny to you, but my family is in peril!"

"Don't you think you're exaggerating a little?"

Gavin's nostrils flared as he growled in frustration. "Exaggerating? They're threatening to send him to live with us."

"You live a town over."

"Listen to me, I refuse to share a room with that slob. He'll have everything coated in marshmallow and sugar in seconds. You're the one who broke him, so now you're the one who has to fix him!"

"Gavin," she sighed. She went to say more, but a very excited Nicky suddenly appeared between them.

Bouncing up and down on the balls of her feet, she shouted, "You'll never guess what just happened!"

Wincing, Keeley put her hands on Nicky's shoulders to keep her still. "I think you've had one too many cookies today. Perhaps we should cut back on your sugar intake."

"One too many?" Gavin muttered. "Try a whole box full."

Nicky whipped around to point a finger at him. "Traitor! You're the one who gave them to me!"

"I brought the box to give you one or two. I didn't think you'd eat the whole thing!" Gavin exclaimed.

Nicky folded her arms. "You said they were for me."

Arching a brow, Gavin leveled her a look. "You know, there is this term called sharing."

"Never heard of it," Nicky sniffed. "Sounds painful though."

"Wait, you two know each other?" Keeley interjected. Both stopped their arguing and turned to her with guilty expressions.

"We might have met a time or two this past week," Nicky admitted.

"I needed her advice," Gavin piped in.

Keeley's gaze sharpened as she put her hands on her hips and slowly tilted her head. "About what exactly?"

Gavin gulped. "You...and JT."

"We're over," she stated.

He hesitated a moment before asking, "Are you? From what I've heard you've developed an unhealthy relationship with your phone."

"I'm just checking my messages," she said, grinding her molars together. "I don't want to miss anything. There's nothing wrong with that."

He gave her a knowing look. "If that's the case, then why do you keep rereading all of JT's old texts?"

The muscle in Keeley's jaw spasmed as she tore her eyes away from Gavin and fixed them on her best friend—scratch that—former best friend.

Sensing her mood, Nicky held up her hands. "Calm down. It's not what you think."

"I think you sold me out for a box of cookies."

Nicky bit her lip and then shrugged. "Alright, so it's exactly what you think. But hear him out. Despite appearances, the freshman is actually smart. He made some excellent points."

"Hey!" Gavin cried, shooting Nicky a glare.

"You hate my relationship with Talon. Why would you consider helping him?" she asked.

"Because no matter how many times you say you're fine, you're not." When Keeley opened her mouth to defend herself, Nicky held up a finger and rushed on. "You've been miserable these past few weeks and I hate seeing you that way. So when the munchkin over there fell on his knees and begged to meet me, I agreed."

"I'm standing right here, you know," Gavin griped. "And that's not how it went down. I asked. Politely. With my feet firmly on the ground."

Ignoring him, Nicky continued. "I might not like all of the choices Talon has made, but I do like the way he acts when he's with you." She grinned sheepishly. "I read a few of his texts when you weren't looking. Some of the things he said to you...wow. I had no idea he was capable of feeling that way. They were sweet and thoughtful and nothing like the guy I know."

"I told you so," Keeley muttered, crossing her arms.

"I didn't see it before, but I do now. Look, I'm not saying you should get back together with him, but I think you should at least hear the freshman out. I would hate for you to make a decision without knowing all the facts."

"But I already made my decision. It's done. We're done."

"That's what I wanted to talk to you about," Gavin said. His expression turned grim. "I'm partly at fault for what happened. He came to me right after he found out who you were. Barged straight into my room and wouldn't leave till I told him everything I knew. After that, I become his confidant where you were concerned."

"Because he let his friends believe he was using me," Keeley quickly pointed out.

"Yes," Gavin conceded with a dip of his chin, "he didn't have anyone to tell except me, but also because I knew you, interacted with you. He came over to my house a lot more after that. Our parents thought it was because we were talking about football, but in reality, we were discussing you." His eyes turned assessing. "I don't know if you're aware, but JT and I have never been close. He mostly talks to my sisters when we're together. So when he started coming to me for advice I was surprised, but mostly I was angry. I resented that he only wanted to hang out with me because of my connection to you. When he asked for my opinion about whether or not he should tell you the truth, I told him to keep it from you."

Keeley processed his words before saying, "It's sweet of you to try and take the blame, but at the end of the day, Talon was the one who made the choice, not you."

"You're right. But I did give him bad advice when he didn't feel comfortable asking anyone else. And I know for a fact, JT has a hard time asking for help. "

"Sounds like someone else we know," Nicky mumbled.

"Listen," Gavin began when Keeley didn't respond, "I get why you're upset. I would be too if I was in your position. But despite all his faults, JT really does care about you. And frankly, when you two were together, he was less of an asshole."

The comment brought a sharp laugh to her lips.

"So think of it as a goodwill gesture to me and my family if you would reach out and try to talk to him." When she still hesitated, he added, "For what it's worth, I know he still carries around a lot of guilt for what he did to Claire."

"He told you that?"

"He doesn't talk about it, but even since that incident he changed."

"How so?"

Gavin rubbed his temple. "When he first found out about Claire and your brother he was angry, even volatile, but after he sent those photos..." his face tightened as if in pain, "...he became resigned, as if being an asshole was his lot in life. There's a huge difference between the boy who moved here and the guy he is now."

He let his actions dictate who he became, she thought to herself.

"You should know that when he started dating you, the tough veneer he coated himself with started to crack. Don't judge him based off one mistake that's in the past."

"What worries me is that he was capable of sending those pictures in the first place. I understand he was upset," she said when Gavin protested, "but I don't think it excuses his behavior."

"But aren't we all capable of doing bad things? You can't tell me you haven't thought of doing something awful every now and then."

"But we don't all act upon those feelings. There's a huge difference."

"Just because someone makes a mistake in the heat of the moment doesn't make them a bad person," Gavin argued, his eyes flashing as he defended his cousin. "JT felt horrible for what he did. He didn't rub it Claire's face or blast it on the internet like some guys might have. He tried to fix it. That should count for something."

His words struck a chord with her. Keeley rubbed the back of her neck. Her thoughts and emotions were jumbled together and she couldn't make sense of them anymore.

"She doesn't think he's a bad person," Nicky jumped in. "But I think she questions his actions. Can't you see how it would be scary for her? It's hard to put your faith and trust in someone who has a track record for being rash."

"Doesn't she have the same record? She keeps making rash decisions about their relationship without ever talking to him."

Nicky bristled. Straightening her shoulders to appear bigger, she took a threatening step toward him. "It's hard not to when he's constantly keeping things from her. She's doing what she thinks is best."

Narrowing his eyes, Gavin copied her posture and took three steps forward till they were toe to toe. "And JT did what he thought was best. You can't get mad at him for that."

"I can get mad at anything I want. Don't tell me what to do, munchkin."

He drew himself up to his full height and lorded over her. "Stop calling me that."

"Enough," Keeley ordered, wedging herself between them. She put a hand on each and forced them to take a step back. "Fighting isn't going to accomplish anything."

"You're right," Gavin said, looking ashamed of his behavior. "I never meant for this to get out of hand. I just wanted a chance to speak with you." He took a calming breath and then backed away. "I need to go, but think about what I said, Keeley. Talk to him. Don't throw away a potentially great relationship because you couldn't see past certain things." 

She waited till he walked down the hall and was out of sight, before turning to her best friend and asking, "Do you think he's right?"

"I think he has a valid point. Whether he's right or not is a whole different matter."

Keeley let out a long sigh. "This complicates the situation. I was set in my decision, but now..."

"Rethinking things?"

"That and seeing the situation through a different lens."

"Like he said, we all make mistakes. The question you have to ask yourself is....are some mistakes worse than others? Or are they all equal?"

"I don't think all mistakes are equal. There are some that are minor while others that change lives. But how do I get past them? And how can I trust he won't make the same ones again?"

She shifted her books and leaned against the wall, propping one foot against it. "Personally, I feel there are two things you have to consider. One, is if the person has taken responsibility for their mistakes and the second, is if they've learned from it."

"Do you think he has?"

"Honestly, I can't answer that. He's the only one who truly knows."

Keeley pondered that as she opened her locker and began pulling out books. "Hey, what did you want to tell me when you first came over here?"

Nicky's brown eyes suddenly began to sparkle. "Do you remember that cross country runner I had a crush on last year?"

"You met him during that English project, right? Ben something or other?"

"That's the one. Well, when I got out of math class today he flagged me down in the hallway and asked me to Homecoming."

Keeley's stomach dropped. She leaned forward so the locker door would block Nicky's view of her face. "What did you tell him?"

"I said I would give him an answer tomorrow. I wanted to talk with you first and make sure it was okay." The excitement in her voice dimmed as she silently pleaded for Keeley to understand. "I know we have plans and—"

Keeley waved her off. "No, no! Go to the dance with him. Don't worry about me." Nicky deserved a night of fun. She could handle one night of moping by herself. Maybe she could talk her mom into letting her take Tucker for a midnight geocaching adventure. It would be a great way to keep her mind off Talon.

"He said he has a friend who would go with you. We could double," Nicky suggested in a hopeful tone.

She plastered on a pleasant expression and lifted her head. "Tell him thanks for the offer, but I'll pass. I'm not in the mood for a blind date."

Nicky studied her. A knowing crossed her face. "You know what? I'm going to turn him down. I'd have much more fun with you anyway."

"What? No," Keeley protested. "You have to go. You had a crush on him all last year."

"Had being the key word."

Keeley rolled her eyes. "If that's the case then why did you force me to go to the cross country meet last Wednesday?"

"The cheerleaders don't come to track meets. Someone had to cheer them on." Nicky pushed midnight curls out of her eyes and sent her a haughty look. "I was doing my duty as an Edgewood student."

"I see you take that responsibility very seriously. That must be why the only time you cheered was when he came into view."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Uh-huh," Keeley murmured, not buying that bologna for a second. She closed her locker and picked up her bag. "Do you want me to cover your shift for you?"

"Would you?" Nicky asked, looking relieved.

"Of course. Please tell me you're working with Shawn."

Nicky winced. "I wish I could. Van's been picking up more and more of his shifts."

"Probably because he needs the money."

Nicky's nose scrunched up. "I got the impression he was well-off. I saw a picture on his phone once. He was standing in front of what looked like a family estate. The place was huge. If that's where he grew up, then Van's loaded."

"Can't be. I've heard him whine about his apartment. It's small and cramped. There's no way he would be living there if he has money."

"Who knows," Nicky said, shrugging. "Speaking of Van, I found him puking in the bathroom during our last shift. He said he wasn't feeling well and must have caught the flu, but he smelled suspiciously like stale beer."

Disappointment cut through her. She thought he learned his lesson after finding him passed out in the break room. It was disheartening to hear he was still drinking so heavily. "Do you think we should tell Shawn? It's beginning to become a problem and he's not getting better. If anything, he's drinking more."

Nicky made a noise in the back of her throat that sounded thoughtful. "I don't know if it's our place to tell."

"But it's starting to affect his work. We can't keep picking up his slack."

"What I'm wondering is how Shawn doesn't know this already. Aren't they best friends? Shouldn't he be aware of Van's problem?"

"Not if they had a falling out."

"Maybe. In any case, I don't think we should tell. Van already got booted off the surf team. Getting fired by his best friend would be like kicking the man when he's already down."

"I suppose," Keeley agreed, though privately she had her doubts. As they started walking to the quad area, she pulled out her phone.

No messages.

Again.

"Oh for God's sake, just text him already," Nicky told her in an exasperated voice.

"And say what exactly?" She was still sorting through her feelings. There wasn't much she could say without sounding like an idiot. It was better to wait until she had time to reevaluate the situation.

Nicky took the phone out of her hands. "If you won't do it, I will."

"Wait. Wait! What are you doing?" Panicking, she tried to grab her phone but Nicky turned her back to her and hovered over it, blocking the screen from view. Moments later, a loud ping went off and Nicky handed the phone back.

"There. All finished," Nicky said sporting a proud grin.

Keeley cursed as she fumbled with the buttons but finally she managed to open her messages. All the blood rushed to her face when she read the text Nicky sent. It was one word.

 Hey.

Her fingers slowly wrapped around the phone as she felt her blood boil. She silently counted to ten before asking in a low voice, "How heavy is your backpack?"

Nicky's brows drew up in confusion. "It's pretty light. Why?"

Closing her eyes, she whispered, "Run."

"What?"

"Run."