"What'd I say, Thal? What'd I fucking say?"

"I don't know, Ap," I said, rolling my eyes in front of my computer screen. "What did you say?"

"I knew Xander liked you," she exclaimed, raising her eyebrows over the coffee in her mug. "I just knew it."

I knew I shouldn't have told April, I thought bitterly as I sat across from her at Leigh's kitchen table. It was Tuesday afternoon and I was on my baseball recruitment spree, so after my mom tasked me with the job of buying my plane tickets back to school, I decided to kill two birds with one stone and do it with April.

Playing baseball wasn't a hard sell for her, so it was all too easy to change the subject and talk about something else.

Too bad my conscious wouldn't let me keep my mouth shut.

"We're friends, April," I said, possibly louder than intended. "Why is it so hard for boys and girls to just be friends with you."

"Because friends don't kiss each other," she said matter-of-factly.

"Right," I said, rolling my eyes. "Sure they don't."

"So, you're saying that you and Xander are just friends?"

"Yes," I sighed loudly.

"And so you're insinuating that you don't like him, like him?"

"Yes, April! Jesus..."

"And you're also suggesting that he doesn't like you?"

"April, I don't know! I mean," I squeezed my mug tighter. "I can't speak for him, okay? I mean, I think--"

"Exactly, Thal," April snipped. "You don't know. You never know."

"What doesn't Thalia know?"

"When a boy likes her," April replied, before I had a chance to respond.

Leigh nodded her head, as she tied her wet hair into a bun. "Ah," she nodded, as she came to join us in her kitchen. "Some things never change, huh, Thal?"

"Wow," I exclaimed, whirling around in my seat to face her. "You too, Leigh?"

Leigh peered into the half-empty coffee pot. "Remember Michael Davies? Or Aspen Scott?"

"Or Gio? Gio Cordova?"

"Or Aaron's friend!" Leigh snapped her fingers. "That one who's always staring and following her around?"

April clapped her hands together, stretching them towards her sister.

With wide eyes and wiggling fingers she nodded vigorously. "B-Something," she exclaimed. "Boyd? Bryce?"

"Blake!"

"My brother's best friend?" I gasped.

"Yes," April nodded. "Blake's it!"

"Friends!" I exclaimed. "They were all my friends!"

"To you," Leigh said, motioning towards me with an empty mug. "They did not consider you to be just a 'friend,' Thalia."

"No," April added, "They didn't want to just be your friend, Thalia."

"True," Leigh nodded.

"But--but--" I stuttered. "But, you guys--"

"You only take notice of the guys you like, Thalia," April said, reaching for the blueberry muffins in the center of the table. "If the guy isn't tall with light eyes, you don't want to like him."

"Not true!"

"Says the queen of 'friend-zoning' herself."

"April!"

"It's okay, Thal," Leigh smiled, as she brought her coffee to the table. "It's alright to have a type," she shrugged, taking a seat between us. "We all do."

"Yeah," April snorted, "it's fine to have a type, but it's not fine to have two friends--best friends, mind you--crushing on you at the same time."

Leigh gasped. "What?" She looked between us. "What do you mean?"

"Xander is not crushing on me, April!"

"That you know."

"Xander O'Hara?" Leigh asked. "Isn't he--? He likes you?"

"No!"

"Yes," April nodded. "Xander O'Hara, also known as Nikita's worst enemy and Roman's best friend, likes Thalia."

"Oh, Thal..."

"Leigh, Xander and I are just really good friends, okay? We spend a lot of time together, and we're really close, alright?"

"Right," April muttered into her mug. "Because friends kiss each other 'goodbye.'"

"He kissed my forehead, April."

"C'mon, April," Leigh scoffed, waving her off. "An innocent kiss doesn't necessarily mean anything."

I threw my hands toward the older Kennedy sister. "Thank you!"

"If it was a platonic relationship, then why don't you want me to tell Mischa?"

"Because she'll tell Robert," I hissed. "Duh."

April fell back against her seat. "And you don't want him to tell Roman."

I shook my head. "I'm trying to get friends to become closer. I don't want to complicate things when I don't even know what Roman and I are."

"And you don't know what you and Xander are, either."

Leigh peered similarly over her mug. "You definitely need to determine where you stand with them, Thalia," she said.

To that, I nodded. "You're right," I sighed. "I do."

"Especially with Xander," she muttered. "He's an O'Hara."

I snorted. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Someone's defensive," April chuckled, "Of her man."

I shot her a glare.

"I went to undergrad with Landon," Leigh said, tracing her finger slowly around the rim of her cup.

"Oh, well of course," I exclaimed sarcastically, throwing my hands in the air. "Because someway or another, everyone knows everyone," I smacked my lips. "I should have known."

"Whatever," Leigh said, waving me off. "Just...You can't lead him on, Thal--either of them."

"Yeah, thanks guys," I huffed, blowing the stray strands of hair from my eyes. "Last time I checked, I wasn't trying to lead anyone on, remember?"

"Right," April sighed. "Because last time you checked, you were in a platonic, b-f-f relationship with Xander and a flirty, 'I like you but I don't want to label us yet' thing with Roman, am I right?"

I opened my mouth to respond and quickly closed it.

"Whatever," I huffed, turning back to the Virgin America ticket prices on my computer, because yes. Yes, April was right.

Too bad I'd never tell her.

Leigh and April exchanged looks.

"Seems like you nailed it, Ap."

Fuck.

"C'mon, Thalia," Leigh said, turning from her sister to me. "I know your intentions are good, and I know that you're hopelessly naïve to boys and their feelings--"

"Thanks, Leigh. Thanks a lot."

"But I also do know that you aren't trying to hurt either Roman or Xander," she grinned apologetically. "That's why you've got to define your relationship--"

"Both relationships," April piped.

Leigh nodded. "Both relationships," she concurred. "So neither you, nor they will get hurt."

"Because, then what?" April asked. "This whole winter break--everything you've done in the past few weeks--will be pointless," she exclaimed. "Sure, David and Marco might end up as friends again, or Nikita might start speaking to us, but what good will that do if Roman and Xander hate each other because they're fighting over you?"

I swallowed hard, because again, April was right. That was the last thing I wanted to happen.

"It'll be the same thing all over again."

I could see it now.

The guys would all choose sides and everyone would hate me, completely defeating the purpose of everything I'd done during break.

I would not--I could not let that happen.

I groaned loudly, letting my head fall into my arms in front of my laptop. "You're right," I sighed. "You're both right."

April reached across the table, grabbing my hand and squeezing it gently.

"I'm really not trying to be a bitch," she said. "I promise."

I raised my head. "I know, Ap," I nodded.

"I just," she paused, sucking on her bottom lip. "I just don't want you to get hurt, okay? It's time for you to be in a good relationship, remember?"

I shook my head, quickly removing the image of Jordan from my mind. At the Delta Tau Delta party, I remember whining about my single status and now, here I was...

"Maybe I should just be single..." I moaned. "Forever."

"Oh, come on," Leigh sighed, rising from the table. "Enough of the woe-is-me-talk. Thalia, you should be flattered that two guys like you. You just have to determine who you like more."

"That's if both boys even like me like that."

"Right," April scoffed, rolling her eyes to the apartment ceiling. "If Xander likes you the way I think he does, you're going to have to choose."

"Decide where you stand, Thal," Leigh nodded, as she placed her mug in the sink. "Then, move from there," Leigh turned, placing her elbows on the countertop as she leaned towards us at the table. "We just want you to be happy, Thal."

"Yeah, well," I sighed, turning back to my screen, "I won't be happy until I buy these plane tickets back to D.C."

But, the look that passed between the Kennedy sisters did not go unnoticed.

"What now?" I demanded. "What?"

"Nothing," April muttered. "Nothing at all..."

"Have you found any cheap flights?" Leigh asked, making an obvious point to change the subject.

I stared hard at April across the table.

"Not yet," I replied after a while. "Virgin's kind of expensive. I'm buying my ticket too late."

"Try Google Flights," Leigh suggested. "You can compare prices across airlines."

"Like Hotwire or something?"

Leigh nodded, "Only better."

I grinned, typing the website in my browser. "Thanks, Leigh."

"Eew, flights," April pouted. "I can't believe your crazy, innocent, naïve butt is about to leave me," she paused, "Again."

"Thanks," I sighed. "Thanks a ton, Ap."

She grinned. "You're welcome Thal."

"So, who else is coming to play baseball?" She asked, switching the subject with another pointed look. "Since this is how you want us all to bond and love and spend our last days together."

"Hey, you were into it this morning," I stated, not bothering to tear my eyes from the ticket prices on my laptop screen. "Besides," I shrugged, "it'll be fun."

"Mhmm," nodded April. "Says the queen of sports, herself."

A small chuckle escaped my mouth.

"Sorry," I said, "I'm booking my flight. I can't hear you over the sound of Southwest's two free bags..."

"You're hilarious, Thalia," April grinned. "Look at you, playing sports for these guys..."

I met her shining green eyes. "You'd do the same thing, Ap."

"Would I?" She asked humorously. "I mean, sure we've hung out with them for the past month, but what happens next?" She asked. "What happens after we all leave for school? Will any of this even matter?"

"I'd like to think so," I replied quickly. "I'd like to think that we're all friends now, April."

"Says Little Miss 'Half-Full.'"

"Wait just a moment, Ap," Leigh interjected, "Thal isn't the only one...If I'm not mistaken, you've become pretty close to what's his name? The one with the dark hair and blue eyes...?"

I sat up straighter. "Collin!"

"That's the one," Leigh nodded, snapping her fingers. "Don't pretend like Thalia's the only one who cares, because obviously, she's not."

I beamed at April. "You're blushing."

"You know what," she said, shaking her head, "unlike you, I can actually tell when a boy likes me or just wants to be my friend, and Collin--"

"Just wants to be your friend?" I scoffed, selecting my flight. "Sure. Whatever you say, Ap."

"It's true, Thalia."

"Alright," I exclaimed. I knew better than to argue with April over something like this. "Chill, okay? I believe you."

"Good," she huffed, crossing her arms across her chest.

I caught Leigh's rolled eyes and shook my head. "Sheesh."

"Good," April repeated, this time through gritted teeth. "Because, it's true."

-~*~-

I left Leigh's and found myself driving for the heck of it.

My dad had leant me his BMW 5 Series, so I decided to savor each moment behind the wheel, and with the sunroof back and windows down, I turned up the volume, blasting my iTunes through the car's wireless sound system.

Then, I drove.

Without a specific destination in mind, I let myself enjoy my city; home. I let Los Angeles' 65 degrees and sunshine be my guide, as I sang to my songs on Shuffle and let the city be my guide.

That is, until I found myself sitting outside of Xander's garage.

It hadn't been my intention to visit him, but somehow or another, one street led to the next and I guess subconsciously, my habit from the past few weeks had manifested again on the road.

I couldn't believe it--not only had I been to the garage nearly every day over break, but I was going to miss it. With my plane ticket bought, I was headed across the country, again. Life in L.A. would go on, and so would mine...in Washington D.C.

Not to mention, I'd be away from my friends.

We'd be split up again.

All of us living separate lives; doing our own things.

Well, until summer.

Summer.

In that moment, I reached for my phone, scrolling through my texts. I didn't even realize that I hadn't responded to Eliza from the other day--I'd been caught up in Marco, and then Xander.

That's when I sent her a response.

TR - I'll call you tonight. I've got a question and a favor to ask.

Then, I sent a quick kissy face after I'd pressed Send and switched from my Messages to my Phone. Then, I dialed Roman's number and waited anxiously for him to pick up.

"Hello?"

I let out a long sigh of relief. "Roman," I breathed, smiling at the sound of his voice.

"Hey, Thal," he replied. "What's up, Babe?"

I smiled wider. "Are you busy? Can I come over?"

"I--yeah," he exclaimed. "Of course you can."

"Great," I replied. "See you in a sec, okay?"

"Okay, Thal."

"Bye, Rome."

And I hung up, turning my music back on and putting the car in Drive.

I pulled from the curb, away from Xander's garage towards Roman's house.

April and Leigh were right: I refused to ruin a friendship any further. I was defining a relationship today, damn it, and no one was going to stop me.

-~*~-

The countdown has begun for Thalia and this story. Literally I can't believe it...There are 8 more chapters until WAB's done. Crazy.

But anyway, what do you want to happen with Thalia/Roman, Thalia/Xander, April/Collin, ect. ect. ect... Is a month enough time for happy endings all around? We'll see... ^-^

Comment/Vote/Wish me luck on my finals and all that jazz. Lawlz.