POV: Skylar

I don't know whether to be freaked out or embarrassed about what happened. I certainly feel a mixture of both. That's never happened to me before. After the fact, I feel like it was definitely blown way out of proportion, but that didn't stop it from happening.

It's not like I'll never see Jade ever again.

I have a feeling she's not going anywhere.

It's not even that I can't feel love anymore.

What scares me the most is that I don't know anything about myself.

Here I am 20 years old and I have no clue who I am.

"Skylar you have to talk to us," Darleen urged.

I sigh and stare at the table.

In a strange turn of events, Darleen, Jade, and I are sitting at Vida's table as she makes breakfast.

"You can tell us anything, I won't get mad I promise." Jade grabs my hand and interlocks our fingers.

"I'm sorry. What happened was stupid and embarrassing and I kind of just want to pretend it didn't happen." I admit.

"Skylar, you scared the hell out of us. You can't just pretend it didn't happen." Darleen pushes.

"I just... I don't know. I had a panic attack or something. It was nothing, I just overreacted." I pick at the table.

"Skylar, you have to talk to us." Jade pushes.

"There's nothing to talk about, I'm fine." I shoot up from the table to get away from them.

"It's okay if you're not," Vida sets plates of food on the table.

"We won't think less of you," Jade adds.

"Look I appreciate you guys looking out for me, but really let's just drop it." I walk to the kitchen to wash my hands, just to give me an excuse to get away from them.

Vida walks up next to me and puts a hand on my shoulder. I don't look at her.

"If you don't want to talk about it then we don't have to," She says softly so only I can hear.

I look at her.

"But if you do ever want to talk about it, I'm here. No judgments, no strings attached. I'm your friend first before I am anything else. You can always come to me for anything. I just want you to know that."

I feel my eyes water and look down again.

"I don't know who I am," I mumble.

"Okay," she says.

I look into her eyes.

"I'm scared to find out." I finish.

"I know who you are. You are the sweetest, kindest, most amazing person I've ever met. Maybe you need to find out your specifics but I know whatever you find you are going to love because it's not what you are into that defines who you are. It's how you act and how you treat people that defines who you are. And I can say without a doubt I've never met another person as great as you."

"Really?" my voice shakes.

She nods and smiles at me.

I tackle her in a hug and she breathes me in, holding on to me tightly.

Vida can be really great sometimes.

She's an amazing friend.

"Come on, let's eat." She pulls me towards the table.

I see her give Darleen and Jade a look and they drop the subject.

After we eat Jade has to go to work and Darleen offers to take me back to my hotel room. Vida wanted to come along but she had to go to class. Once again, I was skipping class. It will be a miracle if I pass the semester at all.

"You didn't have to come all this way," I say as we get into my room.

"You scared the hell out of me. My heart was racing so fast that I thought I was going to have a heart attack. I just needed to see you were okay. See it with my own eyes."

"I'm sorry," I look down in shame.

"Hey, it's okay. Just don't scare me like that again okay? I get enough scares with Lexi." She forces a laugh.

"I feel so embarrassed," I sat down on the bed.

"Hey everyone has a moment every now and then. Picture me just a few weeks ago caught with drugs in my bag. Don't think for a second I was level-headed because I was certainly not. I totally freaked." She sat next to me.

"You did?"

"Hell yes, I was denying everything. Tried the throw my whole bag in the trash. The officers had to restrain me and hold me down as I was screaming and shit. You want to talk about embarrassment; my teammates recorded the whole thing."

"Yikes."

"So like I said, we all have our moments." She grabs my hand in her own and interlocks our fingers.

"Thanks, Darleen, you always know just what to say." I smile at her.

I see her cheeks flush and she quickly looks away.

What was that?

I quickly take my hand away.

"Anyway, you want to find yourself right? Well, I made it my goal to help you. So why don't we go on a crazy adventure today? Try something new while I'm still here." She offers.

"Like what?"

"Well, I've never been skydiving before." She shrugs.

"I hate heights." I point out.

"See you do know something about yourself." She playfully nudges me.

"Yeah, I guess so," I smile and look down.

"How about we go ice skating? I've never done that before." Darleen says.

"Really?"

"Have you?"

"Not really. I went with Jade last year with some of her friends but I was sick and didn't get on the ice. I just went because I promised Jade I would go with her. In the end, I just sat on the side for a few hours while she hung out with her friends. I was totally miserable. I had a high fever and everything."

"Sounds awful."

"But maybe it's time for a redo." I get up.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah, just let me get changed and washed up," I say.

"Cool." She smiles at me.

So I grab a change of clothes and hit the shower. When I'm ready I come out to Darleen asleep on my bed. I frown. She must be exhausted flying out here and staying up all night watching over me.

It just makes me feel more guilty.

So instead of waking her up I crawl into bed next to her and let her take a nap.

I ended up falling asleep too.

"Skylar," she shakes me awake.

"Huh?" I sit up.

"Skylar, you let me sleep. It's late now." She pouts.

"It's okay. You looked tired."

"Yeah but now I have a flight to catch."

"So, just go. We can do a rain check." I shrug.

"No way, I want to go ice skating with you."

"Don't you have classes and a girlfriend to worry about?" I smirk.

"Ex-girlfriend," she clarifies.

"Being on a break is not the same thing as breaking up." I point out.

"Then I'll break up with her," she shrugs.

"Why would you do that, I thought you liked her." I frown.

"Well if her being on a break with me is stopping you from hangout with me..." she lays back down.

"It's not. Don't ruin your relationship for me." I glare at her.

"My relationship is already ruined." She sighs.

"How so?" I lay next to her and face her.

"I don't love her, I've fallen out of love. Just like you. I think... I think I might like someone else."

"Yeah? Who?" I lean in closer in curiosity.

"You wouldn't know her," she turns to face me.

"Describe her then. I need to know if she's Darleen material." I tease.

"Hey I'm Darleen, I think I know Darleen material when I see it." she playfully pokes me in the stomach.

"Hey, come on. I want to know what she's like. It's not like you to fall so suddenly." I slap her hand away.

"Who says it was sudden?"

"So you've liked her even while you were with Lexi?" I push.

"You could say that."

"Well, why didn't you go to her before?"

"She wasn't available."

"And she is now?"

"Not yet, but she's getting there."

"How so?"

"It's a long story. She just got out of a relationship. I don't want to come on too strong and scare her away, you know? Like I want it to be natural."

"But what if you wait too long and she falls for someone else?" I ask.

She frowns.

"Darleen?"

"That's a chance I have to take, I guess. I love her enough to wait."

"But she doesn't even know you are waiting for her." I point out.

"That's okay, she doesn't need to know. She just needs to heal and be happy. When it's the right time, I'll tell her."

"Really?" I eye her skeptically.

"What don't believe me?" she smirks.

"You'll wait too long and let yourself suffer in silence. You always do that. Just tell her how you feel. If you wait too long and she ends up with someone else you won't tell her, you'll chicken out."

"You sound so sure."

"You're too nice of a person to destroy their happiness for the sake of your own." I point out.

"Damn, you're right that does sound like me," she sighs.

"Darleen." I pout.

"Tell you what. You make it your goal to find your new interest, and I'll make it my goal to tell the girl I like her. We have to force each other to keep up our end of the deal. Deal?"

"Deal," I smirk.

"Good, now come on. I'm hungry and I want to go ice skating."

"You have a plane to catch." I chastise.

"Too late, already missed it." she shrugs.

"Darleen!"

"I'll just catch one tomorrow." She playfully elbows me.

"What a beast." I sigh.

"Relax wifey, besides, I brought you something." She says.

"You did?"

"Ta-da!" She pulls out a key from her pocket.

"Is that what I think it is?"

"Sure is, after we go ice skating, I'll help move all your stuff in."

"You don't know when to quit," I sigh.

"I'll take that as a compliment, now come on." She playfully slaps my thigh and gets up.

We go out to eat and then to the ice-skating ring in the mall.

Many people crowd the mall which is already decorated for Christmas despite the fact that thanksgiving hasn't even passed yet. We rent out some skates and put them on. Then Darleen slowly gets out on the ice.

"Whoa," I slip and nearly fall but she catches me.

"Got ya."

"Thanks," I smile.

She blushes.

With her help, she pulls me out onto the ice and we lock arms and hold each other steady.

"This is harder than it looks," I wobble around.

"You can say that again," she laughs.

"Let's stick close to the wall." I move to go to the wall.

She grabs my hand and follows me.

"This isn't so bad," she says as we begin our steady pace.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah I kinda like it," she says.

"Me too." I smile

"Race ya?"

"What?"

"Come on, race me."

"I just barely figured this thing out."

"Is it because you're so slow?" she mocks me.

"I'm way faster than you now. Look at this chub." I pat her stomach.

"You'll regret that," she snarks.

"Yeah? Be ready to eat my ice." I get ready.

"We'll see who eats the ice in the end." She smirks.

Lucky for us there isn't anyone on the ice yet. It's a weekday after all.

"Ready?"

"Go!" I shout before taking off.

"Hey!" she runs after me.

I giggle and glide ahead of her.

We race each other, she catches up quickly. Some things never change, I guess. Just before we can see who wins a kid jumps out on the ice.

"Whoa!" I dart out of the way and lose my balance.

I tip forward and face-plant on the unforgiving ice, sliding to the wall. Darleen fairs no better she barely misses the kid too and falls forward onto me.

"Ugh," I complain.

"You okay?" Darleen asks.

"I think I busted my chin," I complain.

"Sorry!" A mom calls before dragging the kid off the ice kicking and screaming.

"Let me see," Darleen grabs my face to inspect it.

"Could you maybe get off me first?" I grumble.

"Oh sorry," she scrambles off of me.

With much struggle, we get back to our feet and walk off the ice.

Once on the safety of regular land, she inspects my face.

"I'm fine, just a scratch," I slap her hand away.

"We should get you a Band-Aid," she says in worry.

"And get these skates off, ice skating is definitely not for me," I say.

She giggles.

"But it was fun, maybe I'll do this every once in a while." I shrug.

"Yeah? Well, you better invite me when you do."

"Deal."

We get our skates off and I get a big fat band-aid for my chin. Then we head back to the hotel where I load up all my stuff and turn in my room key. Darleen takes me to the "house".

I should have known.

The Graysons are the Graysons after all.

The "house" turns out to be a multimillion-dollar mansion. Something a celebrity would live in. Heck, I wouldn't doubt if all my neighbors are celebrities. Just fantastic. What the heck am I going to do with a house this big!?

"Darleen!" I turn to her once I see the house.

"Relax, it's a family house. My whole family, extended included, likes to come here and use it for vacation purposes. Sadly, vacationing out of the country is more popular than in the country these days. So it's just been sitting here unattended. I said I needed it, so they let me use it. It's just you here."

"Darleen are you freaking kidding me!? I can't stay here. First of all, holy hell! Second, what am I going to do in a house this huge? It's just me, one person. I bet a closet in that house is enough room for me to live in."

"You'll only be here alone for a little bit. I'll move in with you remember."

"You are unbelievable."

"Come on, let me show you to your room."

"I feel like I'm in some weird b rate Disney movie."

She laughs.

It's just as extravagant inside as it is outside. After the grand tour, I was given one of the guest rooms which was still bigger than Vida's whole apartment. Darleen helped me unpack and get situated.

"What do I do if your family shows up here?"

"They won't," she assures me.

"But what if they do!?"

"Then hide," she laughs.

"Darleen!"

"Kidding! I'll work it out, promise."

"I seriously hate that you are so rich. Makes me feel like I'm taking advantage."

"Being friends with a rich person has its perks. Besides I prefer the term, well off."

I roll my eyes.

"Well anyway, you should get some rest. I'll take you to breakfast in the morning before I leave." She says.

"Wait!" I stop her from walking out by catching her wrist.

She turns to me.

"It's just... I don't like laying alone. Can you lay with me?" I ask.

She stares at me with a shocked look on her face.

"Forget it, that's stupid and embarrassing." I let go of her wrist.

"No, it's fine. It can be like a sleepover or something." She shrugs.

"Really?"

"I'll go make some popcorn; we can watch a movie."

"Thanks, Darleen... for everything." I smile at her.

"That's what I'm here for," she smiles back.

Sometimes I forget how amazing Darleen can be. She really knows how to sweep a girl off her feet I'll give her that. I'm glad I met her and that we are still friends after everything.

Friends like her are one in a million.