Life in the Hills 3

Chapter Fifty Five - Unwritten

Times flies by and in the case of their summer before college, flies by are quite the understatement. The summer for the graduates of West Bev went by like light speed. As quick as it started was as quick as it finished. Tomorrow was the first day of classes at CU and despite their excitement; Kelly and Maryse were definitely going to miss all the free time that comes along with summer.

Tomorrow was the beginning of a brand new journey as this chapter was set to close in their young lives and both Kelly and Maryse found it appropriate to enjoy some mimosas during brunch at the Beverly Hills beach club. Ted would shortly join the two of them and Nikki Bella was set to make her appending arrival to Beverly Hills.

Nikki Bella had been spending her summer on the beaches of the Hamptons with some of New York's most elite group of people. Her aunt was one of them and therefore, Nikki decided it was best to spend the summer with some family after her breakup with Dolph.

Kelly and Maryse chunked their glasses together and each took a sip. The sweet drink fuzzed down their throats and the French Canadian uttered an "ahh" through her lips.

"God, I am going to miss summer. Can you believe that this time tomorrow, we'll be back in a classroom?" This blonde was the least excited about college.

"You're not the least bit excited?" said the other blonde, who was a bit surprised by her response since Maryse could not stop talking about college this entire summer.

"I mean, I'm excited for the awesome parties, joining Kappa Delta or Alpha Gamma Delta and the football games."

"Basically, anything unrelated to education?"

"Pretty much," and as she answered that question, she imposed another. "Are you still going to join with me?"

That was something Kelly had not yet discussed with her good friend and now the spotlight was shining right over her, "Well, you see. I kind of don't want to join one."

"I can't believe you are going to ditch me like that – after all we have been through. You and I honey have been through hell together. We've been through the thick and thin and you will be joining one with me," Maryse did not do well with plans not functioning the way she had hoped. "I can definitely see us as Kappa Deltas – Nikki would definitely fit right in."

"I would fit right in, where?"

The two blondes twisted their heads and were greeted by the lovely Bella twin herself – Nikki Bella has returned to Beverly Hills. Instantly, the two of them jumped from their seats and embraced the brunette with open arms.

"We are so happy to have you back. Maryse is slowly driving me crazy but now you are here to help control it."

"Hey, you will be living with me come tomorrow so if you think things are crazy now, wait till you and I have bedrooms next to one another."

As much as she did not want to deliver the bad news as she just got back from her trip, Nikki had to tell the girls the news she had. It was very important and the more she held it in, the more nervous she was growing. "Alright, I actually will not be here for long. I am heading back to New York tomorrow morning."

Both girls were shocked yet confused by the brunette's announcement and Maryse asked for some clarity, "you're going back to New York? But you just got here?!"

"I'll keep the story short," she whipped her hair back and pulled off her sunglasses before telling the ladies her news. "My Aunt is a professor at NYU and they have such an awesome dance program. I was on the waiting lists for months but with some help from my Aunt and a few pulled strings, I got into the program. Can you believe it?!"

The blonde duo was stunned by their friend's revelation. Nikki could read their minds by the mere look on their faces however she was not aware on how they felt in regards to it.

Kelly pulled her jaw up from the ground and answer Nikki, "I mean, I do not want you to get the wrong idea because I am so happy for you but I am just sad that we won't be going to CU together."

"Like Kelly said and on top of that, you are only back for one day," added Miss Ouellet.

Despite the several cons in this state, the situation was not all that bad. "Well, think about it this way. I'll be home in 2 months for thanksgiving then a few weeks after that, I'll be right back here again." There was some positive light to shed on this gloomy consequence. "And Maryse, your sister lives in New York and you always go and visit her. Now you ladies have another reason to come and visit."

"As much as I hate this," Maryse took her glass into her hand and primed for a toast. "I speak for both Kelly and myself that we will greatly miss you and that no matter what, we will always be there for you. To Nikki," Kelly raised her glass alongside her friend. "All the best to you in New York."

The two friends clinked their glasses together and the brunette looked on with such joy. She was satisfied to get the pressure off her chest and to have the knowledge that two of her closet friends had her back; she knew she would be fine.

Eventually, their brunch continued and the waiter had brought Nikki's drink as well and the three ladies were enjoying the lunch afternoon.

"Isn't Eve supposed to be coming back soon? Classes begin tomorrow." The table had gone quiet when Nikki mentioned Eve. The twin could immediately sense that something did not feel right. She gazed over at Maryse and Kelly who both look a bit upset. "Girls, is there something going on?"

"Well, there is no easy way to put this," Maryse bit on her lip and could taste the lip-gloss on her tongue. "I spoke to Eve last week and she told me some news. Basically, she fell in love with the school in Spain and made the decision to stay their full time."

"What?!" was the reaction Nikki gave to the girls.

"There was still a spot open for the upcoming freshmen semester so she grabbed it as soon as she could. You could imagine how bummed out we are. Tiffany's already gone, Eve is staying in Spain and now your heading to New York," Kelly filled in the details behind Eve's decision.

"The worst part of this all is Cody has no idea that Eve is not coming back," Maryse revealed another disturbing detail. "You should have seen him this summer. He's like a little lost puppy dog but he's counting the days till Eve gets home. He thinks she's coming home tomorrow."

"We're going to have to tell him," and that is where this situation got very difficult. Neither Maryse nor Kelly had the courage to tell Cody the truth. The both of them could only imagine what the devastating blow could do to the young man and his wounded heart.

"We'll tell him tonight at the bonfire," Maryse slipped on her tasty drink in the midst of the conversation. "I rather him find out from us than just waiting to see if she comes back tomorrow."

Each of them were dreading the moments that were coming their way however they have to tell him the truth and it is best for him to hear this from his friends than having his heart broken when he does not see her tomorrow.

The girls had a different idea with how they plan on spending their final day of summer compared to what the guys were planning on doing. The ladies enjoyed their brunch but the guys were heading out to the water where the swells were picking up. The ocean was ripe for surfing that afternoon.

Ted, Cody and Dolph were walking alongside one another. The wind whipped Dolph's hair into the air and Ted could not help but make a comment. "Dude, your hair is just whipping around in this wind."

Dolph combed it over with his hand and smirk, "at least I have really good hair. Something you boys wished you could have on top of my charming good looks."

"Yeah right," Cody shrugged his shoulders. "Is this bar of yours ready yet? I would like to have a place where I could hang out and just get completely drunk all day."

"You did it all summer," answered Dolph. "But when is the big grand opening, my friend? Heck, we don't even know where the bar is yet. Everything is where too top secret. I am starting to think your pulling a huge prank on us."

"You want to know where it is?" He stopped. Ted turned his body around and points to the giant pier. Their eyes are guide through Ted's finger and that is when the guys finally discovered where Ted was opening his bar. "That my friends, is where I will be opening up my bar in a couple of months."

Both of them were quiet impressed and did not expect Ted to have gone this far. "That's pretty damn cool, my friend," Cody offered a pat on his shoulder.

"Did not expect that but I like. Imagine the load of girls you will get a night," Dolph knew how to make a subject more interesting.

As the guys were getting closer to the water, Cody realized he had forgotten his board wax in the car. "Shoot – I forgot the wax in my car. I'll get right back – meet me down there."

Ted and Dolph continued down to the beach while Cody jogged back to the parking lot to his car. He popped the trunk and grabbed his wax, just as another car pooled into the parking spot beside him.

The man exits his vehicle and when he turns around, Cody is surprised to see Alex Riley standing right before him. He was taken back for a moment before he walked over to Alex, "Alex?"

When Alex faced Cody, he greeted him with a warm smile, "Dude, how's it going? Long time no see, buddy. How is everything?"

"Not bad," answer Cody. "You got back from Barcelona – how was everything there?"

"Barcelona was awesome, dude. It's a really great place. I went to Madrid and Ibiza too – it was just a crazy summer. I had a real good time. The parties there were out of control!"

"I guess that means Eve is back too, right?"

This is the part of the conversation that was certain to get weird. Alex bit down on his lip as he looked over to Cody. "Eve and I kind of broke up when we were in Spain. A couple weeks ago we just decided to spend the rest of the trip apart but we're still good friends and we still talk."

"Oh man, that sucks man. I'm sorry to hear that."

Lie. A big fat lie. Cody was thrilled to hear the news. He still felt bad for Alex but in the end of the day, Eve dumped him. Maybe she finally realized something? Maybe she finally opened her eyes and recognized that she wanted to be with him? Cody knew this was going to happen. Eve could not harbor her feelings for that long.

"Ah, it's okay. Eve and I grew apart a lot during the trip. We just wanted different things. I kind of regret asking her to come on the trip with me. If she had not came, me and her could have still been together but it happened and there's nothing I can do about it."

The cards were finally falling into the right hands.

"And things would have not worked out anyway especially since she had decided to stay in Barcelona."

His hopes came to a peak and they would soon be crashing down with Alex's next revelation. Eve was staying? "Hold on, what do you mean Eve is staying in Barcelona? Our first day at CU is tomorrow – she has to be back today."

Alex was taken back. I guess word has not gone around yet. "I guess she did not tell you anything, hasn't she?" Alex sighed. "There was still room on the fall semester to come onboard as a full time student and Eve had really loved Barcelona and the school so she applied to go and got accepted. She has decided to stay in Barcelona."

This worst has really happened. Just when he thought something was going his way, things change drastically. Eve is staying in Barcelona and he may never see her again. How could something like this happen?

"So she's staying in Barcelona? She's not coming home?"

"That's what it looks like my friend," Alex put his hand on Cody's shoulder. "I got to run, dude but it was good seeing you. I'll see you around campus, sometime."

Alex disappeared to leave Cody alone. Cody took his board and stuffed it into his SUV. He shut the trunk and got into the driver's seat and sat right there, reflecting over everything.

Watching her leave was painful enough but hearing that she was not coming back was ever more painful. He felt as if someone took his heart and was twisting it. How could this have happened, again?

Maybe this was a sign? Life was trying to explain something to him – that maybe it is time that he finally moves on with his life and forget Eve. Fate was not allowing Eve and himself to come together and he had to let this go. Eve and Cody were not destined to be together and maybe there was a reason behind that. As he looked out into the beach, he could not garner the energy to surf or be with his friends. He turned the car's ignition on and pulled out of the parking lot.

He just needed to be alone and by the looks of it, fate wanted him to be alone.

Normally, you never see stars in the sky in LA. You see them in the streets of Beverly Hills walking down the street shopping down Rodeo so for the gang, it was weird when they went to the beach and saw the sky was lite up.

As the ladies pulled out of the car, Nikki grabbed a few things and headed down for the beach while the two blondes sat their waiting for Cody to show up with the refreshments for the evening.

"I've texted him four times already and he was not answered any of them," a frustrated Kelly was not too happy with Cody's tardiness. Neither was Maryse who could see the bonfire being set up on the beach.

"I think that's him coming right now," Maryse noticed Cody's car entering the parking lot and it was swerving from side to side. "He's a really horrible driver. Even when we dated, he was bad. He's only worsened over the years.

Cody pulled his car up right next to Maryse's and as he turned off the engine, he opened the car door and an odd smell came out of it. Kelly came forward but too a step back when she took a swift of Cody, "Oh my god! You reek! You car reeks! It smells like.."

"Beer!" An obvious drunk Cody slammed the door to his car and as Kelly peaked inside, she could see the empty beer cans scattered around his car.

"You drove here drunk?! Are you out of your damn mind, Cody?!"

Kelly was none to please and the same reaction would follow from Maryse, "Your crazy! You've could have seriously hurt yourself out there or even worse – killed yourself let alone other people. Why were you drinking Cody?!"

Well, he was frustrated with everything. Life was not going his way. He growled, "my life sucks – that's why."

"How does that make up for drinking a ton of beers and driving? Is your life worth that?" This behavior was beyond odd of Cody, however she was not going to let him go that easy.

"If there is a problem Cody, you should have told us."

Cody scowled at Maryse's comment but rolled his eyes as he poured his heart out, "I've waited for her all summer. I've waited for her since she left and now she's not coming back. She's never going to come back."

Both blondes filled in the blanks. Maryse came over and offered a shoulder, "you found out about Eve?"

"Yep. Ran into Alex earlier today at the beach club. He told me that she broke up with him and that she was planning on staying in Spain for good."

"I'm so sorry Cody," was all Maryse could say at this point. There was nothing she could to heal his broken heart than to provide sympathy.

However, Kelly viewed this all at a much different approach. She understood how Cody was feeling but with this dragging on for a while, Kelly knew she had to give Cody a little tough love to bring himself back up. Complaining over Eve's departure and waiting for her return was a pointless venture at this point. The time has come to move on with his life.

"Cody, I am going to give you something you needed a while ago. I hate seeing you like this. I understand that you love Eve but is she really worth it? You are chasing a lost cause. She does not want to be with you and it is about time that you move on with your life because life goes on. I wish nothing more than to see you happy and every moment I see you like this, breaks my heart. Life does not end here. It's time you make a decision – mope over losing Eve or finally take control of your life. It's your choice Cody."

That was certainly something Cody did not expect from his former girlfriend. For months now, Kelly was always supportive of the two of them and it reached a point where she has realized he needs to move on – so why hasn't he made the realization himself?

There is nothing stopping him from moving on. Eve is half way across the globe and has made it clear several times that a relationship between the two was out of the question. The decision was so clear for her but why couldn't it be simple for him?

He admitted, "I think your right. I think I needed that Kelly."

She managed to coil a smile together as she embraced the young man, "as your friend, I think you deserve the truth. I do not want to sit hear telling you that she's coming back and she is going to be with you when I do not have the slightest clue. I'm just trying to be honest."

He did not want to make her feel bad at all, "you did the right thing, Kel. As much as this sucks, I have to move on with my life."

Maryse chirped in, "you going to be okay Cody?"

"He will be," Kelly gently slapped his shoulder. "It's our final night before we go to college. Let's not make this a sad night when we have no reason to be sad. I hope you didn't drink all the beer."

The man chuckled, "nope. The rest is in the trunk."

Cody opened the trunk as the girls each grabbed a case. "We'll meet you down on the beach," said Maryse and she and Kelly went before Cody.

Cody picked up the last case and held it under is arm. He shut the trunk to his SUV and dragged his feet off the parking lot and onto the sand.

Tomorrow would mark a brand new beginning for him. He would leave the old Cody behind and introduce a new and improved Cody tomorrow. Kelly only provided him with the truth and he cannot blame her for that. Let the past be the past and let the future be the future. After all, life does go on.

As the night went on, Cody could feel the effects of the beer coming along. Kelly was trying to cut him off but it was only creating problems. Ted and Maryse found this humorous and began laughing at their friend. Nikki looked over to Dolph, seeing how quiet he was and thought this would be a good moment to pull him to the side to talk a few things out. Nikki grabbed her red sweater and pulled it over her slim figure.

She leaned over to Dolph who was sitting by her side and asked, "Would you want to take a quick walk by the water?"

He smiled, "Cody's killed almost all of the beer and a walk does sound pretty good. I'm down."

The two of them quietly dismissed themselves from the group. They headed further down the beach to the water and took a walk along the water. There was no light at all. The only light they had was from the bright moon that shined over the dark night sky. The wind was whipping away, sending her hair into the air gently.

Well, this was not awkward at all. Two exes walking together and neither of the two were saying a word to one another. This was the first time they had seen each other in about two months so this did not come as a surprise. Nikki thought this would be a little more different.

"How was New York for the summer?" The icy blonde went forth and broke the ice between the two, "You were in the Hamptons, right?"

"Yeah, I was in Manhattan for a little but spent most of the summer in the Hamptons at my Aunt's beach house," answer Nikki. "The Hamptons was really nice. It kinda of reminded me of Beverly Hills a little. Did you go anywhere for the summer?"

"I mainly stayed here. Me, Cody and Jack did take a trip out to Palm Springs to Jack's Dad's house for a few days."

"A little guys weekend?" teased the brunette twin, which she got a laugh in exchange for her joke.

"Yeah –"

Nikki just had to get through with it already. Sure, she came home to bring some things to New York but there was more reasoning behind her return. It was time Nikki and Dolph get some closure to their rollercoaster relationship. She left LA because of him and returned to LA because of him. There was no easy way of getting pass through this difficult trench in life.

"I was doing a lot of thinking when I was back in New York," the admission came from Nikki. "I still can't get the image out of my mind – seeing you and Brie together. That is something that is pretty hard to digest."

Dolph nodded, "with you gone, I had the chance to look at the mistake I made and how everything unfolded. I never expected any of this to happen."

"Neither could I. I mean, I thought we really had some special, you know?"

"We do have something special, Nikki. There is no doubt about that."

He was right but what they had was no longer there. Those sparks there was present at the beginning were no longer occupying their relationship, "I forgive you for all of that, for all of the mistakes made. I am going to put that behind us and we are going to move past it. The more we hold onto it, the more our relationship suffers."

"So, you want to move on?"

"Yeah, I'd like to move on," Nikki then launched the bombshell onto Dolph that he did not expect to hear, especially with the direction this conversation was going into. "Not together, though. We can move on but separately."

Of course, he was stunned and it really took the air out of him to hear. Before she left him, she left a piece of hope along with her. The piece of hope that their relationship could be repaired after this big blow but that was not the case. Dolph wanted to tune out but he decided he had to hear Nikki out.

"I just think that we may be better off with out one another. If you think this is any harder for you than it is for me, you are undeniably wrong. I thought about this for two whole months. I kept thinking if we could just leave off where we ended but that is way to difficult. I personally do not want to be involved in an relationship now," explained the brunette. "I'm not giving up on love but I think I need a chance to be alone and garner more strength before I begin another relationship."

This was not how the conversation was supposed to pan out for Dolph. He pictured all of this going a lot more differently than this. A part of him really thought Nikki and himself were going to get back together.

However, despite his hopes being dashed, he also understood where she was coming from. She had been hurt and he was responsible for it. He could also see why he needed some time away.

"This is not easy, hearing you say all of this but I know it is for the best. Letting you go is not easy. I have tired to let you go for two months already and it has been a complete failure. I go everywhere to try and get you out of my mind but no luck. I thought a lot about us over the summer. While a part of me does not want any of this to end, a part of me feels like it is the right thing to do at this point."

Nikki could see he was hurt. She tried her hardest to hold back tears. She never saw Dolph in a state like this, "I am glad we have mutual feelings. You brought so many good things out of me, you know that? I never had a boyfriend who brought the good out of me, the real Nikki. Sometimes I feel like a closed book around people but there was something you did that brought out the real me."

He stopped walking on the beach and looked at Nikki. Oh, those eyes made his heart thump a little faster. Oh, he was going to miss that feeling in his chest. "I've dated so many girls but none of them comes close to you. My other relationships were jokes; this is the first one mature relationship I had."

"You mean that?" It was a sweet thing to reveal and Nikki never imagine Dolph admitting any of this.

"There was always something about us that was different to everyone else."

Nikki unloaded a deep breath as she gazed into his dazzlingly eyes that made her knees weak. She was going to miss this but knew she was doing the right thing.

"I hate that we have to end it like this. I wish I did not have to do this but I think it is for the best Dolph. I think it is the best that you and I move on –"

"– And I agree. I think we are doing the right thing at this moment. I think you and I finally have some closure to this all. These loose ends have been tied up and we can move on with our lives."

She could not describe how well it felt to hear those words comes through his lips. This rollercoaster relationship had finally reached its destination and it was time for the two of them to get off the ride and head onto a new ride. Even Dolph said it himself – the two could finally put some closure on to this relationship and move forward. There was no going back and the only direction they could go into was forward.

"But, there is one last thing I have to ask you?" asked Mr. Ziggler.

"What's that?"

"We can still be friends, right?"

It was so sweet to hear him say that. Despite their relationship coming to an end, it did not mean that everything was over. Nikki pursed her lips together into a smile before giving him a tender kiss on his tan cheek, "Dolph, no matter what happens, you and I will always be friends."

He pulled away from her for a moment and the two smiled at one another. He pulled Nikki back into an embrace. She rested her head against her chest and shut her eyes. This embrace felt magical.

Though their summers had begun in such dreadful ways, the two had concluded their summers on a happier note.

With their relationship a memory in their hearts, this only presented more opportunities to create more memories along the way.

Maryse had always lived a lavish lifestyle and that would continue into her college years. Her mother constantly disrupted her lavish lifestyle at home so that is when she made the decision to get her own apartment. Another moment living with her mother would drive her insane and into a mental ward.

And there she was, standing in the middle of her brand new apartment. The movers were slowly moving in her furniture and bringing up boxes. This was all too exciting for the young blonde. With her living on her own, she finally felt like an independent adult and there was nothing else that could stop her. Well, there may be one thing. She has yet to get her trust fund, which was put aside until she reached college but that should not be much of a problem. That should be kicking in in just a few months.

Maryse noticed a mover being careless with one of the boxes and stomped her way over, "be careful, please! That box has some very expensive dishes that I had purchased from Italy. Have a little decency!"

He simply rolled his eyes at her before lifting the box up again – this time with care. Relieved, Maryse traveled into her bedroom and noticed the boxes of clothing she had to unpack. It wasn't one box. It wasn't two boxes. It was a load of boxes scattered all around her room. The prom queen had a fortress of boxes surrounding her bed that she couldn't even get to it.

There was a knock on her door and when she turned around, she found Ted leaning against the doorway, gazing at her room. His one thought: pandemonium, "Have I stepped into your apartment or Rodeo Drive?"

"I practically own Rodeo Drive. Half of it is my boxes. Don't judge me for my vast variety of clothing."

"It will be days before you even see the carpet to this room," the former high school student said, as he approached his girlfriend. "I've got some news for you that you may like."

Her eyebrow shot up in curiosity, "is it good news or is it bad news?"

"I think you'll like the news so let's put this under the category of good news," but with all honesty, he could see that Maryse would love the news he was about to give him. "I was down at Santa Monica Community College and they still had some room for a few classes this semester so I'll be taking a few classes."

"What?!" Maryse was beyond thrilled with Ted's decision that she jumped off the ground. "But you said you didn't want to go to school? And are you doing this just for me or yourself?"

"I'm doing it for the both of us. I just want to take a few classes so I know what I am getting myself into and you know what I may end up liking it. All I got to do is try it out and who knows what could happen."

Maryse clapped her hands together, "Oh, I'm so happy. We should celebrate!"

"I have an idea on how we can do that!"

Ted gave off this lusty look and Maryse immediately knew what her boyfriend wanted. However, she looked at the boxes piled on her bed and without hesitating, she knocked them all off and jumped onto the bed with a seductive smile planted on her cheeks.

"I'm ready when you are."

It was just her luck. Where should she begin with her problems?

Well, for starters the airline lost one of her suitcases then her taxi driver took her to Brooklyn instead of Manhattan and now she just finished climbing 8 stories worth of stairs to get to her dorm carrying 5 bags. There were the perks of being an NYU freshman.

Tiffany finally reached her designated dorm – room 807. She slipped the keys into her the lock and when she turned it, she was could nearly drop dead. Not drop dead because of the fabulous view she has but when she saw her couch, her body immediately collapsed.

As she shut her eyes, she could not believe that she was actually in New York City for the very first time. The entire plan was for her to go to Harvard but her dream school was New York University. When she got the call that she was accepted, she did not hesitate to say yes at all. Living in New York was always a dream of hers and it was coming true.

People complained the city was dirty and loud but nothing negative they said could ruin anything. She was way too in love with the Big Apple. She was certainly eager to explore the city but had to get a few things out of her way – like unpacking for instance.

As she pulled herself up from the comfortable couch, she gazed upon her room. To her right, she could see a beautiful kitchen. To her left, she could see the large bedroom she would share with her roommate. Right in the middle, where she was standing was the living room and right across from the couch were two windows. As she approached the windows, she was greeted by the beautiful view of the midtown skyline including the Empire State building.

She wanted to scream out the joy but she had to keep a low voice. As she stared outside, she could hear her phone going off in one of her bags. She raced to her purse and pulled out her cell phone. Who was calling, you ask? None other than Jack "The Swagg" Swagger.

"Jack!" she greeted him on the phone with such joy in her voice, "I wish you were hear to see the amazing view I have from my building. I see half of New York from my dorm room."

Jack could only laugh through the phone, hearing the joy reek through Tiffany's voice, "NYU seems to be treating you quiet well, isn't it?"

"I just wish you were here to see all of this. I mean, you would love it here but I'm sure you love it there too. By the way, where are you now? When we talked on Friday, you were in Istanbul."

He proceeded to laugh as he got up from his bed and walked over to the curtains of his room. As he pulled them apart, a ray of sunshine greeted him, "well, when you look out your window, you see the Empire State building. When I look through mine, I can see the Acropolis."

If he did not make it obvious, Jack Swagger was in Greece. This trip was only a small part of his already big trip. After high school graduation, he strived to do something monumental. He had this passion for traveling. For him, there was so much more to the world than just his backyard and he made it his goal to see the various cultures that consume the world.

"Wait, your in Greece?!"

"Yeah, I just got in a couple of hours ago. I am going to be here for a couple of weeks before I head out to Egypt. I wish you were here, though," a trip alone is nice but a trip with someone else would be even nicer. He missed Tiffany, even though he has only been gone for a 2 weeks.

"I wish you were here too. But you are stopping in New York when you head back, right?"

"Of course I am," Jack responded as he went back down onto his bed to lay down. "How is everyone back home?"

Tiffany nodded her head as she thought of her friends back home in California. She had left them last night and it was certainly an emotional goodbye. Even though she only knew them for a few months, they made her time in California the best and she knows that regardless of where she goes, they'll be right behind her. All of them were so supportive of her decision to go to New York. That's how you know you have good friends – they support you no matter what.

"My parents had a barbeque over at my house on the night before I left and everyone came over. It was just the sweetest. I miss them all so much."

Jack smiled at Tiffany's response, which assimilated another question, "Did you meet your roommate yet?"

"No, she's not in yet. I don't know a single thing about her. Before the summer, they asked what are preferences were for roommates and I hope they find a good match. My roommate may turn into my best friend here."

Just at that very moment, she could hear a knock on the door. "Jack, I think that is her. I've got to go but I'll call you tomorrow, okay? I love you," Tiffany quickly shut her phone and headed straight for the door and when she opened the door, she was in for a little surprise of her own, "Nikki?!"

The blonde was stunned. She could not tell you herself but with one look at her facial expression, it told the whole story. Right in front of her was Nikki Bella, standing there right in front of her. Tiffany could not believe that this was her roommate.

"Nikki, what are you –"

"Surprise roommate," the brunette accepted the blonde with open arms when they embraced one another.

As she pulled her away, she demanded an explanation over this all, "I thought you were supposed to go to CU with everyone else. What are you doing here?"

"Well, since I spent my summer here, I looked into going to school here. NYU still had room in their dance program so I thought this was the perfect chance. I need a fresh start so here I am, in New York," explained the twin.

With her relationship with Dolph ending and the two of them finally found some closure, she needed the opportunity to start fresh and her answer was in New York. Despite leaving a lot at home, she was eager to begin a brand new life here in the city and she was not going to be alone.

"I am beyond thrilled to see you here. I thought I was going to be living here all alone and I am so happy that you are going to be here."

And there they were – two friends ready to start a journey of a lifetime in a city of endless dreams.

How can you pack up your life into cardboard boxes? As Kelly roamed around her room, she grabbed some things she wanted to take to her brand new apartment. She ran in circles grabbing some photo frames, her clothes and her shoes and stuffed them tightly into boxes.

Kelly has not plans on making her room completely empty. She was going to leave some important things. After all, this is her room and it will remain like this forever. Her dad and step-mom had agreed to let her stay with Maryse in a brand new apartment they would share together. Kelly had to put in twenty five percent of the rent a month in order to keep it and it was a deal she was going to keep.

A part of her felt as if she was growing up way too quickly. Here she was – an eighteen-year-old girl about to go live on her own. However, there was excitement brewing in the young lady. Today marked the beginning of a brand new chapter of her life. A new journey awaited her and these were the first steps on that journey.

With the boxes piling up, Kelly was lucky enough to find some muscle. Dolph Ziggler was free for the day and opted to assist Kelly with her move. The blonde pulled into the room after making quiet a few trips to her car. He keeled over the stand of boxes, "Kel, I thought you were not taking much with you."

The beach blonde smirked at her friend, "I'm not. There are only those three boxes and I am done. Once we get to my new place, Ted will be there to help you."

"What's in these boxes?" Dolph pulled a very heavy one into his arms, "I'm starting to think your stuffing bricks in here."

As Dolph left her room, two other individuals pooled into the blonde's room – one had golden hair like hers while the other was a dark brunette. Just like Kelly, they were in the process of moving into their new home.

"Oh, I remember my college move in day like it was yesterday," Trish Jericho reminisced on her college days. "I had a 4 story walk up my freshman year – never again."

"Hey kiddo – looks like my little cousin is on her way to the big leagues. She's not a high school kid anymore. She's in the big leagues – college," said her older cousin, who crossed his arms and leaned against the door paneling.

Kelly enjoyed having her cousins back in town and surely loved their company, "I cannot believe I am leaving here. What was I thinking? I have it so good here and now I have to go and live on my own – what's up with that?"

Trish exactly knew how she felt but leaving was also a good thing, "leaving the luxuries of your home stinks but once you get out their, it's a whole lot of fun, trust me. Chris and I had a blast while we were in San Fran."

"Torrie told me stories about you two and your adventures in San Fran."

It was right then when they mentioned that name; they were reminded on why they came over in the first place. Trish and Chris took a look at one another and smiled before Chris prepared his revelation, "that's what we came up here to tell you. Last night, Torrie went into labor. John gave us a call about an hour ago and told us that Torrie had a baby boy."

Kelly freaked. Her jaw dropped and she began to freak out, "oh my god! A boy?! I can't believe it!"

"They named him Sean. Little Sean Cena."

"I've got to call them."

"John asked if you could call later tonight. Torrie had a long night and all," Chris asked Kelly in hopes she would understand.

"Oh! Of course, I will. I cannot believe I am an Aunt again," said the blonde. "Wow, so many things are happening. I'm moving into my apartment, I am starting my first day of college tomorrow – this day is getting better and better." Just at moment, her phone began ringing. She could not identify the number but made the decision to take the call anyway. "One second guys, I'll be right back."

As Kelly disappeared, Chris and Trish went around her room and Trish pulled out a picture from Kelly's graduation. It was all of them in a group shot. It just made Trish wonder about her life and where it was all going. Times passes by so quickly – where did these last fifteen years go?

"Isn't it insane how life changes? To think we were once in Kelly's shoes and now we are two adults. Two parents with our own children who will experience this all one day – sometimes I feel like I do not live in the moment or enjoy what I have."

Chris was dumbfounded by her comment, "Trish, you always live in the moment. You have your own yoga studio, you live in your dream house, and you have two amazing kids and a husband who love you more than anything. You live for more than just the moment. You enjoy every second of it. Life is precious but you get the most out of it everyday."

Even with the time passing by them, they would make sure to enjoy every little moment they get. They never know where life is going to take them.

"I just really want to enjoy every second. I want to enjoy every second here, with the kids and with you," Trish pulled closer to her husband. Her fingers slid over and around his back as she grasped his body gently.

"We are. We have got a lot a time with one another," he kissed the top of her head and took into the fruit scent of her chocolaty brown hair.

"Am I interrupting a moment?" The beaming blonde came back to her room to find the two of them in a passionate state. "Your room is still free to do whatever you please."

"Don't get any ideas Kel," said her older cousin. "Who was on the phone?"

"I was just going to get to that. That was principal McMahon on the phone. She was calling me because she told me she wants to see me today about something."

Trish pondered on what her former classmate turned principal needed, "wonder what she wants?"

Thoughts raced her mind as she wondered on what this could mean but she was not going to figure anything out until she gets there. Until that happens, she had to move and she just found two more volunteers.

"I don't know but what I do know is that I just found myself two new movers to bring boxes down to my car."

Moving was something that neither Trish nor Chris were too fond of at the moment. The brunette went forward to give some random excuse, "Chris, don't we have that thing we have to go to?"

He played along to his wife's game, "Oh yes, that very important thing. Kelly, as much as we would love to help but –"

"You guys have nothing planned. You don't think I haven't pulled this stunt before? If I were you, I'd grab a box and haul your ass downstairs."

Maryse and Ted were enjoying the beautiful campus that is CU. It was a reason Maryse fell in love with this school in the first place. It was like something pulled out of a movie or something. She was lucky enough to enjoy this day with someone so special.

"I made the right decision not to have classes on Mondays," she sighed. "Plus, there is that huge beach party later today which we are going to. I want to meet some of my fellow freshmen."

"You want to do so much today," Ted mentioned. "You want to explore campus, she still want to unpack your boxes and you want to join a sorority. One thing at a time."

Maryse could only offer a chuckle as she noticed that someone was approaching the couple. Her eyes froze for a moment. Ted took notice and turned his body around as he faced an old enemy all over again. Ted immediately stood onto his feet, "what are you doing here?"

There he was. Mike Mizanin standing right before the two of them. The last time the two of these were staring one another down, Mike ended up in a bloody mess and Ted nearly got arrested. Maryse was not going to have this again and she quickly took a hold of Ted's hand and squeezed it. There was not going to be a fight today.

Mike has gone M.I.A after the incident. He was a no show for prom and did not accept his diploma despite graduating. Rumors ran wild at school saying Mike had a drug addiction and went to rehab while others said he left school and moved to Ohio. She had to admit – she wanted to know what he was going to say. They had to give him at least that – an opportunity to speak.

"I know I'm the last person you want to see and you have every right to feel that way. I did some shameful things in the past. That's why I came up here. I saw the two of you here," Mike was never one to apologize so it was weird for him to do this. "I came to apologize for the horrible things I did. I should have never done such a thing. After the whole thing happened, I went to the hospital and they actually diagnosed me with bipolar disorder."

She felt compassionate toward him but Ted did not. She knew that bipolar disorder was a serious issue, "that does not make it okay to do some of the things you did, Mike."

After his huge fight with Ted, Mike was diagnosed with the disease and placed in a therapy center to help battle his problem. He spent the rest of the school year and the summer at a facility in Palm Springs and he is proud enough to say he is doing much better today than he was doing months ago.

"And your right Ted. It does not make up for any of that and it never will. In a really weird sense, I was happy that it happened. I would have never been diagnosed."

"I'm sorry to hear that, Mike," she offered and apology. She did not want a repeat of history all over again.

"All I'm asking for is that you accept my apology. Part of my therapy to attempt to rebuild bridges with relationships I have destroyed and make some rights to the wrongs I've made," he looked at the two of them and saw how they looked at him and knew this was not going to go well. "I think it's better that I just leave you two alone. I hope you know my apology is genuine."

Maryse could not have this end like this and something had to be done so she garnered the courage and said, "apology accepted."

"Really?"

"Yeah, I forgive you Mike," Maryse pinched Ted's arm hoping he would do the same. "Ted?"

As much as he did not want to say it, maybe it was best to let it go and bury the hatchet, "Yeah, I accept your apology."

Mike's lips forged into a smile and he was relieved about everything, "I appreciate it, I really do. It was great seeing the two of you but I've got to run to my class. I'll see you two around campus."

With Maryse's former boyfriend gone, Ted turned to his girlfriend as he had some questions that needed some answers, "how could you forgive him that easily? It was because of him you and I almost died in that car accident and we just forgive him like that? I don't know what to say."

"Ted, can I speak please?"

"Go."

"Mike is sick. He has a serious disorder and it takes a lot of courage to come up to someone and apologize for your actions. Neither of us would have done that easily but he did," she commended her ex-boyfriend for the courage he had to come up to the both of them and apologize. "Another reason I accepted his apology is that I want to leave behind all of that high school silliness behind. We are starting this brand new chapter and I want to start it with a clean slate and no problems. Mike did something horrible but I am done holding him accountable. Let bygones be bygones because I just want to move on with my life."

She could understand why Maryse was feeling this way but Ted can never forget what he did, "It's just hard to forget what he did and we just forgive each other."

"I've done some horrible things in my life to some of my closet friends and I was lucky enough to get them to forgive me. I think Mike deserves the same chance."

Maryse was the queen of bad things and Ted knew that so he decided he would follow in her footsteps, "alright, I am going to let it go."

Maryse wrapped her arms around his neck and smiled, "and this is why I love you – your one of the most understanding human beings I know and I am never going to let you go."

"Neither are you, Frenchie."

It has been over a year since she had heard that nickname and it had to come back, "I though that nickname was gone – why did you have to say it? We were having a moment."

Ted coiled his lips into a smile, "you know you still love me." It was true. She briefly laughed before capturing his lips with her own. Their love was more solid than ever at this point and it was going to stay like that.

Even if he still keeps calling her Frenchie.

Go Wildcats!

A part of her thought she would never see that sign ever again but as Kelly drove back into the parking lot to her former high school, all of these emotions came along with it. She was lucky enough to find a spot right in front of school's doors – something she never had the chance to do.

So many students filled the surroundings. Her mind could not process that it was only a little while ago that it was her who was once sitting in those seats. Dolph came along for the ride and as the two exited her vehicle, they scanned the surrounding area.

"I feel like I'm about to just go back to school all over again," said the beach blonde as he shut the door to Kelly's car. "Is it wrong a part of me wants to come back here?"

"Don't worry. I feel the same exact way, Dolph."

"What does McMahon want you here for? Did she mention anything on the phone?"

"Nope," an honest answer from Kelly. "She just asked me to come by because she wanted to show me something. She didn't mention a single detail to it."

"Maybe she is going to tell you that you missed a class and you really didn't graduate?"

She responded with a stern look as the two walked back through the doors of West Beverly, "then she could have done this over the phone and waste the humiliation in person." Immediately, Kelly saw her former principal standing down the hallway. "There she is."

As she came down the hallway, Principal McMahon greeted her with a large grin over her face, "you made it, Kelly and it's good to see you as well, Dolph. I promise I will fast because I know the two of you are busy with your own things. Your first day is today, after all."

"You miss me yet, Mrs. McMahon?" Dolph winked, "fear no more, I'm back."

"Thank you Mr. Ziggler. That's exactly what I needed."

"I just dropped my boxes off at my new apartment and my first class does not begin until the morning so I've got plenty of time," Kelly smiled. "I'm so curious on why you called me over here. I am so anxious!"

Principal McMahon knew she would be able to put a smile on Kelly's face with her little revelation. It was something McMahon planned for a while and she could not be happier with the outcome.

"Alright, come with me," the principal guided the two around the hallway corner and she stopped right before the media room, home of the West Beverly newspaper and news show. Kelly and Dolph peaked in to see a young brunette sitting in a sit as she reported the days events.

"Ah, the media room," she could remember all the sweet memories.

"I wonder if they still got the pool table," as Kelly reminisced, Dolph thought about the pool table. No surprise there.

Kelly looked over and noticed a black curtain covering the wall and it was right when she looked at her former principal was when she started speaking, "the reason I brought you here is because I have a little surprise for you. Over the summer, I had a talk with the school and the PTA and I had a little project I wanted to do. This was something very special to me and I thought it was very appropriate. I'm supposed to wait another week until the event where we unveil it but I want you to be the first to see it."

She was stumped and asked her former principal, "what is it?"

Principal McMahon came forward and pulled the curtain drapes back, unveiling the plaque that was there. She stepped back and Kelly could read the plaque that was hanging off the wall.

The Evan Bourne Media Room – "Bourne to Fly"

A rush of tears was moments away from spilling through Kelly's eyes. Dolph wrapped his arm around Kelly's. She brought her hand up and wiped away a few tears from her eyes, "this is beautiful."

"Both the school and the PTA thought this would be a great idea. We all know how passionate Evan was for journalism and when he became the editor of the newspaper and the producer of the news show, he revolutionized the program and it has become one of our most popular clubs. We thought it was only appropriate to name the room after him because if it was not for all of his contributions, we would not have all the success it has had."

A slur of emotions rushed through her body. Dolph smiled and could only imagine how happy Evan would be hearing about this honor. The tears rolled down her cheeks. Evan has not only had a lasting effect on her life but on this school as well. Evan Bourne will forever be a part of West Beverly.

Kelly turned to principal McMahon and said, "thank you so much. This is so amazing and I know Evan would be so happy. He loved journalism and this school and now a part of him will always be here. This is too kind of you, Principal McMahon."

"It's something that just had to be done," she remarked. "I have to go now. I have some meetings but feel free to stay. We'd also loved to have you at the ceremony next week. Please be there, if you can."

"I wouldn't miss it for the world."

As she left her former students, Kelly approached the plaque and traced her fingers over his name. Even though he has been gone for three months now, there is not a day that passes by where she does not think of him.

It made her incredibly happy to see that other people will enjoy the legacy Evan has left them. His mark will be forever known at this school and what better way. He is always going to be here – she knows it.

Just as his name is etched into a plaque, his name will be etched in Kelly's heart forever.

He laid out his boxes one by one in Room 307. The room was not huge. The room was split in two – one side for him and the other side for his roommate. He still had no idea who it was.

Simmons Hall is the residence Cody Rhodes will be calling home for his freshmen year at CU. His brand new dormitory was filling up with freshmen and their nervous parents as they let their children embark on this journey they call college.

He was certainly a little shaky that afternoon as he pulled things out of his boxes and started to pack them away in his new hall. Just like his friends and fellow freshmen, he was a bit nervous about beginning college. It stumbled his mind on how time has flown by and he is no longer a student at West Bev. After going there for four years, he had grown accustomed to going to his locker and pulling his books out – now he had a place to live on campus and their would be no more lockers.

There were just sometimes where he wished things had stayed the way there are but life can't be the easy, can it?

Cody emptied each box one by one and as he began to unpack his final box, the contents of it were going to surprise him. A photo lay on the top of the box. A photo of Eve was lying right there, staring him right in the eyes. Her gleaming eyes focused onto him as well as her golden smile.

There was so much anger and frustration built into him. It took him a lot of courage to prevent him from tearing the photo into shreds but he could not find it in him to destroy it. As upset as he was, nothing in the world could make him do such a thing – it was not worth it.

With all of this resentment clouding his mind, the best way to handle this situation was to do keep himself preoccupied and whatever better way than unpacking more boxes before realizing he realized he packed up too many things? He hid the photo into a nearby book and placed it onto the nearby table.

Cody Rhodes was not always a believer in the whole 'things happen for a reason' saying but the more and more he thought about it, the more it began to make more sense. This whole Eve saga happened and in the end, he was the only one left hurt and allowed himself to deal with this misfortune. With a new chapter beginning, this was his opportunity to change everything and to begin fresh. The past will remain unchanged however the future is in the grasp of his hand and he can begin to live his life freely.

After all, it's college – it's time to back these next few years the best time of his life.

Moments later, the college freshmen received a knock on his door. As he twisted his body, he came face to face with a lightly bearded man who was carrying a few bags. He could only make the assumption that he has come face to face with his brand new roommate.

"I'm taking a shot in the dark and saying you're my roommate?" A comedic tone came with his voice and instantly, the other man's face lite up.

"I guess it is," the young man dropped his bags onto the floor as his eyes traced the room. "I'm Daniel Bryan – your new roommate."

Like any guy, Daniel had extended his hand waiting for the shake. Cody smiled as he brought forth his hand and accepted the gesture, "I'm Cody – nice to meet you dude."

The both of them seemed very excited and thrilled. Daniel could not stop grinning, "I have never been to California before and I just got off the plan a few hours ago and let me tell you dude, this city is awesome."

"So you're not from around here?"

"Nope! I'm from Washington – a little place called Aberdeen that you probably never heard of."

Laughter peaked through his voice before he provided Daniel with a greeting, "Well, welcome to California. I hope it is everything you wished for."

"I cannot complain," replied the breaded man. "I haven't even been on campus ten minutes and I already got invited to some party at the beach. You should definitely come."

A party to begin the new year – when has he ever declined a party invitation? He was not going to start now.

"Sounds good man. You need some help with your bags?"

"I'm good," the Washington Native grabbed his bag but due to the weigh, he swung over and knocked Cody's table over. "Dude, my bad – let me get that."

"You don't have to –"

Daniel noticed the book he knocked over and the photo that was in it. As Cody went to grab the both the book and photo, Daniel had beaten him to the bunch and gazed at the brunette in the photo, "Wow, dude. She's hot. Girlfriend?"

Cody took back the photo and book as Daniel had handed it back to him and Cody only answered with a simple remark, "too complicated to explain."

Daniel chuckled, "anyway, I have to head back down. I left a suitcase down there and the residential advisor needs to see me. I'll be back in a bit and then we'll head to the party?"

"Sounds good, my friend."

Daniel whimpered away while Cody began to put a few things out of his desk. The view from the desk showed off a view of the campus' great lawn. Students were lying out and enjoying the sunny day they were lucky enough to have.

So far, so good. The day was going much better than he had ever expected. The move in was pretty successful and his mystery roommate turned out to be a good guy. This fresh start was starting off on a good note and now if it would only stay like this, he would be having the best day ever.

With Cody's back turned, he could hear a thump hitting the ground. It sounded like a bag. Without even turning around, he said out loud, "Dude, you must be really happy to be in California. You ran for that bag." The raven-haired boy chuckled as he pulled his laptop and placed it onto the wooden table.

"Why wouldn't I be happy to be home again?"

That was not Daniel's voice and that was certainly not a male's voice. His mind searched for a recognition but could not put a face to the voice despite how familiar it sounded. For a moment, Cody thought this was all in his mind. He twisted his body around and long and behold, it was not Daniel at the door. It was someone else standing at the footsteps of his door.

"Eve."

She smiled at the college freshman. He reciprocated with his jaw slightly coming down.

"Hi Cody."

The young man was in a state of disbelief. There was a young woman with smooth brown locks in a peach skater dress standing right there. This could not really be Eve. Nothing was making sense anymore. This girl was supposed to be thousands of miles away and here she was standing right before his eyes.

His heart jumped a beat. He lost a breath of air. He was in total skepticism.

"What are you doing here?" Cody came off quite defensively. "Aren't you supposed to be in Spain?"

There were questions he was going to ask and answers he was looking for. A girl who leaves the country and doesn't speak to you for the entire summer simply does not just reappear in your life in an instant. No, there had to be reasons behind it.

Eve was not going to waste time and simply got to the details, "I decided to leave."

"Well, what happened then?"

As Eve came closer, she looked around his room and softly smiled, "you've got a really nice room. I remember you were talking about how excited you were for college and the moment has finally arrived. It must feel good, right?"

The subject changed within a matter of seconds. Eve gently removed a piece of hair away from her face and tucked it behind her ear. Cody could feel something was going on, hence the reason why Eve totally ignored his question.

"You didn't answer my question – I asked you what happened?" He asked a second time.

She looked down as she could not answer the question but could only fib, "I don't know."

He scowled at her. She bit down on her lip. There was so much more that she was not telling him, "Eve, nobody travels thousands of miles and comes back for no reason. There has to be an intention. All I heard yesterday was that you were planning on staying there for good."

"Your right. That was my intention. I planned on staying there but –"

He's only heard that word so many times.

"But what Eve?"

She seemed worried. She looked scared. Her emotions were running a muck. It was one of those moments where she wishes she could close her eyes and end up somewhere totally unknown. She batted her eyelashes and came clean.

"But the one person I wanted there with me wasn't in Spain," the Latina confessed. "He was right here."

Long and behold, the confession was made and the truth was made clear. He begged and begged for it and now when he got it, he was unsure if he could handle it. He rolled up his sleeves in frustrations and felt his mind clogging up with his thoughts and feelings. Today was supposed to be a day where he was going to begin fresh and start this new chapter of his life but he only felt himself traveling back in time.

He asked her, "why now? Where was this when you were leaving?"

"I think the trip was what happened. The trip made me realize that I made a mistake. I left for all the wrong reasons. I left because I wanted to escape all my problems and start a fresh new slate. I thought this was what I needed but not everything goes your way. Instead of listening with my heart, I listened to my head and this is where it has taken me."

Eve realized she had made a huge mistake when she embarked on this trip. She thought that by taking this trip, her problems would be gone. It was her way of trying not to deal with it. It was her hope that if she were gone long enough, her problems would be resolved but the exact opposite happened. They only worsened over time and she has come to a point where she must face them once and for all.

Cody did not understand her reasons behind her decision. The young man was only getting more and more distraught as time passed. After months of waiting, did she expect him to forget about this all?

"I spent months waiting for you. This entire summer, I waited to hear from you and I got nothing. I tried to call you but you would never answer and now you want my forgiveness? Does this even make any sense to you, Eve?"

She has made numerous mistakes and she cannot take any of those back but she had to make Cody see the good in her.

"Your right. If I were you, I would be just as upset. I know what I did was wrong and I can stay here and apologize and apologize but I had to tell you the truth Cody. The longer I held it in, the worse I had felt," as she her lips, she uttered the words Cody was desperate to hear. "I love you, Cody."

"You love me?"

This was stunning for the young man. She finally made the long awaited confession but could it be too late? Cody waited and waited and Eve's last minute revelation could be pointless.

At first, he was happy. His lips urged to form a smile however his mind had a different plan. It was humorous when he thought about how this situation formed a complete 360-degree turn. This was exactly what happened three months ago – just the positions are switched.

As the brunette nodded to his question, his mind digested what he had heard. Here was Eve standing right before him confessing how she feels. It was what he wanted all along but why was it so difficult to accept it? He waited months to hear her say those words. He could not even understand why this was happening.

With one hand, he stretched out his face and sighed. He couldn't even think properly.

Eve could comprehend his body language and it did not translate well. Her mind was fed thoughts that maybe she had lost her chance. "Maybe I shouldn't have said anything?"

Here was his chance to be with Eve and he remained silent. He hadn't said a word and the brunette only grew more worrisome.

"I knew I shouldn't have left. I kept running away from how I felt. I deserve this," she looked down and could feel tears approaching her eyes. "I made this mistake and I should live up to it. I have to face the consequences. Most important of all, you deserve to be happy."

"Eve, hold on –"

"No," she interrupted him. "You don't need to say anything."

There was a shimmer in her eyes. It was the tears that she had holding back and Cody could see it all. She rolled her lips against one another and tried to smile but it was difficult.

Cody's cloudy mind was beginning to clear up. He could feel himself thinking straight again. As his mind became clearer, he thought to himself – what are you doing? Here was the girl of his dreams standing right before him, professing her love and he stood silent. This was the moment he was waiting for.

As he shut his eyes for a moment, he could picture Eve at the exact moment he met her. The sparks between the two of them was igniting like a flame. She was the new girl in school and there he was to rescue the lone girl. There was so much history between the two of them and it made him wonder whether it was worth it to throw away. Was this love worth throwing away?

"Eve, don't go," He said it sternly, causing Eve to stop right in her tracks. "You can't go."

She seemed confused, "Cody…"

"Wait," he stepped forward, grasping her hand securely. Her touch felt so heavenly. "I can't let you leave again. I can't stand to watch you walk out of my life again. Eve, there is nothing more in this world that I would want than being with you. I've wanted it from the beginning and I want it now. Eve, I'm crazy about you – since you walked into my life, I've only faller deeper in love with you."

Her eyes lite up when she heard what he had to say. Tears of joy were replacing the tears of sadness. Her emotions were running out of control. As they looked into one another's eyes, the both of them knew where they belonged. They belonged in each other's arms.

"It's always been you, Cody," a whisper peeped through her lips.

Cody gently pulled her close together and he found his lips pulling closer and closer to her until the two of them crashed. The sparks lite up – just as they did two years when they first met. This was it. This was how things were meant to be and the two of them could not be happier. Cody lifted her into the air, spinning her and not breaking the kiss or the romantic embrace.

When he put her down, the two broke the kiss and as they gazed into one another's eyes, Eve ran her fingers through his hair, "I love you more than anything, Cody."

"I love you too," he responded. "This time, I am not going to let you go. It's going to be you and me. Just you and me."

Her lips trembled with joy, "there's no other place I would rather be than in your arms."

He curved his lips into a smile, "and that's exactly where you'll always be."

She managed to release a smile before finding Cody's lips crashing against hers yet again. This was how things were meant to be. In the end, no matter what had happened, the two of them were always meant to be. It took a long time but they found their way back to one another.

And this was where the both of them wanted to be. It was the two of them against the world.

As we all take a step back, we can only see how far all of them came and how much farther they will go in their young lives. As this chapter closes, they all take the memories, the loves and the friendships they have acquired and embark on the biggest journeys of their lives as the rest of their life remains unwritten. Nobody knows where tomorrow will take them but they will always have one another by their sides to let them know that though life can get tough, they have a friend who's shoulder they could lean on.

Life is so unpredictable. It's exciting but scary at the same time. There's only one thing that is for certain.

Life only gets better from here.

THE END

A/N: Thanks again everyone for all the support and reviews. It's been a pleasure. Thanks for the wild ride!