Hah, hmm yeah, first week of college and fanfic writing do not mix—Sorry. Hopefully you haven't forgotten the whole story lol Enjoy (:

Christmas break is so serene. It's a time of rest, peace, love, and harmony. It's when you hang out as much as possible with your friends because you couldn't during the previous weeks of torturous finals, and perhaps even have a joint party. It's beautiful, just beautiful.

Unless your name is either Lilly Truscott or Oliver Oken. In that case, your so-called friendship is so torn that no amount of peace, love, harmony, or voicemails could get the latter to talk to you. And if you're Lilly in this situation, you get the feeling that this time, it just may be for good.

Alright enough third person talk, that's something he would do. Ugh.

We've been best friends for centuries, yes, but some mistakes rendered themselves unforgivable—unless you were to forget them first. This is where I point to myself. But now I remembered, and couldn't help but feel like my old self... kind of, because I also couldn't ignore what had happened in between.

It's one problem that I didn't go to the summer weekend retreat; it's another that we didn't wish each other a Merry Christmas or Happy New Year, or at least attempted to hang out before school started again. A much graver problem.

So as I starred into the locker I had abandoned for two weeks, I didn't bother look up at the easily recognizable voice of Oliver because I knew exactly what would happen. We'd lock eyes for a few seconds, share a moment of 'I hate you/I'm so sorry' (it's interchangeable who's saying what each time), and then look away swiftly pretending it never even happened. What's the point of making something happen if mere seconds later I'm going to pretend it hadn't.

The ridiculous part of all this was before my amnesia, we would have at least exchanged a basic 'Hi, how are you?' During my amnesia, that conversation would have gone more in-depth like the close best friends we used to be. Now…? Well, now we've resorted to ignoring each other's existence completely. Such progress.

I continued starring at the back of my locker grimly until the bell shook me out of it and I dragged myself to class.

--

Due to my mother's poor scheduling, I gathered another two extra days of vacation travelling north for a check-up on my head. Truly, the only reason I felt happy about this extra mini-vacation mid-week was for the relief of the strain that is constantly ignoring Oliver. It wasn't too difficult since we did only have one class together, but those few moments when we happened to run into each other—I could go a lifetime without the pain. I could ramble on about how idiotic this whole ordeal is, but why bother? Rambling to myself has never changed anything and thinking about him is definitely not going to improve the situation.

So on the first day of my return to school I hung out with Alison, "just like the good old times before I lost it and started liking what's-his-dorky-face again" as she so lovingly described it. This is the part where everyone wonders why I ever became friends with Alison. Same reason I ever dated Jason. For which I still lack a justifiable reason.

"Talking about what's-his-face," she continued as we closed our lockers. I leaned against mine and she stood there because she had some long explanation about leaning on school properties. I don't get it either.

"His name is Oliver," I interrupted. She twisted her face in confusion on why I would defend the boy I claimed to hate so much. "Just… in case you forgot," I smiled.

She rolled her eyes, "I'm not the one who had amnesia, silly! Anyways, he needs to tell his ex-girlfriend to take a chill pill."

I starred at her trying to follow her train of thought. As far as I was concerned, I was his ex-girlfriend and I was perfectly chill. Well, for the most part—but that was beside the point. "Um, what?"

"Ever since they broke up she's been like a complete biotch to everyone," Alison whined.

This time my eyebrows furrowed a bit as I looked around me for a clue. "Alison, I'm right here, thank you very much. What are you talking about?"

She now looked at me in confusion, as if it wasn't enough for one of us to be lost in this conversation. "Haven't you heard? Mya broke up with him."

"With Oliver?"

"Yah, unless she was dating anyone else. Duh Lilly."

I would say here that my mouth dropped or my eyes widened, but none of this happened. I wasn't shocked, or happy, or sad. Surprised? Perhaps a bit, but even this I did not show. "Huh… wow."

"Okay, can we go now? My sister needs a ride some place again." I ignored her lack of enthusiasm for this chore as I made my own realization.

"Brooke!" I gasped.

"Yeah, that would be her name. …Are you sure that hospital said you were okay?" She felt my forehead—as if that would reveal anything--before I had time to swat her off.

Of course I wouldn't have been able to make the connection because unlike her younger sister Allison was much taller, a sandy-blonde, not CD-making oriented, and most definitely not punk. "I've gotta go," I rushed out before she could ask anymore questions.

--

I sat at my desk listening to the said CD with a pile of old pictures and an overheated scanner. And a slight headache that came with hearing my voice singing a Shania Twain song over and over again as I completed my masterpiece. I wiped of a tear at the last fading frame, saved it and put the CD back into a new case I named "When?" and not "A montage of the good old days before Lilly & Oliver ruined their friendship accompanied by a heartbreaking sing-along" as Oliver would have probably so horribly named it.

As long as all that took, I knew the hardest part had yet to come—actually giving this to Oliver. Something I may have done months ago if I hadn't completely forgotten about my plan.

--

An entire weekend went by with no response. I knew they checked their mail daily because it was part of Mr. Oken's routine. Maybe I hadn't put it in the right mailbox? I dismissed the idea as quickly as I brought it up. The simple truth was that he was ignoring me.

Back in locker-examining position, I sighed hopelessly. I'd run out of ideas, out of escape routes, out of luck. Even if I did get amnesia again, I doubt he'd take the risk to talk to me again, I thought as I saw him walk my way. I looked down for the sake of not torturing myself, but suddenly besides my pair of purple converse appeared a black set of worn down ones of which I could recognize the owner without even looking up. But I did anyways.

Before saying anything, I noticed he held the CD. When he lifted his arm, I half expected him to chuck it at my face and run off laughing. Yeah, I'm no longer amnesiac but there's still the crazy. "I got your CD," he stated.

I nodded. "Good, I was afraid I'd put in the wrong mailbox…"

A teensy hint of a smile appeared on his face, "Well, that'd be sad considering you should know fairly well where I live by now."

"Very true." I closed my locker and swung my backpack on.

"I listened to it too."

"Yeah? I mean, I hoped you would 'cause that's what most people do with CDs." He chuckled under his breath causing me to smile which I quickly hid when he looked back up.

"Well when you just titled it 'When?' I couldn't help but be curious." I nodded. "Do you wanna talk… or something?"

I considered asking what 'or something' stood for but I let it go immediately. "Sure. Well, I gotta go to class so—"

"I'll walk with you." We looked at each other and held in our laughter when we realized we'd already been walking this entire time.

Jokes aside, the silence caught up with us as we ran out of small talk. "How's… it been…going?" I tried.

He shrugged, "Getting used to the single life again, but I guess you know about that already."

I opened my mouth to refute but instead nodded. "Yeah, Alison caught me up. But I don't always believe what she says, you know." He shrugged again. "Are you okay?"

He gave me a look as if he didn't think I'd care. It took him a few second but he eventually read my mind—I would never stop caring. "Yeah, I guess."

I gave him a quick reassuring smile. "What… happened?"

He twisted his face. I was looking down and so was he, but we both knew we were trying to sneakily keep tabs on each other's face expressions. "She said I didn't deserve her."

I raised my eyebrows. "Seriously? Are you sure she didn't mean that the other way around?" He shook his head and frowned at me, but I could tell he was smiling inside.

"Something about being in love with someone else."

I narrowed my eyes. "What? How could she?! Who? Aw, Ollie."

His head snapped my way with his eyebrows raised high. Right, Ollie, not a nickname used on the best friend I haven't talked to in weeks. Mental slap.

He interrupted the apology I started formulating in my head. "Not her, Lils. Me." I did my best to hide my giggles, as I asked him to explain with the frown on my forehead. "She suspects I'm in love with someone else," he quickly clarified.

Giggles gone, my mouth made a big "Oh". I clamped it shut as we continued walking for I decided I failed at small talk.

"Since when can you sing so… well?" I silently thanked him for the subject change.

"Thank you..?"

"Sure. And how the heck did you get pictures from our Kindergarten graduation? Neither of our moms was there. And I know my dad certainly didn't take pictures."

"Your grandparents were!"

"How—"

"I have my ways Oliver Oken," I grinned.

He laughed, "Of course you do. Well, they were cute. …You were cute."

My grin refused to leave my face. "Again, thank you..?" We suddenly stopped walking, abruptly making me face my math class and the end of a re-bonding with Oliver. I sighed; just one more reason to hate that place.

"Have fun in pre-cal," he teased.

I rolled my eyes, "Don't I always?" Unwilling to say goodbye to him, just in case that meant for longer than a class period, I gloomily made my way to my desk and set my backpack down. A few others filed in with me, one of them taking the seat next to me. I glared at the poor guy, but with good intentions. I didn't want him there. More specifically, he didn't belong there, but it was my fault that the person who was supposed to always accompany me during class had scheduled their Pre-cal class for the afternoon instead. I couldn't handle the prospect of sitting through this miserable class—not miserable because it was pre-calculus but miserable because it was without Oliver.

I suddenly ran outside of the classroom only to see the occupation of my mind still standing right were I left him. No small talk needed, I jumped into his arms and held on tightly. I breathed in deeply, missing being this close to his warmth, not thinking it could have ever happened again. And I let the joyful tears soak through his jacket.

He whispered into my ear, "I guess we better check the trees for money now, huh?" I glanced at him and laughed, then returned to his hold knowing that this time he wouldn't let me go.

When will I wake up?
Why did we break up?
When will we make up?

When money grows on trees
People live in peace
Everyone agrees

When happiness is free
Love can guarantee
You'll come back to me-that's when

-When, Shania Twain

That is the song Lilly sang in her little montage CD, just in case you didn't catch that. If you've never heard of it--watch?v=tjZpPpWsvmY. It's very beautiful (:

Aw, it's over. If you recall I did say first chapter this would be an 8-chap and I managed to keep to my promise! lol I'm sorry I thought I'd have this finished before I started getting busy again but that was a negative. Oh well, it's done now and I hope you liked it (: The ending of the book was also not cheesy so that's why I tried to follow the same path for this ending. Review dear faithful readers—for the last time under this title-- xoxCamy