I rolled over in bed, groaning at the sun that peaked around the edges of my blinds. I pulled my covers over my head, wanting to fall back asleep but knowing it wouldn't happen even in my best dreams.

I threw back the covers and sat up, brushing my falling hair away from my face. I slipped my feet into my slippers and trudged into the bathroom.

I turned on the shower and went to pick out my clothes for my stay-at-the-apartment day. I scurried back to the bathroom and stripped to get in the shower.

I slowly brushed the tangles out as the water cascaded over me, my shower thoughts taking over.

Once out, I flipped my hair back and forth a few times before pulling it into a messy bun, and I went to wash my face. I followed that with some of my BB Cream before getting dressed and settling into my desk.

My fingers danced over the keys lightly as the clock ticked by, soon showing 10:00. I ventured from my room and into the kitchen where I was supposed to start on a new diet.

I pulled out a quarter of a cup of grain and poured it into a bowl before filling the rest with some Kellogg's. I poured almond milk over the top and settled at the bar as my mind wandered.

I flipped through the mail, separating spam from catalogs and important things. I dumped the spam and other useless pieces of mail into the trash.

Tally walked in and paused when she saw me. She began to back out, but I stopped her.

"Don't be scared of me." She sighed and stepped back into the kitchen, leaving her elbows on the counter and resting her face in her palms.

"I'm not. Why would you think that?"

"Ever since yesterday, you've been screaming at me when we talk and avoiding me too."

"I'm not scared. I'm spitting mad." She banged her fists on the counter so hard the decor shook and I could swear her glasses bounced on the bridge of her nose.

"Here, if I were to have been best friends with Vega for the past four years and not told you that you two could have met and that he didn't even know you existed, would you be mad?" She was putting me in her place.

"Yes, I would be-"

"See-"

"But the thing is, how would you have reacted if I met him first and then showed him off to all of our friends at the same time as you? Would that make you feel nice?" She spun around, so she wasn't facing me. I noticed how her back completely relaxed.

"Alright. Maybe I overreacted a little." She turned back around I face me, and her face was red. "Not a little, a lot. Was I not paying enough attention to your life?" I shook my head and took another bite of cereal.

"No. Neither was Libby, but she took the news well and has been a better friend lately." I watched as she took a deep breath before walking over and sliding into the seat across from me.

"I'm sorry." She muttered and looked me in the eyes. "Friends?"

I stood up and walked over to her, smiling.

"Did we ever stop?" I pulled her into a hug. "Now, I have more work to do, and I'm pretty sure you have a class to get to." She nodded eagerly before doing her 'tap dance run' back to her room.

I laughed and finished my breakfast before heading back to my room to work.

~

I walked down the aisles in the bookstore, running the tips of my fingers over the spine of every book as I searched for each book I was supposed to find.

One by one, I pulled out books that I wanted to read, college wanted me to read, my friends wanted me to read, and Missy wanted me to read. Luckily, Missy gave me the exact amount of money I needed to buy the ones she wanted me to buy. My phone dinged.

I smiled at the text from one of my really good friends and grabbed the last book before heading to check out. The lady checking out my books for me smiled lightly.

"It's amazing to see a girl buy this many books."

I chuckled. "I am a book lover." I paid her before heading over to the coffee shop. I stood at the edge and looked for her.

Shyanne was sitting in a corner, two-seater table with two drinks in front of her and a nice sized book on the opposite side of her glasses as her eyes.

I headed over and picked up the cup with my name on it. I splayed my hand out over her book, and she let out a small shriek, clutching her chest as she heaved for breaths. She looked up and slowly calmed down.

"You know not to scare me like that!" She scolded me, but I just laughed quietly.

"Do you really think I'm going I stop? Anyways, I'm so happy that you're back. I know you had a ton of fun due to the emails and pictures." She nodded dreamily.

"Other cultures fascinate me." She muttered. "Anyways, I heard you have big news. Libby wouldn't tell me." I smirked and made a hand motion for her to lower her voice.

"I'm going to be in the Olympics." She squealed, something she never does unless we're talking about Reid from Criminal Minds or Damen from The Immortal Series. "What no one else knows is that, after this semester, I'll be taking online Tristan University classes while I start off on my training." Her mouth gaped.

"That's splendiferous, but I'm abashed that you're doing it. I mean, it's wonderful and all, but I thought you liked the college adventure."

"Not really. I mean, I did a lot of my classes ahead, so right now, I have three classes and swimming and then I still play the piano and do art for a stress relief and side money on Etsy. Sure, I'll miss the friends and the experiences, but I'll make it. You'll make it. Everyone will make it without me here." Shyanne went quiet as she pondered my words.

"Makes sense. Go for it. When will you tell the others?" She sat up straighter, if possible, and pushed up her glasses, and she rested her arms flat on the table as she leaned forward slightly.

"I don't really know. Probably the morning I leave. I know you won't treat me different until that day, but I think everyone else will. It's scary."

"Well, I brought back a book you need to read since I could you and Tally each a copy. It's Chinese literature but translated into English." I nodded and took the book from her before placing it in one of my many bags from the book store we still 'sat in.'

"I don't have you anything. I mean, you do go to an Ivy League school that partners with Tristan, and you're from here, so yeah." She laughed so hard she snorted which made me start to laugh.

Let's just say, we almost got kicked out of Barnes & Noble.

~

I walked down the cold streets as I headed toward the apartment complex. I held all of my bags in my hands and slipped inside, checking the front desk for Lucas.

Instead, I saw him and Libby leaning against one of the couches as they talked. When Libby saw me, she waved me over, and I set my bags on the floor when I reached them.

"What's up?" I asked, facing the two of them.

"He wanted to meet Tally due to what happened."

"That works. Tonight is Chinese takeout, so I hope that is okay." Lucas chuckled, his eyes sparkling since he knew that I knew it was one of his favorites.

"I'll be up there later. I need to change from this into something better after my shift." He fingered his hotel staff shirt before winking at me and jogging off to the front desk.

"I saw that wink." Libby commented as we started up the stairs.

"I don't like him how he likes me." I sang, handing her a few of the bags since she had just her school bag.

"I know, but I feel bad for Tally because of that."

"Well, she can wake up and smell the roses and realize that I don't like him and that he likes me. It'll change when Lucas realized that...if he does." I giggled thinking of how clueless he can be, just like Libby. Good thing everyone only sees them as friends and nothing more. No one can see them happening.

We stepped into the apartment to find Tally dancing around, practicing her upcoming, humongous solo for her dance recital next Saturday.

"Talls!" Libby called, walking back to our rooms to set our things down. "Order what we normally get, but with one extra person."

"Who's joining us?" She stopped and took a chug of her water.

"Lucas."

Cue the spit take all over our wooden floor.

"You're lucky that's laminate wooden floor." Libby commented, going to grab paper towels.

"Call away." I smiled widely at her and sat down on the couch, looking for a movie to watch tonight like every other Wednesday night.

"What happened to swim practice?" Tally asked me, covering the speaker as it rang.

"We're pre-ordering our takeout tonight. I'll be back around 6:30. I have to leave soon. Lucas knows what time to be here." I winked and hopped up after buying the movie and shutting down the TV.

"Ta-ta for now." I wiggled my fingers and skipped out the door, grabbing my swim bag on the way out.

~

We all hate Wednesdays, our said training day. Swimmers hate land training. That means five full hours of running, squats, push-ups, and any other exercise you can think of that tortures.

The only water we get is from our water bottle, if we remember that, and the occasional spritz from Coach's water bottle at our bodies if we're slacking. It's for 'motivational' purposes.

I'm pretty sure she's just trying to cool us down in the over heated gym.

I leaned against the bench as I waited for the bus. It was cold outside, and it felt good on my sweaty and sticky skin.

"It'll be harder with me." Missy commented, as if appearing out of nowhere.

"You watched that?" I asked.

"Yup. You are in good shape, but I think you still have your medical issues blocking you from what you can do. I'm going to help you with it, hon. You're going to be better than ever, and you aren't going to believe it."

I smiled happily as the bus pulled up, and I scrambled up the steps, greeting the driver with my usual and cheerful "Hello!".

Missy sat next to me as I slumped against the window, fogging it with the heat radiating from my body mixing with the heat in the bus.

"I'm ready to go for it. You do what you think I need. I'll believe you. I've learned that it is good to sometimes push your limits. It opens new doors."

She nodded and smiled.

"Well, you better start preparing to move out of New York. We're moving out to Pasadena, California, so you can live where I grew up, train where I trained, and swim where I swam." She smiled warmly and stood up. "See you soon, Ryla." She left the bus two stops before mine.

~

After going up the stairs for the twenty-third time today (we did stairs for practice), I went into our apartment and ran to the bathroom, undoubtedly leaving a foul smell behind me for a brief moment.

Once the sweat smell was gone, and I smelled good, I got changed and collapsed in the living room with Libby and Tally as we waited for Lucas to arrive.

When the doorbell rang, Libby hopped up and announced, as she looked through the peephole, that it's our takeout.

She opened the door and exchanged money for food before the guy left, Lucas almost immediately taking his place. I saw Tally's nervous face for a slight moment before she became the Queen of Calm.

Lucas came in and smiled at the lot of us. "Hello, you must be Tally." He held out his hand to her, and she shook it.

"That makes you Lucas."w

As the night went on, we talked and laughed, and ultimately, have a ton of fun. Soon enough, Tally was having to go to bed, and Lucas needed to get down to his room since his parents give him a curfew when they have to work throughout the night.

"I'm going to bed, guys." A huge smile was present on Tally's face as she waved, and her cheeks turned slightly red before she disappeared into her room.

"Me too." Libby stood up and stretched, yawning in the process. "See y'all." She blew me a kiss and waved at Lucas before turning around and tripping over the side of the coffee table.

We burst out laughing, and she limped back to her room, mumbling about how volleyball would be a pain the next day.

I left with Lucas, so we could walk down to his room together. It was a slow process altogether since Lucas was off in la la land.

We stopped outside his door, and I leaned against the wall next to the door, staring at him.

"What's wrong?" I muttered, but he didn't answer. He just stared at me. He put his hand on the wall over my shoulder, and he leaned in.

Our eyes locked, and I didn't say a word, scared for what I thought he may do next.

He looked at my face intently as if he could find a clue as what to do, but it's not like I knew what to do or say.

We were so close that I could feel our breaths mingling, his breath cold and mine hot. My heart was thumping faster, and I felt oddly excited of what I thought was soon to come.

"Will you get mad?" He mumbled, barely audible despite how close we are.

I looked to the ground for a moment before locking eyes with him. "No."

He didn't need anymore permission than that.

He pressed his lips softly to mine. When neither of us pulled away instantly, he placed his hand on the back of my head, and his other arm went around my waist as he pulled me into a deeper kiss.

I felt fearless, like he was putting words in my mouth and fed them into my brain, making me feel like I was on Cloud 9, or I could even go as far as to say Cloud 10.

When he pulled apart from me, he sucked in a small gasp. "I just took your first kiss." He murmured.

"You're fine. It was amazing." I wrapped my arms around his waist.

"Come here." He lead me into his dark apartment. "It's my apartment, now, and my parents moved into their own penthouse. I only pay half rent here."

We both chuckled at his honesty.

He lead me down the hall and into his headroom where he fell onto on his back, pulling me on top of him.

"We're not doing anything. I just don't want you to get caught out there. If you're alone at night after eleven and under twenty-one, the front desk person has to escort you to your room, and you will be fined. Can't have you caught." He smirked, and I rolled over to lay next to him.

"My hero." It barely slipped out of my mouth before I was asleep.