| Jack |

Have you ever felt like no matter what you do, or what you could have done, it's never the right thing? Like, you'll always be making a mistake, you'll always be hurting at least one person, even if you're simply just the middle man?

Yeah?

Welcome to my life.

"What the fuck do you mean she was here earlier?" My best friend asks, as she paces the length of her bedroom, her hands running through her hair in frustration.

"I mean...she was here earlier? Sounds like you understood." I mumble towards the end, unable to contain my sarcasm, but Cody hears me anyway. Luckily she doesn't mention it, she simply sends me a death glare. "Would you please sit? You're making me feel sick." I smile as my friend obviously appeases, making it very clear she would rather be pacing.

"Why was she here?!"

"She said she wanted to talk to you."

"About what?" Cody asks, but I only shrug. "Ugh, you're no help!"

She flops back on the bed, laying down as she sighs dramatically. It gives me a chance to study my best friend. I can tell that she's stressed because she continues to run her hands over her face and through her hair. I can see her jaw clenching in a rhythm. She stands, gravitating towards her dresser, her hands rested on the handles of the second drawer from the top. She removes her hands, before moving them back to the handles.

"What are you doing?" I ask her, and her attention snaps to me before she turns back to the dresser, finally opening the drawer. She rummages for a few seconds before she pulls out what she was looking for, turning back to me, a pill bottle in hand. I leap from the bed, waiting for my friend's next move. It takes all of my own willpower not to march right to her and rip the bottle from her hands. I dont. I stand my ground, holding my breath. It feels like my heart stopped as I watch Cody examine the bottle. I watch as she licks her lips, and she lifts her head to make eye contact with me. It's deathly silent for a few minutes as neither of us utter a single syllable. The next move has to be hers.

As much as I want to, I can't force her to quit. If this is going to work, quitting has to be her choice.

I watch my best friend, the person who means the most to me in this world, as she takes tentative steps towards me. It's obvious that she's finding it difficult to look into my eyes. She takes one last look at the bottle in her hand as she comes to a stop, face to face with me, she shoves the bottle in my hand and takes a step back.

"Please, get them away from me." She breathes out as she looks at her feet and I nod, though she can't see it. I close the distance between my friend and I, lifting her head to make eye contact with her. I see that she's fighting multiple inner battles, she's trying desperately not to cry and it breaks my heart that she's in this position.

"I'm proud of you, Cody." I tell her sternly, showing her how geniune I'm being, and I pull her in for a hug. I kiss her temple, before I pull away, walking towards the door. "Just call her, you might feel better." I suggest, and Cody slowly nods though I'm sure she's not set on calling Kristie yet. I leave, and close the door behind me. I get two steps to the communal bathroom before I'm stopped by a raspy voice.

"What are those?" Alex asks, and I see that she's obviously pointing to the pill bottle in my hand. I understand her need to know what's going on with Cody and what drugs are around her daughter, because I feel the same way. However, there's still part of me that wants to cover for my best friend, and that part of me wishes that I had put the bottle in my pocket before I exited Cody's bedroom.

"I actually don't know." I tell her honestly, and I take the chance to really look at the bottle. "It's Percocet." I see Alex take a few steps towards Cody's room before I grab her wrist, pulling her away from the door. "Relax Alex. She gave me them to get rid of them. She didn't want to take them." I tell my best friend's mother and watch as she visibly calms. She sighs before she speaks.

"I'm just worried about her. All the time."

"Yeah. Trust me, I know." I tell Alex, and I freeze in surprise and a little bit of shock as she hugs me, but I hug her back regardless.

"Thank you, Jack. For being there for her."

"She's like a sister to me, I'll always be there for her." I smile at Alex before I hold the bottle up and shake it. "I gotta go flush these, unless you'd like to do the honors."

| Jordyn |

Why am I still stuck in Idaho?

Why can't the therapists back home be as good as Dr Morris?

Some of my teammates back home are beginning to ask why I'm gone a lot. They know it's not always with the National team. It's ironic, really, that the pressure from this job is why I'm seeing a therapist, and my teammates could help, yet it's because I don't want them to think I can't handle it, that I don't even venture near the topic when I'm with them.

"I need to see Dr. Morris. Please?" I hear a voice ask the receptionist. A voice I recognize.

"I'm sorry, Miss Morgan, you know it's appointments only." The woman behind the desk tells Cody as I stand beside her. She doesn't notice me until I speak.

"She can have my appointment."

"What. No, Jordyn, I can't do that-"

"Please. You look like you need it more." I nudge Cody with my shoulder, expecting her to laugh or at the very least, smile. I don't expect her to start tearing up, throwing her arms around me, but that's what happens. "You can buy me a coffee to make up for it."

She pulls away and nods as she wipes the tears from her face. I grab a tissue from the box that the receptionist had subtly pushed towards us and I help my friend dry her eyes since her makeup smudged and she obviously can't see it.

"There. All good." I tell her, and I return the smile she sends my way.

"Jordyn, are you ready?" Dr. Morris asks, and I face my therapist.

"No, Cody here is gonna take my appointment, if that's cool with you." I tell my doctor, her opinion doesn't really come into it, I was simply being nice. I push my friend towards the Doctor's door when I see she hesitates. "Go, I'm serious."

| Alex |

"So this Kristie chick just showed up out of the blue?" Jeri asks me over our Skype call. I sip my coffee before I answer her.

"Yeah. She wasn't here when Cody and I got home, but she was definitely here." I watch my sister narrow her eyes. I told her about Kristie when I told her about the Dennings. It's pretty safe to say that she's incredibly protective of my daughter now, like everyone else.

"What is Cody going to do?"

"I don't know." I tell my sister, watching as she rolls her eyes.

"Really Alex? You're her mother. Why would you answer my call for questions without knowing the answers!" My sister practically wails. She grabs her phone, typing rapidly as she concentrates on the screen.

"What are you doing?" I querie and wait in silence, drinking my coffee, as Jeri types away.

"I'm texting Cody, duh. I'm going straight to the source." She pauses for five seconds, "Why is she not texting me back! Hang on." I watch in amusement as my sister types once again before she puts her phone to her ear. "Oh. Okay...yeah...sorry". She hangs up, and turns her attention back to me. "Who is Jordyn? Is that a girlfriend? Why did you not tell me about her?"

"Woah. Calm down." I laugh at my sister who doesn't find it funny at all. "Jordyn is a friend. I know Cody's gay, Jer, but not every girl she spends time with is a potential girlfriend."

"Uh...yes they are. We've all heard that spaghetti line about it getting wet-"

"OKAY! That's it. I'm going, goodbye!" I hang up on my sister as she laughs at me. Truth is, when I first met Jordyn, I had the same thoughts about her and Cody, but once witnessing the way they interract with one another it's obvious that they're only friends. It's a lot like Cody's friendship with Jack.

Then again, Kelley still has reservations about their 'friendship'.

"Hey mom!" Cody beams, entering the house like a ninja. I'm glad I had finished my coffee before she yelled, or it definitely would have spilled everywhere when I jerked with surprise. "Oops...sorry. I didn't mean to scare you." She smiles sheepishly as she walks to me, kissing me on the cheek.

"How was your appointment? You seem a lot happier." I ask Cody as she takes a seat next to me and I wrap my arm around her while she leans her head on my shoulder.

"I feel a lot better." She sighs, almost dreamily. "It feels even better knowing that it's not because of pills. Jordyn helped too, she let me take her appointment." My daughter tells me as she grabs an apple from the fruit bowl, biting into it.

"Jordyn huh?"

"Yup", she pops the 'p', "It's good having someone around my age that can relate to seeing a therapist."

"I'm glad you're meeting new people, baby girl." I kiss her head just as Kelley and Jack enter the kitchen

"Hey Maxi?" Jack questions, and my daughter nods, letting her friend know she's listening as she continues to eat her apple. "Why is a certain woman named Jeri calling me asking about Jordyn?"