Walls

The next morning, they were woken up by the alarm going off next to them. Alex shut it off and woke up Skylar so she could get ready. Ten minutes later, they were dressed and headed out the door to Alex's car. They picked up coffee and muffins on the way. When they got to the school, everyone was waiting for them on the front steps.

"Holy shit you guys came together? Your friendship is like a ping pong ball. Are you friends again?" Skylar laughed and messed up Jacks hair.

"Yeah, we're friends again." Jack clapped and smiled, like the child he was.

"Are you dating?"

"KARA, NO!"

"What? It's valid. You guys had sex on my bed." There was a massive outbursts of 'What the fuck's?' from everyone as they stared at the two of them. Skylar's face went tomato red and buried her face in Alex's chest. When she looked up again, they were still curiously looking at the two of them.

"Okay so yeah we had sex, but we're just friends. I don't even know why I'm telling you guys this."

The bell rang and they all made their way inside to go to homeroom. Alex spent the whole time thinking about what Sylar had said, and had started scribbling some more words on his assignment. He snapped out of his thoughts when the bell rang and they had to go to music class.

The dreaded moment came when the teacher called on Skylar for her assignment.

"Are you going to tell him or sing it?" She stood up from her seat and grabbed her notebook, and made her way to the front of the class, opening it to the page where she had written it. She looked at Alex and gave a small smile.

"I'll perform it." And then she launched into her song, the words flowing out of her mouth, not once did she look up to see Alex's reaction.

"Do you feel like something's missing, when your skin is pressed to mine?
I would whisper you a riot if you'd listen, to the sound that you've ignored a thousand times...
'Cause I am only me when i'm without you.

All I ever wanted was a part of you that I couldn't break,
a piece of you that I couldn't take apart, but we're in pieces now,
and all you ever wanted was a part of me that I couldn't fake,
I never made it easy to shape my heart, but it's not beating now,
I have to let you down...

There is ice in place of answers, and a cold that chills the bones,
When September came and went without an answer, we were left to Fall for Winter on our own...
Now I am only me when I'm without you.

All I ever wanted was a part of you that I couldn't break,
a piece of you that I couldn't take apart, but we're in pieces now,
and all you ever wanted was a part of me that I couldn't fake,
I never made it easy to shape my heart, but it's not beating now,
I have to let you down...

('Cause I am only me, when I am without you,
yea I am only me when I am without you..)

All I ever wanted was a part of you that I couldn't break,
a piece of you that I couldn't take apart, but we're in pieces now."

She opened her eyes, and saw Alex with a sad smile on his face. She walked back to her desk and sat down without saying a word. Alex stood up, and walked to the front of the class, and started his own song, playing guitar at the same time.

"How do I get away, when you're beggin' me to stay?
What do you need me to say? You're anything but ordinary.
What do you want me to do? I've given it all to you.
I wish you would return the favor.

Did you forget what I said?
Train wreck. Here we, here we go again.
Derailed and I failed to mention, I put it on the line.
Whether you and me could ever be we'll never see, no.
'Cause you keep the lights off, We only do it in the dark.

Won't you let me know?
How do I get away, when you're beggin' me to stay?
What do you need me to say? You're anything but ordinary.
What do you want me to do? I've given it all to you.
I wish you would return the favor.

Are you gonna throw it all away? Are we gonna do this all again?
Maybe it's all pretend, And the game should end,
I guess nobody wins.
(Won't you let me know?)

How do I get away, when you're beggin' me to stay?
What do you need me to say? You're anything but ordinary.
What do you want me to do? I've given it all to you.
I wish you would return the favor.

How do I get away, when you're beggin' me to stay?
What do you need me to say? You're anything but ordinary.
What do you want me to do? (I'm gonna throw it all away) I've given it all to you.
I wish you would return the favour."

When Alex finished, he walked back to his seat, next to Skylar and searched her eyes for a reaction but she was too focused on listening to Kara's song. He noticed that she was bouncing her leg up and down and constantly tapping her pen on the table. He asked her if she was okay, and she gave him a small smile, nodding her head, but he was unconvinced. When the bell rang, she darted out of the room and went outside for a smoke.

She sat on the steps, inhaling the toxic fumes and let it burn her lungs. She got a text from Kara asking where to meet for lunch, and another from Alex.

<If I did something wrong, I'm sorry.>

She looked up from her phone, and stared off into the diastance at the football field which was empty. When she looked closer, she could see Alex sitting on the bleachers with his guitar. Sighing, she finished her cigarette and started walking over to him. The closer she got, the more she was able to hear him play a tune she had never heard before. She decided to speak up, knowing he wanted to talk.

"You didn't do anything wrong you know. I'm just bad at dealing with things sometimes." He looked up at her surprised and set the guitar down. She sat down next to him and watched some students leaving the school grounds to skip class.

"So you're not mad at me?" She chuckled and shook her head.

"You always think I'm mad at you. I'm not I just...I don't understand what you're trying to tell me." Alex ran a hand through his hair and the bell rang. Skylar got up from the bleachers and started her way down. When she got to the bottom, Alex was still sitting down and had picked up his guitar again. Fiiguring he wanted to be alone, she walked away but not before hearing him mutter under his breath 'Me either.' .

--

When lunch rolled around, Skylar was sitting in the cafeteria, eating quietly by herself. Kara suddenly slammed her tray down and sat in front of her. Skylar took out her flask of rum and poured a rather large amount in her soda, knowing she would need it.

"OKAY SPILL. When did you and Alex start talking again? How was the sex? All the guys have detention for skipping. It's just us." Normally Skylar would have kept something like this to herself but she needed to talk to someone.

"Um, well, I don't remember much of the sex, I was wasted Kara. And we started talking after I got into a huge fight with my dad and needed somewhere to crash so I went to his place."

"Wait you slept with him again?" Skylar shook her head, and said she just needed to crash somewhere. "So where do you guys stand now? If you're not dating what are you?"

"We're friends. That's all we'll ever be. Even if I want more, we'll never get there because he always builds up walls around himself. Usually he used to let me in, but things have changed. Now even I can't get through sometimes."

"Wait back up, you want more from him? Does he know? Because I think he wants more too."

"It doesn't matter. We came close to going down that road once. But that was right before he left. When he came back, the feelings came back too, but a lot harder." Skylar finished her lunch and refilled her soda with more rum.

"You need to talk to him."

"I know. But I'm scared that if I do, I'll ruin the friendship I just got back. I can't handle losing him again." Her eyes were starting to tear up so she got up from the table, Kara following suit and they went outside.

Skylar took out her lighter and pack, removing a cigarette. She put the pack away and stared at the one in her hands, flicking the lighter on and off. Finally, she put the lighter back in her pocket and the cigarette back in the box. Ins

"He hates it when I smoke." Skylar saw Tara in the parking lot, looking around frantically. "Hey it's Tara, come on."

They started walking towards her and when she saw them coming, Tara looked relieved and ran up to them.

"Hey Tara, what brings you here? Don't you have classes?" She bit her lip and continued looking around. "What are you looking for?"

"I'm transferring. Zack doesn't want me to keep going to Towson after what happened last week. I start tomorrow. I actually just came here to warn you that he might show up here a lot more too." Skylar was ecstatic that she would have another female friend at school. Now if only Lacey would transfer too.

"That's awesome Tara! That you're transferring here I mean. Me and Kara will show you around tomorrow." Tara smiled and ran a hand through her blonde hair. The bell rang so they exchanged goodbyes and went back to the school.

Skylar had gym class next with Alex so she took her gym stuff out of her locker and made her way to the gym. On her way out of the locker rooms, she caught a glimpse of Alex leaning against a wall with a sad expression on his face. She walked up to him and just stood in front of him.

"What?" She wrapped her arms around him and noticed how tense he was. He relaxed at her touch though, and wrapped his arms around her.

"Can I stay with you tonight?" It came out muffled, but he heard her anyways and smiled.

"Of course." The teacher blew the whistle to start class and Skylar filled him in about Tara transferring. "She also said Vince might be showing up. We're gonna look out for her right?"

Alex nodded and the teacher instructed everyone to run laps and do fitness exercises. Skylar cursed herself for drinking earlier at lunch, still feeling the effects of the alcohol. While she was running, she had to constantly stop or slow down to catch her breath and Alex took notice.

"Hey you okay? Come on we gotta keep running." He slowed down to match her pace and they ran the last few laps together. Once it was over, she sprawled out on the gym floor and tried to control her breathing.

The teacher told everyone to start doing push ups and sit ups. Skylar started doing her situps while Alex held her feet down. Once she was done her thirty, she stood up, but probably too fast since her head was spinning. Her vision was blurry, from the effects of the alcohol and the lack of oxygen to her brain from running while intoxicated. She instantly collapsed onto the ground and hit her head on the ceramic floor, and then she blacked out.