Someone is knocking on my door and it's in perfect rhythm with the pounding in my head. I roll over, bleary-eyed and try to make out the numbers on my alarm clock. Does that say 8:30 am? I've had maybe 4 hours of sleep.

"Dad when I asked to go in the morning I was thinking like around 11. I need more sleep," I grumble before rolling over.

The door opened and my Dad poked his head into my room. "Sorry kiddo, but Adam is here. I would have taken him myself to get his car but I don't have the keys."

"Adam? Is here?" My brain refused to compute what my Dad was telling me. It finally sputtered to life. I spring up in bed.

"Adam! He's here?"

"Yes, I just said that," my father said stepping into the room as I throw the covers off and begin looking around for clothes to put on.

"Look, Finn, I know you haven't had a lot of sleep. None of us have honestly but I can go so you can get more rest if you want. I just need the key."

"No, it's okay, Dad. Thank you but I really want to talk to him." That sentence made me stop dead in my tracks because that's the last thing I ever thought I would say about Adam.

"You okay?" My dad looked at me with concern, it must have been the look on my face at my revelation.

"Yeah... yeah, I'm good." I sit on the edge of my bed so I can put on my socks and sneakers. "I really appreciate the offer, Dad. Really I do, but I'm not sure if Brynn has talked to him or not and I know he was just as concerned as I was over Brynn. He can also tell me what happened with Paris and if I have a chance of her not hating me for the rest of my life."

"Okay, but are you certain you're awake enough to drive? If not, let Adam do it."

"I'm good. I'll be down in five."

"Alright, I'll let him know."

"Thanks, Dad."

"No problem."

I grab my phone. Look at the text message icon but no new messages. Poor Brynn, she must be exhausted from last night's ordeal. Or the thought popped in my head, maybe they are already on their way to deal with the restraining order. That thought had me smiling as I quickly brushed my teeth before heading downstairs.

Adam stood by the door, dressed all in black he looked like a thief who broke into my house and was now in need of a quick getaway. 

"Adam, hey!" I can't believe he actually jumped, startled that someone spoke to him.

"Hey," he replies looking embarrassed to be caught lost in thought. "My car?"

"Yeah, sorry about that. We have to go pick it up. It's at school."

Adam looked at me like I lost it. "School? What the hell is it doing there?"

"I'll explain everything but first I need coffee," I tell him wandering into the kitchen, which left him no choice but to follow me.

Adam leaned his back against the kitchen island and briefly looked around before his eyes landed back on me. "You look like hell."

Now that's the jerk I knew and loved. "Yeah? Thanks," I said my words dripping with sarcasm while setting one of my dad's travel mugs under the brewer. The coffee smelled so good. I turned to lean back against the counter while I waited for the mug to fill up.

"No really. You okay to drive, because I don't feel like dying today?" Adam retorts, looking smug or is that him trying to smile, it was hard to tell.

"Wow, good night?" I jest, Adam glances away briefly right before his face goes deadpan, but it was just enough to make me wonder.

"Did something happen last night?" Oh my God, did Adam's face just flush? It did! He's totally red. "Hold that thought," I said amazed and quickly grab the travel mug and place the lid on.

He follows me out of the kitchen reluctantly and I toss him his key. He catches it but is still looking awkward, but then again Adam always looks awkward. Once in the car, I lay into him.

"Seriously, did something happen last night?" I ask again taking a long sip of coffee before I start driving. God, that feels good. Knowing Adam may be more comfortable talking if I don't actually look at him I keep my eyes on the road. 

He didn't say a word. "Okay, fine don't tell me how things went. Can you at least tell me how Paris took the news when you told her?" When I said Paris' name I see in my peripheral, Adam turn to look out the window.

"Dude! You're killing me here. I had to totally ditch the girl with no explanation. I know you talked to her and since you went home with her, you obviously stayed the whole time."

"I didn't exactly have a choice. You had my car."

"Puhlease, you could have called for a car, taken a bus or something. What I really want to know is, how mad was she? I really didn't want to hurt her and that was about the worst thing I could have possibly done to a girl, even if I had good reason."

"She wasn't mad."

"She wasn't?" I said, filled with relief until I heard...

"She was severely disappointed."

"Oh," I said softly as my hopes are dashed.

"Paris has a thing for you, you know that don't you?" There is an edge to his voice.

"We're friends," I inform him and Adam makes some guttural sound of disbelief.

"Paris knows all about Brynn, Adam. I've made it very clear that I love Brynn and am not looking elsewhere."

"You're an idiot!" Adam glares at me incredulously before looking back out the window.

"I would tell you you're wrong but for the sake of argument why don't you explain."

"I said, she has a thing for you. You don't enter into it. It is possible for someone to have feelings for someone else without a chance of reciprocation you know?"

It was hard to ignore the bitterness in Adam's tone and I know he's referencing how he feels about Brynn. I guess seeing Paris in the same position made him even angrier with me.

I sigh. He's right. I hate to admit it but I know he's right. I know Paris has feelings for me. I know I shouldn't have gone to prom with her. I've screwed everything up and most likely lost her friendship over it.

"You think she'll forgive me?" I asked, not believing I'm asking Adam this question but it was important to me.

"Yes." The one promising word sounded so hollow coming from him. Still, I felt encouraged. 

"Really?"

Adam's look of disgust could not be mistaken for anything else. "Yes, Finn. She'll forgive you because it's an illness. Because she cares, and she cares so much it won't matter that you're an absolute jerk, who doesn't deserve her friendship. She'll forgive you anyway because she can't stop herself from doing so."

"You know I'm not some abusive a-hole, right? I'm not taking advantage or exploiting anyone's feelings here. I do care."

Adam rolls his eyes and crosses his arms signaling this part of the conversation is over or so I thought until...

"You know..."  He shifts in his seat so he can stare directly at me. "Paris is different. She's not like other girls, Finn. If you really cared about her, you'd give her space so she can get over you. It's not fair that you pretend to be her friend, always keeping her dangling hoping for what if!"

"Paris and I work together and she is my friend. I care a lot about her..." I pause giving what Adam said some serious consideration. "Okay, maybe your right. Maybe this summer I'll look for a different job so I'm not in her face all the time. If she cares about me as much as you say, it'll only hurt her to see Brynn and me together."

"Together? Her dad lifted the restraining order on you?" Adam asked, surprised.

"There's talk. I'm hoping it's true because I need to be there for Brynn. I can't stand on the sidelines while she goes through treatment. It'll kill me." I blurt out without thinking. The car fills with an ominous silence. Had I more than two brain cells to rub together I would have found out if Adam talked to Brynn first before I go announcing her innermost secrets to the guy who loves her almost as much as I do. I hate being so tired. Way to go, Finn. Adam's right you are an idiot.

"Brynn is sick? Is it cancer?"

I glance over at Adam and see his eyes are glistening with unshed tears. "Come on, Finn! A second ago you went blabbering on. Don't shut up now!"

I let out a long, slow sigh. "Yes, it's cancer."

"No wonder she was trying to kill herself."

"What?! No! Brynn had no intention of killing herself. She was running away."

"Running away?" His eyes darted away briefly but the hurt could not be missed. He probably was in disbelief that she chose to leave everyone behind. Especially him, since it wasn't too long ago he asked her to leave with him and she refused. 

"Is it bad?" he ventures to ask.

"They caught it in the early stages, thanks to the screenings but it's definitely not benign. She has a few more tests and then she'll have to start treatments. I don't know what those treatments are yet. I'm afraid that's all I know."

Adam rubs his hand over his face. He's really struggling to keep it together.

"Ovarian or Breast Cancer?"

"Ovarian," I answer. "Adam, she's not going away. She's sticking it out. She's going to get treatment and she'll be cured. Nothing is going to happen to, Brynn."

Adam's face contorted in anger and he unleashed it on me. "You don't know that! What if it spreads? What if the treatment doesn't work? It didn't for her mom. What if she spends years being sick only to die some horrible death, wasting away to nothing?! Like she watched her mother do, huh?! What about that, Finn?! You think you can save her? Maybe wish it all way? Well, you can't!"

I felt grateful we reached the school parking lot. That I could pull over to say what I needed to say. I unhook my seatbelt and turn so there's no mistaking what I'm feeling or the truth of the words that came tumbling out of my mouth.

"You think I don't know that? That I live in some fantasy world? I know I don't have control over what happens, Adam! And it scares the shit out of me, but I have to have faith. Not just for me but for her. I won't EVER give up on Brynn. Do you understand me?! NOT NOW! NOT EVER!!! I can't..." those last two words came out garbled as the pain of the reality, Adam so eloquently shoved down my throat, caused me to choke on my own emotions.

Adam looked dumbfounded, "Finn...I..." He stares out the window for half a second. "I'm sorry."

Those were the last two words I'd ever expect to come from Adam. He hesitantly puts out his hand, almost draws it back and then touches my shoulder like he feared to physically touch may be painful to him somehow.

"You're right. We can't give up on, Brynn. Not now, not ever. I...I haven't had the best experiences with life situations... improving for me. My mind can't help referencing what it knows. It's hard for me to believe that something can get better when... well... it never has."

"You so sure about that?" I ask looking him dead in the eye.

He looks confused by my question and pulls his hand away.

"Your life has been shit, okay, but it can't last unless you let it last. I took your side in that fight, Adam, because I knew it was the right thing to do. If I went with how I felt about you at that time I should have let you get pummeled. You expected your foster parents to come down hard on you, instead, they took their anger out on me. You thought Brynn was going to kill herself and she wasn't. She's still here and she's sticking around." I smirk. "You've been to your first Prom. And you can lie to me if you want but I think Paris made an impression on you. Knowing you though, you have probably written her off by now."

Adam looked away on that last count.

"Yeah, I thought as much. I don't know you well Adam but I do know Paris and if she does care about you, even as a friend, your life is definitely going to improve.  If you let it and one more thing. You know what has happened that you probably thought would never happen in a million years ..."

"What?" Adam wonders, cautiously.

"You made yourself a friend other than, Brynn."

"Paris?"

"No you idiot, me."

"You? Want to be my friend?"

"I am your friend. Damn it, Adam! If it weren't for you, Brynn would have been lost to us forever. I owe you so much for making that call. I know it hurt to make it."

Adam is shaking his head no. "You're the one that found her. You're the one that convinced her to come home."

"Yes, but if you didn't reach out to me I would have never even known she was gone until it was too late. If you didn't give me your car I couldn't have searched for her. I know you love, Brynn and so do I. So can we please, for her sake put our differences aside and be friends? We make a way better team when we're working together for the same cause."

Just the fact that he appeared to be considering my offer gave me hope.

"You don't have to agree this moment, just... know the offer is out there. This is going to be hard on Brynn but it's going to hard on both of us as well and I for one would like to know I have someone to talk to about it, should I need to."

Adam looked at me and frowned. "I hate that you make sense."

My nervous tick of laughing at inappropriate moments kicks in. "Not bad for a guy who has only about 4 hours of sleep last night, huh? I am sooo tired."

"Yeah, well it's not like we are going be best friends or anything. And I'd appreciate it if you'd continuing to ignore me at school. I don't want anyone pushing me down a flight of stairs."

I frown at him. "You just had to ruin the moment by bringing that up didn't you?"

Adam raises an eyebrow and smirks before unhooking his seatbelt. "Later, Finn. Thanks for the ride."

"Yeah, later," I said before he gets out and walks over to his car, he gives me a mock salute before getting in. He is so weird. I start my car and head on home, praying breakfast might be waiting for me upon my return.