A/N: Hello! I hate self promoting but I really like the new story I'm writing and would love for any of you to check it out. It's called To Break, and it's something new I've been working on. It's a bit different, but I think if you like this you will like that one. Please just give it a go, it would mean so much to me. Anyway, this chapter is only up because I didn't want to dance at a party last night, and my compromise was I would update before school goes back (tomorrow) in exchange for me not having to dance. So Rach, this one's for you!

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Morning's sucked, so I was happy when I woke up and it was just after midday. I had skipped the whole morning. I sat up and ran a hand through my hair. I didn't have any plans for the day but decided I should make some.

I was going to ask Rylie if she wanted to but I remembered she wasn't well. She did say she thought it was only a 24 hour thing, so if she was right, we could hang out tomorrow.

With that in mind, I grabbed my phone from my bedside table and dialed her number, putting it to my ear so I could hear the ring.

She picked up but I spoke first. "Hey do you want to do something tomorrow?" I asked, my voice bright for someone who had just woken up.

"Uh," was her immediate response. I could imagine her trying to make an excuse as to why she couldn't, so I wasn't surprised when she asked, "Why?"

"Because you, my friend, lost a bet. And we need to hang out," I smirked, not that she could see it. I heard her sigh through the phone, which is when the music filtered through the phone. It was a song that sounded vaguely familiar, maybe one that Hazel had listened to.

"Sure," Rylie said. I nearly fell of my bed in shock. Did she just agree? "What have you got in mind?"

Shit... I hadn't thought that far ahead. I wasn't really expecting her to say yes.

The music stopped as I responded. "It's a surprise," I said, making everything up on the spot. "How about you meet me at the cafe on the corner of the main street and we can go from there in the morning some time?"

"Okay," she said as the music started up again. "Sounds good. I'll meet you there at nine, yeah?"

I was struggling to believe that she wasn't arguing. There weren't any hints of disagreement either. Maybe she was finally coming around and seeing that I wasn't such a bad guy. I hoped so.

"Yeah!" I said, unable to keep the happiness out of my voice. "Anyway, how are you feeling?"

"Much better now," she told me. I knew she was telling the truth.

"That's good," I smiled, but could feel this conversation drawing to a close. I didn't want it to, so I said the first thing that popped into my head. "Hey, do you want to play qna?"

"What's that?" She asked, the music in the background changing."

"Oh okay. So it's basically just questions and answers. So I'd ask a question then you answer it, and then you ask me a question and I answer it."

"Okay, sounds good. Who goes first?" She asked.

"Buzz not!" I exclaimed with a smirk. "You go first now."

She didn't seem to care. "What is something strange you've noticed about me?" She asked. I wasn't expecting such a difficult question first up. Hmm....

"Apart from everything?" I asked, knowing she would roll her eyes. I could almost see the eye roll through the phone. "Hey! Don't roll your eyes at me," I called her out on it.

"How did you-" she began, but I cut her off.

"You always roll your eyes." I wouldn't have thought that needed explaining. I then answered her original question. "You poke your tongue out the side of your mouth when you're trying to do something challenging."

It was true. I had seen her too many times in Jap when she was struggling to translate something, or when she was walking down the stairs and couldn't see past her books.

"If it doesn't challenge you, it doesn't change you," she quoted something as if it was a reflex reaction. I should have really started writing down those quotes.

I laughed, knowing how she would react if I did write them down and she found them. She still wouldn't catch on.

"Okay, my turn," I say, deciding to stick with the current topic of conversation in my head. "What's your favourite quote?"

She groaned. "You do realize how impossible that is, right?"

Hmm. "Top three then?"

"Um okay," she paused, probably thinking. "The first one would be, 'if not now, when?'"

"Mmhh," I mumbled, smiling at the quote. That one was worth remembering.

"The second would probably be 'all you need is twenty seconds of insane courage, and I promise you something good will come of it'," she continued.

"I remember seeing that one on your wall actually!!" I said, happy that I remembered. It was such a brilliant quote, although I couldn't remember what it was from.

She laughed, at me no doubt, before continuing. "And the last one would be...." she trailed off, probably thinking about it again. "'When you find someone who can make you laugh. Smile. Grow. Lust. Want. Crave. Feel. Make you happy. Keep that. That's euphoria'."

Huh.....

"That is an amazing quote," I managed, trying not to think about said quote too much.

"Anyway!" Rylie thankfully changed the topic. "What's your favourite colour?"

The song changed in the background again into a song that was beginning to get played to death on the radio.

"Wow your questions suck," I told her. "Anyway, my favourite colour is orange."

The song kept playing but without words. That threw me as to whether that was the actual song. I had to ask. "Is that Stay With Me?"

"Uh yeah," she said.

"Where are the lyrics?"

Nothing came through the phone other than the piano music for a minute, until Rylie finally found her voice. "I'm playing it on my piano."

Woah. I mean, Hazel played piano so I was used to talent. And even though Stay With Me was a simple song, she was changing it and making it sound so much cooler and more complicated. "Holy shit are you serious?"

She laughed. "Yeah, I am."

"Can you sing it?" I asked, full of hope.

"Um, I guess?" She said, as if a question instead of a statement.

The piano paused, before starting from a different point. The sound picked back up and I could imagine Rylie's delicate but sure fingers, weaving across the keys; making the song much more beautiful. 

"Oh won't you stay with me?" She sung, her voice - despite the cold - practically perfect. It was the type of voice that you couldn't help but listen to. " 'Cause you're all I need," she continued. "This ain't love it's clear to see. But darling, stay with me."

Stay With Me came to a close while she started to play something else, blending the two songs together with grace. I was stunned to silence for a moment. 

"Sorry, I just fainted from the amazingness," I said, when I found my voice. "But yes, I will stay with you." I smirked and winked, as if she was here with me. I wish. 

"Go screw yourself," she told me, but she didn't mean it. Not really. Her voice sounded scratchy coming through the phone, and after a moment she let out a quiet, involuntary groan. 

"Are you okay?" I had to ask, concern lining my features. 

"My throat hurts now," she told me, thankfully not lying to me anymore. 

"Do you want me to come over and take care of you?" I asked, purposefully keeping my tone light. I wanted to ask in a friendly way, not as if I was dying to see her and make sure she was okay. 

"I can take care of myself," she said. I had to roll my eyes. She was such a strong girl; she didn't want to be looked after. She was independent, and very capable of being that way. But she didn't know how to ask for or accept help when the opportunity arose. 

"Yes yes everyone knows you can take care of yourself," I said. "But I still promise you to always be there in case you can't!" I winced at how tacky that was, but she didn't say anything on that matter. Phew. 

"Whatever you say Max!" She said. Either she was rolling her eyes or shaking her head at me. 

"Anyway, back to qna?" I asked, hoping she would want to keep talking. 

"No, sorry. I'm actually going to go inside and-" she paused, leaving the sentence unfinished. "Before I go, what's your favourite quote?"

I had to laugh. She was so caught up in her own thoughts; it made her unobservant. "Good question, but it's easy," I said, pausing. I wasn't sure whether to say it. It could sound like I was suggesting something that I wasn't. Or, at least I didn't think I was. " 'Explaining to someone why you love them is like explaining what water tastes like. Impossible."

"Where was that from?" She asked.

Hmm, good question. "I can't actually remember." She started laughing at me, and her laugh was the type that was so contageous, I couldn't help but join in. 

When she stopped, she said, "Anyway, I better go. Bye Max."

"Bye Rylie," I said, just before she hung up. 

I smiled at my phone before going to messages. I had one from Olly saying that all the guys were going over to his house to hang out for the afternoon, and he was inviting me. I typed a response saying that I would go before getting out of bed. 

The clock above my door read 12:56pm, so I still had an hour and a bit to get ready. 

I went downstairs and found Hazel in the piano room, playing the song I had requested she teach me. She said she could start then, so I grabbed an apple from the kitchen and tried to learn. It was hard, as I was not musical at all, but I managed to get the first chord in twenty minutes. 

Hopefully my effort would be worth it, and I would get the chance to play Rylie this song. 

Fingers crossed.