Alex stood at his locker looking at a picture of him and Danni from a few years back. Daria joined him. She looked with him.
"You two look adorable" Daria said. "How old were yall?"
"It was back before she transfered here" Alex said. "Everything was so innocent back then."
"So how are you?" Daria asked.
"I'm fine" Alex said.
"Are you sure?" Daria asked. "I mean you just lost someone."
"I'm fine" Alex lied.
"Alex" Daria said. "It's not healthy to hold anything in."
"I'm not" Alex said. "Okay?"
"Alex" Daria said. "It's okay to talk."
"I don't want to talk!" Alex snapped. "I just want everyone to stop pressuring me to talk. I want people to just leave me the hell alone. Is that too much to ask?"
Alex runs off.
At lunch, Alex sits with Jude, Connor, Daria, Taylor, and Ben.
"All I see is Eli when I dream" Jude said. "He went through so much and I can't believe none of us noticed how big his problems were."
Connor rubs Jude's hand.
"I can't believe he lost it this much" Jude said. "I feel sorry for him."
"I can't believe you feel sorry for Eli" Alex snapped. "He killed an innocent person. He doesn't deserve forgiveness for what he took away from all of us."
"He couldn't help what he became" Jude said.
Alex rolled his eyes.
"Right" Alex said. "Jude wake the hell up already!"
"Easy" Connor warned.
"Shut up Connor" Alex snapped. "No one is asking you. Now back to you Jude the guy who thinks we should feel sorry for a murderer. Are you really that stupid? He killed someone."
"Alex" Taylor said. "I get your sad about Danni but that doesn't give you any right to attack Jude or Connor. So stop."
"Fine" Alex said. "I'll go sit somewhere else because I'm not going to sit here and feel bad for someone who killed an innocent person."
Alex jumped off and stormed off.
"Alex!" Daria called after him.
Daria got up and went to find Alex.
Lena cleaned off her desk and Mariana entered.
"Hey" Mariana greeted.
"Hey" Lena said. "Shouldn't you be at lunch?"
"I needed a break" Mariana said. "All people are talking about is the shooting and I can't handle hearing about it. I just can't take it anymore."
"Well" Lena said. "At least it's summer. You can go to Florida and stay with Brandon and forget about it."
"I still don't understand why I have to go" Mariana said. "I mean I'm doing better now. I'm clean."
"We just think you need this" Lena said. "Besides Jesus is going with you."
"I know" Mariana said. "It's just I've never been that far from you guys all summer."
Lena smiled.
"It's going to be okay" Lena said. "We can video chat all you want. I promise. Okay?"
Mariana smiled.
"Thanks mama" Mariana replied. "That actually does make me feel a little bit better."
"Good" Lena said. "I want you to enjoy the summer. You deserve it after a year like this. You really do."
Mariana hugs Lena.
"Thank you" Mariana said. "I have to get back."
Mariana exits and comes face to face with Wyatt.
"Hey" Wyatt said.
"I'm so sorry" Mariana said. "I'm stupid and selfish."
"And that's why I love you" Wyatt said pulling Mariana into a kiss that she returns.
Alex sat alone outside on a bench and Daria joined him.
"I wish you'd stop cutting me out" Daria said. "I know your hurting right now. But I'm trying to be here for you."
"She died" Alex said. "She died hating me."
"You don't know that" Daria said.
"The last conversation I had with her" Alex said. "I was calling her a horrible person. That was like the same day she died. Do you know how guilty I feel?"
Daria looked at Alex.
"She was right about me" Alex said. "Everyone in my life I chase them away. I make everything worse without even meaning too."
"No you don't" Daria said. "I think deep deep down Danni still cared about you."
"She'll never forgive me" Alex said. "She'll never graduate. She'll never do anything again. Eli took a life. And Jude is in there defending Eli."
"No he's not" Daria said. "He's trying to understand Eli. Eli was messed up. Maybe Eli couldn't help it. I don't know. I don't care about Eli. I care about you. Alex, your my best friend and it kills me to see you like this. Your so broken."
"I'm your best friend?" Alex asked surprised.
"Yes" Daria said. "Your the only person who stuck by me this year. Even after that website about you. You still stuck me. And cared about me. Your my best friend and if it ever came to choosing you over Jude and Taylor this time I'd choose you."
Alex cried.
"Your my best friend too" Alex said pulling Daria into a hug. "Thanks for being here for me."
Tia opens her locker and Hayley appears.
"Oh hi" Tia said. "You doing better?"
"Yeah" Hayley said. "I'm doing much better this week. I just had to see you."
Hayley smiles at Tia.
"Oh?" Tia asked. "Why?"
"Because" Hayley said. "I think I'm..."
"You think your what?" Tia asked.
Hayley pulled Tia into a kiss and pulled away.
"Your gay?" Tia asked.
"Yeah" Hayley said. "And into you. It's okay if your not into me."
"I'm not gay" Tia said. "But I'm not exactly straight either."
Tia kisses Hayley and she kisses back.
Alex stood at his locker and Jake walks to him.
"I just wanted to check on you" Jake said. "I know you cared about Danni so I know it must be hard."
"Thanks, Jake" Alex said. "it's sweet of you to think about me."
Jake smiled.
"I heard about you and Jude breaking up" Alex said. "I'm really sorry."
"I wasn't too surprised to be honest" Jake admitted. "Him and Connor have a lot of history."
"Yeah" Alex said. "Jude and Connor always find their way back to each other. I find it kinda stupidly romantic."
"Yeah" Jake said. "It is kinda nice that they always come back to each other. Hopefully one day both of us will have that."
"Yeah" Alex replied. "You will. Odds are I won't. I'm not good at boys. They tend to use me for Jude's attention."
"You never know" Jake said. "There may be a guy out there."
Jake smiled and walked off leaving Alex blushing.
