Don't Look Back

Hard Workin'

Sky’s POV

Last day in France. Then we have to go back home, where Alana is. Great. I packed my things then met up with everyone and their suitcases outside of Riker and Rydel’s apartment building. We took a bus to the metro station and then took the metro to the airport. It was really silent. Ross was trying to not look at me. I just didn’t want him to feel like it was his fault I was out in the rain. I did that. Well, not on purpose, I just couldn’t go back to my place, not while he was there, and Riker, I don’t know. Something was different about me, I was so confused, and I didn’t want to be. I sat next to Dylan on the plane. He tried to get me to smile, it was no use, I felt like I was losing my life, but really, I was just pushing away my friends, which, in my life, that was the same thing. Riker offered to drive me and Dylan back home. Dylan was kind enough to me to get us a cab instead. I cried myself to sleep that night. Then the next morning I could barely breathe, and I had a terrible cough. I must have over exhausted myself last night from excessive crying. I called Ross and asked him to come over. He walked in the door awkwardly. He said, “What’s up?” I said, “Do you have like a date with Alana or something?” He said, “No, not today, but um, tomorrow I do.” I said, “Then, can we spend today together?” He said, “Sky, you don’t get it, I want to spend every day with you.” I said, “Well, then, that’s a shame.” He said, “Right. Your cancer. Sky, we can fix that, before it’s too late.” I said, “Well, there’s something in life I don’t want to fix. Please just let what needs to happen, happen.” I saw tears form in his eyes. I hugged him and we sat on the couch.

Ross's POV

Sky and I were just sitting on the couch, with nothing to do. She said, "You wanna do something?" I said, "Yeah, but we should do something we never do." She said, "Like what?" I said, "We could go to the museum?" She said, "Too boring." I said, "Walk around in the city?" She said, "We do that all the time." I said, "You wanna meet my grandpa?" She said, "I know him already, he used to take you to the park when we were little. He always called you Rossy." I said, "Yeah, he lives in a retirement home by the hospital. Wanna go?" She said, "Oh, okay." And we left. When we got there the lady at the front desk seemed to already know Sky, she didn't even give her a visitors pass, she just said hi and let her pass. Then she kind of led the way to Grandpa George's room, I wondered how she knew him.

Ross's POV

"Grandpa!" I yelled excited to see him. He said, "Skylar!" I turned around to see Sky smiling at him. She said, "Hi George. How are you?" Grandpa said, "I’m good, you?" She said, "I’m doin’ great." I said, "Wait, Grandpa, you already know her?" He said, "Of course, Skylar has been my nurse for the past three years." I looked at Sky, "Nurse?" She said, "Remember how you never knew what my sixth job was?" I said, "You take care of people in a retirement home?" She nodded, "Yeah, but I never knew George was your grandpa." I said, "And I never knew you were a nurse. I guess we're even." Grandpa said, "Are you working today Skylar?" She said, "No, not today, but tomorrow I am." He said, "Darn it, I told that girl Melanie to get my pudding half an hour ago." Sky said, "I can get it." He said, "Oh, thank you." She walked away. I saw everyone say hi to her she waved back to them and smiled, it made me smile. "I'm gonna visit you tomorrow if that's okay. I want to see what Sky does. I plan on following her to all of her jobs." Grandpa nudged me, "You like her." I looked at him, "No, I do not." He said, "Whatever you say Rossy." I looked at him, "Really, I don't. We're just really good friends." He looked unconvinced, "Uh huh." He said with a devious smile. I said, "Why didn't you tell me she was your nurse?" He said, "I didn't know this was your little friend from long ago." I said, "Yeah, she has six jobs and this is one that I just found out about." He said, "She's a lovely girl, always gets things done, everything's always clean and organized, and she's so nice to everyone, always smiling. Good choice Rossy." I said, "Again, I don't like her! And stop calling me Rossy, someone might hear you." He chuckled, I laughed too. He messed up my hair, "Okay." And Sky came back with a tray with a pudding cup on it and a silver spoon. He said, "Ah, thank you. Melanie never seems to get things done." Sky laughed, "When I passed by the break room she was just reading a magazine." He said, "She should get fired." Sky laughed, "Yeah, she should." I looked at Sky, "How much do you get paid?" She said, "I don't, I just volunteer." I said, "What? Why?" She said, "Because they're all sweet people and the people who take care of them don't care for them." Grandpa said, "Yup, but Sky takes care of us when she's here." I said, "Wow. Why didn't you tell me?" She said, "I didn't think it was important." I said, "Can you stay here with my grandpa for a minute?" She said, "Okay, why?" I said, "I gotta use the bathroom really quickly." She said, "Oh okay." I ran to the front of the building to the front desk. "I'd like to sign up to be a volunteer."

Sky's POV

I sat down next to George, "You know he likes you?" I looked at him funny, "Who?" I asked. He laughed, "Ross of course." I said, "No, we're just good friends." He sighed, "That’s what he said." I said, "Why do you sound so disappointed?" He said, "I remember when you were younger, you and Ross would go to the park and play hide and go seek, it was your favorite game. But he would always find you because you'd always be up in a tree." I laughed, "And he'd always be under the slide." He said, "Then I got stuck here and I never saw you again. You never told me you were that little girl at the park, my Rossy's first love." She blushed and said, "I never told you I was her because I didn't know if you remembered, that's why  I volunteer, I want to see you. You remind me of the happy parts of when I was little." He looked at me and smiled, "You always find a way to make me smile when you're here." I smiled at him and he smiled back. Then Ross came back. He had a package in his hands, "Found that in the bathroom?" I said, he said, "No, it's my uniform, I volunteer here too now." He opened it up, it was just a dark blue collared shirt. And a name tag, his name wasn't on it yet. George said, "Yay!" We all laughed and then I looked at my watch, "Visitors are gonna be kicked out soon, but I promise I'll be back tomorrow." Ross said, "Me too."

Ross's POV

I picked up Sky and drove her to the retirement home. She had a cute little pink dress. It looked like a  normal dress but it was her uniform. She adjusted her name tag and we went inside. She signed us both in and she walked down the hallway with me. She said, "You look nice in your uniform. Ok, so, I'll walk you through today. Just follow me." I said, "Okay." As the day went by, I really saw how kind Sky was. She spoke to all of the old people in such a sweet and soft voice. I found myself just watching her sometimes as she helped people. It was nice. It was really nice. But, she had five other jobs, she did this one for free, why? At our break we ate lunch in the cafeteria. She told me what was good and what wasn't. i had a chicken salad sandwich. We sat at the table and are our food with the other workers and volunteers. I met, Regina, Karina, Katy, Manny, and Max. After work we took turns changing into normal clothes in the staff bathroom. I said, "So, what do you have planned for the rest of today?" She said, "I gotta go to work. I'll catch up with you later." I said, "Will you meet with me for dinner? I want to talk to you about something." She said, "Sure, can you pick my up then?" I said, "From work?" She said, "No, just, back at my place." I said, "Okay."  And she walked out. I followed her from a distance. I never actually knew what she did every day and she's my best friend. I'm a terrible friend, so that was going to change that. She walked pretty far, and it was hard to keep up with her. She ended up outside of the movie theatre, she went inside and I followed behind her.  She slipped a collared shirt with a name tag on over her tank top and walked behind the counter at the ticket booth. I followed her around all day, she had so many jobs. This was ridiculous! After she was done with work, she started to head home. I ran back to where my car was. Then my phone rang, it was Sky. Did she know I was following her? I answered it, “Hello?” She said, “Hey, um, Ross. I don’t know how to put this. I’m really happy you voulenteered, I hope you can continue working there when I’m gone.” I said, “Sky, I don’t think I can do that. Not if you’re not there.” She said, “Ross, I can’t talk about this. Not now. I’ll see you later.”