"I need to go." Sophie rushed to get all her things.

"Again?" Colby whined. "Why? What's wrong this time?"

Her breathing came out in short pants before she'd even started running. She would have to run. Why was she doing so much running lately?

"My parents don't actually know I'm here."

"You didn't tell them?" Asked Ezra, who lifted his head of Colby's lap.

"No. My dad doesn't exactly... like Colby anymore."

Ezra gave Colby an exasperated look. "What did you do this time?" He asked.

"I didn't do anything! Why do you always think that I cause the problems? Tell him Soph. Tell him that your dad hating me isn't my fault."

Sophie checked that she had everything in her bag. "I don't know, Colbs. You knew he wasn't fond of gay people but you told him you were gay anyway." It would take 40 minutes on foot to get to the retirement home. She could get there in 35 if she sprinted the entire way, but then she would be red in the face and panting like crazy and her parents would know something was up.

"You told him I was gay first." Said Colby.

Sophie stopped her rummaging. "Yeah, I did. I'm sorry."

"Water under the bridge." He turned to Ezra. "Told you it wasn't my fault. If anything it's yours for turning me gay."

Ezra scoffed. "How did I turn you gay? You literally came onto me first, completely unprovoked."

"You did what?" Sophie stared at Colby as his cheeks turned pink.

Colby punched Ezra in the shoulder who seemed used to Colby's flustered aggression. Ezra didn't even flinch and spoke to Sophie instead. "Where do you need to be?"

"Um, do you know the retirement home, Maple House, it has those two lion statues outside of it but one is missing its head."

Colby laughed in delight. "I know those statues! My mom is the one who stole the lion's head!"

What? Colby just kept dropping surprise pieces of information today. Although it didn't really surprise her that Colby's mom, Jemma, was the one responsible. Sophie had many memories from when she was much younger about the wild woman that her parents wanted her to stay away from, way before they learned that her childhood best friend was gay. Her most prominent memory being the Fourth of July party that the Williams had thrown. During which Jemma set off multiple illegal fireworks, started a fire, got drunk, got into a fight with her annoying next door neighbour, stole fireworks from that neighbour, until she was eventually tackled to the ground by her husband and her reign of tyranny came to an end.

"I can drive you to the retirement home, if you'd like." Suggested Ezra.

"I don't want to bother you."

"It's no bother. What else am I supposed to do with my day? Spend it with Colby? No thanks."

"Hey!" Colby punched Ezra's shoulder again. "What is this? Be a dick to Colby day."

Ezra ruffled Colby's curly brown hair and walked out the room. "Be back in a sec." He called.

"Are you sure this is okay?" Sophie asked as soon as she heard Ezra going up the stairs. "I don't want to be a pain." She could still run and maybe just make it in time before her parents showed up.

Colby gathered the three dirty hot chocolate mugs. "You're not being a pain. We're friends and friends-" he chugged the rest of the hot chocolate that was left in Ezra's mug, "-do shit for each other. You know, nice shit that makes you feel all warm inside."

"Are you talking about friendship or hot chocolate?"

"It's unclear. But basically, we're friends, Ezra's our friend. Technically he's my boyfriend but boyfriend has friend in it so we're definitely friends of some sort. Why is it even called boyfriend or girlfriend and not just lover or something like that? Like what's the point in specifying that they're your friend, even though you're more than just friends, and you specify what gender the person is. Boyfriend and girlfriend are just dumb words and there should be a better term it. That's my point."

"I thought your point was about friendship?"

"I think it was at the start, but the boyfriend thing was something I needed to get off my chest. Thank you, Soph."

"Always here to listen."

Ezra walked back into the room. He was wearing black jeans and a black jumper layered with a long brown jacket that fell to his knees. The hood of his jumper pulled up over the jacket. He'd styled his golden hair away from his face and paired his mainly black outfit with black boots. Ezra was an incredibly handsome boy, sweet and kind mannered. He was charming. He deserved Colby and Sophie knew that he would treat her dearest friend right.

The guilt of what she had done, to try and tear them apart for no other reason than to protect herself, constricted her heart.

She would make it up to them. She would make it up to everyone. Be what they deserved. Stop being so selfish and make those around her happy.

"Ready to go?" He asked Sophie.

"Yep. Thanks so much." She patted down her pockets and checked her phone. No new messages which was good, probably meant her parents weren't at the retirement home yet.

Ezra reached out to Colby and took his hot chocolate mug from him. "Did you drink the rest of my hot chocolate?"

"I didn't, Sophie did."

Sophie gasped. "You were literally just telling me about friendship and then you try and throw me under the bus. Some friend you are, Colby."

Colby placed down the mugs again and gave Sophie a massive hug. "Oh no, I feel really bad now." He laughed. "Sorry, Soph." He was very good at giving hugs. Her head nestled under his chin as if by perfect design. She savoured his affections, wrapping her arms around his torso and holding him there.

For a moment she forgot that she was against the clock to get to the retirement home before her parents. Her days had been so hectic recently -what with Joanna and her parents demanding her full attention 24/7- she couldn't help but take a small moment in Colby's hug. She stole a calm breath and steadied her racing mind. Life was far too much trouble for the scarce rewards she got, but in this moment, she felt okay.

It was for this reason that she reluctantly let go of Colby. He kissed her forehead and laughed with that big goofy smile of his. "See you soon. Okay?"

She nodded. "Okay."

Colby waved them goodbye from his front door until his dad bonked him on the head with a rolled up newspaper. Colby couldn't come with them in the car as he and his dad were setting up some sort of surprise for Jemma. A late Christmas present that hadn't arrived in time but could now be classified as a New Years Eve present.

Ezra hopped into his white Volkswagen and Sophie followed suit. The radio played in the background as they drove, mostly just Christmas ads that hadn't been taken off the air yet. There wasn't much talking. It's not that Ezra and Sophie weren't friends, they were, or at least they used to be. Sophie had messed up what they had by forcing herself to view him in a romantic light and then recommending him a... special sort of therapy when she had learned that he and Colby were in a relationship.

She felt disgusted with herself just thinking about it.

She knew what the 'treatment' was and had recommended it anyway. Because it works. Did it work?

She had been entangled with Joanna not even twenty four hours ago, but that wasn't her doing homosexual acts. She was fooling around with a girl who was a close friend, a friend who she thought of as more than a friend. Yeah, the therapy didn't work.

She couldn't help but groan into her hands. Her parents couldn't know it didn't work. She couldn't go back to that place. She wouldn't. But what choice did she have? She'd have to hide it, act normal without being suspicious. But that could lead to her having another outburst and she couldn't put her friendship with Colby at stake again. It meant too much, he meant too much. Her only stable person, her lighthouse in the storm. The alternative would be to stop seeing Joanna. That was much easier said than done. She loved Jo, addicted to everything about her and Jo must feel the same because if she caught on that Sophie was trying to separate herself, then no doubt Jo would find a way to drag her back and Sophie would let her.

It was too complicated. Needlessly complicated and she had no idea what to do.

"Are you okay?" Ezra's voice startled her. She'd gotten so lost in her own thinking, she'd forgotten he was in the car.

He glanced at her from the corner of his eye whilst keeping his eyes on the road. She forced a smile. "Yes, sorry. I was up quite late last night and didn't get much sleep." She faked a yawn. She wondered what Joanna was up to at this very moment. Was she in her lovely room? Was she alone; or did she have company?

Ezra didn't say much for a few more minutes. An Ariana Grande song came and went by the time he decided to speak again. "It's been great."

"What has been great?"

"Leaving home. I mean it was terrifying to leave home. I had no support. My dad's an asshole and my mom likes to pretend she's under forty and never had kids, but I think even if you had one person who will look out for you then it's worth the leap. I know that not everyone can do that though, everyone's circumstances are different." He tapped his fingers on the steering wheel, his face deep in contemplation, seemingly trying to figure what to say next.

"I'm happy for you." Said Sophie. "You're very lucky to be loved by Colby."

"We both are." They arrived at the retirement home, Ezra parked across the street from it in front of a liqueur store and sushi take out. The retirement was coated in snow, hiding some of its ugly details. The two lion statues that sat in front of the home had snow around their bronze paws and the one without a head had grown a new one out of snow. She was about to get out but Ezra spoke again. "What university do you plan on going to?"

"Um, I'm not sure. Somewhere nearby probably."

"Are you going to stay at home?"

"My parents want me to, so yes."

"I don't think you should." She stared at him incredulously. "I don't know everything about you, Sophie, and I don't presume to. Whatever your circumstances are I think going to university is a great chance to leave home, try new things and meet new people. It's also a chance to explore yourself without having to come home to your family. Maybe you should consider going somewhere out of state, or at least live on your own instead of at home."

"I'll think about it." She opened the door and hopped out. "Thank you for the ride."

"No problem."

She ran quickly while being careful not to slip on any ice over to the retirement home. She didn't need to see Ezra leave as she heard the crunch of the snow beneath the car's wheels as he drove away.

She walked inside the home. The nurse at the reception desk giving her a dirty look, probably for dragging snow in. The nurse was a middle aged woman with watery blue eyes and frown marks on her face. Her hair was tied back into a low pony tail and she was reading a book called 'The Beast within', the cover depicting a shirtless muscle man with wolf ears holding a scantily clad woman with huge boobs.

"Can I help you?" Her voice was the female equivalent of Squidward, as if she was holding her nose as she spoke. She frowned at Sophie.

The nurse was wearing a badge with the name Agnes poorly written on it. "No, thank you Agnes."

"Well what do you want then?"

"I'm waiting for my parents to come pick me up."

"You can't wait in the lobby."

"Why not?"

Agnes rolled her eyes. "It's against Maple house policy. No loitering in the lobby unless accompanying a member of the Maple house family in or out." She sounded like she was reading straight from the rule book. Maple house family? Sophie was pretty sure that Mrs Dawkins didn't consider anyone here family.

She texted her mom asking how close she was to the home. Her mom replied saying half an hour.

Half an hour?! Why did she race here and get an awkward talk with Ezra if she was going to have to be here for another half an hour.

"No loitering." Agnes said again, she was back to reading her erotic novel.

"Then, can I please visit Mrs Dawkins?" Sophie was sure the old crone had some snarky remarks to entertain her for another half an hour.

Agnes glared at her. "Really? You couldn't pick anyone else? Fine." Agnes slammed her book down and picked up a telephone and punched three digits in. "Is this Mrs Dawkins?"

Sophie overheard the mean old voice that came out the phone and she smiled at the sound. "Of course it's me. Were you hoping I died overnight? Neither of us are so lucky I'm afraid."

Agnes looked pissed. "A girl is here to see you."

"What girl?" Mrs Dawkins asked.

"What's your name?" Asked Agnes.

"Sophie."

"A Sophie is here to see you."

"Send her through!" The line went dead.

Sophie didn't wait for Agnes to tell her to go through. She gladly let herself in wearing a cocky smirk, then she realised she didn't know what room Mrs Dawkins was in. "Excuse me." She called to Agnes.

"Room 618."