- Text Size +
Walk away if you want to
it's ok, if you need to
you can run, but you can never hide
From the shadow that's creeping up beside you
There's a magic running through your soul
But you can't have it all


Men moved heavy boxes from the house, loading them onto an oversized truck. Kyle and Harry’s belongings were packed into the trunk of their parents’ cars, AJ piled all of Adam’s bags into the trunk of his truck.

“We’ll meet you guys there” Bradley said to one of the men as the moving truck pulled away from the curb and went down the street.

Neilson walked down the steps leading to the front door, they all stood there in a circle, facing each other one last time.

“So” Kyle said, breaking their silence.

“So” Bradley replied.

“This goodbye?” Harry asked.

“I guess so” Neilson said “Well until fall break anyways” he said.

They heard sniffling and all turned towards Adam.

“Adam” Kyle said “Are you…crying?!” he asked in astonishment.

“No!” Adam whined trying to conceal his face.

“Oh my god” Bradley said in fright.

Neilson reached out and wiped one of the tears off of Adam’s cheek “It’s real!” he said tasting it.

“Oh good god” Harry said in shock.

“What do you want me to say?!” Adam asked “I’m going to miss you guys!” he said sobbing “I’m going to miss Kyle being a dick and telling us what to do all the time! I’m going to miss Harry bitching about science and crap no one cares about!” he sobbed. “I’m going to miss Bradley and Neilson acting like heterosexual life partners!” he said weeping.

“Wow…this is scary” Kyle said.

“I know I wasn’t exactly the best guy to live with” Adam said “But…I loved it here, I loved living here in this house with you guys, it felt like a family” he said “I love you guys” he said sadly.

They all pulled together in a group hug “Okay…alright that’s enough now” Adam said “Seriously get off me” he said pushing them all away.

“You guys okay?” Natalie asked looking at them confused.

“Yeah…I think” Neilson said to her “What are you doing here?” he asked.

“I wanted to say goodbye before you guys went to the airport” she said hugging Kyle tightly “Good luck in New York okay?” she said.

“Yeah…either one of these idiots messes up you call me alright?” he asked her.

“Okay” she said laughing and hugging him once more “Bye Harry” she said.

“Bye Nat” he said hugging her.

“Have fun at Princeton” she said.

“I’ll try” he said laughing.

“Adam” she said “Well…good luck in London” she said to him.

“Come on” Adam said holding his arms open.

“Seriously?” she asked as they hugged “Oh my god” she said “Wait what is happening right now?” she asked confused.

“Take care of these two okay?” Adam said nodding towards Bradley and Neilson.

“I’ll do my best” she said “I’ll meet you guys at school” she said to Bradley and Neilson.

“Alright, we’ll be there later” Neilson said to her as they kissed.

“Adam, we gotta get going” AJ said to him.

“Okay” Adam said wiping his tears away “I guess I’ll see you guys later” he said.

“Have a good flight” Kyle said to him.

Adam nodded before he jumped into the back of AJ’s car.

“You ready?” Melissa asked turning around in the passenger seat.

“Yeah…I’m ready” Adam said to them.

“We gotta get going too” Bradley said to Neilson.

“Yeah, we got to get to the apartment” Neilson said.

“Have a safe flight alright?” Bradley said to Kyle and Harry.

“We will” Kyle said to them as they got into Bradley’s car and left the driveway, Bradley beeping his horn.

“You guys ready to go? Your flight leaves in half an hour” Kellie asked Kyle and Harry, they looked at each other.

“Let’s go” Harry said to Kyle.

(Whatever you do)
I'll be two steps behind you
(Wherever you go)
and I'll be there to remind you
that it only takes a minute of your precious time
to turn around and I'll be two steps behind.


Boxes sat around Vicki’s living room, she searched through one finding a faded t-shirt. "Poison, Flesh and Blood Tour, 1991" she held it close and smelled it.

“Alright, that’s the last of it, I am officially moved in” Brian said.

Vicki turned around, the shirt in her hands “I cannot believe you held onto this” she said.

“What? That was a good night” he said pulling her into him.

"The night Bradley was conceived" she said looking at it once more.

"And now...he's going off to college" he said "Speaking of which he and Neilson just pulled up, they’re on their way to the apartment.”

“Okay, I’ll be right out” she said, she spotted Bradley’s baby picture on her mantle, she picked it up and gazed at it, running her hand over the glass.

Bradley leaned against his car, his phone in his hand as he pushed on the touch screen, Vicki came out to the curb. She slowly approached him, he looked up at her and smiled, she pulled him close and held him tightly.
"I love you so much you can’t even imagine” she said tearfully.

"I love you too mom" Bradley said to her.

"Be careful driving, okay?" Vicki said fixing the collar of his shirt.

"I will” he said.

“And call me when you guys get to the apartment” she cupped his face and kissed his forehead “I’m so proud of you” she said as she let go of him.

“So I guess this is it huh padre?” Bradley asked Brian.

Brian laughed “Yeah…I guess so” he said.

“You going to miss me calling you that?” Bradley asked.

“More than anything, come here” he said grabbing Bradley close and hugging him.

"Well...I guess this is it" Neilson said to Sasha.

"Have everything?" Sasha asked him.

"You don't have to worry mom, everything's going to be fine" he said to her.

"We're really proud of you, you know" Nick said to him.

"Yeah I know, I love you guys" Neilson said hugging them.

"Call me when you get there okay?" Sasha said cupping his face and kissing his forehead.

“Hey, you guys behave while you're there, no partying" Nick said to them.

“Yeah you're in college to learn not for the free booze and the girls" Brian said to them.

"Yeah okay" Bradley as he and Neilson got into the car.
"Bye" he said starting the car.

He beeped the horn before driving away down the street, they all watched the car grow smaller in the distance.

“Think they’ll be okay?” Vicki asked Sasha.

“We did the best we could, all we can do now is have faith” Sasha said to her.

“Think they’ll be okay?” Nick asked.

“I give it a month before they do something stupid” Brian said.

“You’re on” Nick said as they shook hands.

Take the time
to think about it
Walk the line, you know you just can't fight it
Take a look around and see what you can find
Like the fire that's burning up inside me,
There's a magic running through your soul
But you can't have it all


AJ and Melissa stood in the airport, waiting to see Adam off.

"Okay, I guess this is it" he said as Adam slung his bag over his shoulder.

"You have your ticket?" Melissa asked.

"Yes mom" he said to her.

"You have your passport?" she asked again.

"Yes mom" he said to her "Mom, don't worry" he said to her.

"Yeah, easier said than done" she said to him, Melissa began to cry again.

"Mom, come on" Adam said to her.

"I know, I'm sorry, come here" she said holding her arms open for him and hugging him tightly "I love you so much" she cried "And I am so proud of you" she said kissing his forehead. "And I'm going to miss you so much" she said.

"I'll miss you too" he said, she let him go and he turned to face AJ.

“Dad…” he said, he could see tears welling up in his eyes “You too?” he asked, AJ grabbed him and hugged him tightly. A voice came over the PA system, announcing Adam's flight number "Alright…That's me, I got to go” Adam said to them.

"Alright, have a safe flight" AJ said.

"Bye sweetie" Melissa said to him.

"Bye guys" Adam said walking towards the gate to go through the security check. He turned back and gave one final wave to them. He soon disappeared through the gate.

“Miss?” AJ asked as she stood still looking at the gate “You okay?” he asked, she nodded and turned around “It’s okay” he said pulling her close.

“Let’s go home” she said before looking back once more.

(Whatever you do)
I'll be two steps behind you
(Wherever you go)
and I'll be there to remind you
that it only takes a minute of your precious time
to turn around and I'll be two steps behind.


"Are you sure you have everything?" Christina asked Harry.

“Yep, all good” Harry said to her "Are you sure you're okay?" he asked laughing.

"Yes" she said "I'll be alright" she said "Honey I uh..." she said smiling at him.

"Mom come on" Harry said to her.

"No I'm okay I promise...you know that I wasn't much older than you when I got pregnant...actually I was younger than you" she said to him.

"Yeah I know" he said.

"When I found out I was petrified" she said "Your grandfather chased your dad around our front yard, yelling at him in Spanish."

Harry laughed “Seriously?” he asked.

“Yes, it was mortifying” she said.

"And no one taped this?" he asked.

"I'm sure some of our neighbors did" she said "I wouldn't change having you for the world" she said holding his face."I love you more than anything else on this planet and you don't know how proud of you I am" she said.

"Thanks mom" he said as they hugged tightly.

"I'm going to miss you so much" she said to him.

"Don't worry, I'll be home for fall break before you know it" he said taking his bag and slinging it over his shoulders.

There's a magic running through your soul
but you, you can't have it all
(Whatever you do)
I'll be two steps behind you
(wherever you go)
and I'll be there to remind you
that it only takes a minute of your precious time
To turn around and I'll be two steps behind.



“So I guess this is it” Kellie said to Kyle.

“Yeah I guess so” Kyle said to her.

"I love you so much" she said hugging him tightly “You are everything I could’ve ever imagined or hoped for” she said tearfully "And I am so proud of you" she said.

"I love you too mom” Kyle said to her as she hugged him.

Kevin stepped closer to Kyle.

“Don’t start because you’re not going to be able to stop” Kyle said to him laughing.

“I know” Kevin said “I have no words to describe how proud of you I am” he whimpered “And how proud of the man you’ve become” he said pulling Kyle into him and hugging him tightly.

Kyle then heard the flight number called over the PA system “That’s me” he said to Kevin as he let him go “I'll call you once I land in New York" Kyle said to them.

"Good and then you call me again and again and again..."

"I got it" he said to her “Lets go Harry" Kyle said getting his bags together, they turned to face their parents.

“Bye guys” Harry said.

“Bye” Kyle said as they went to the gate.

Kevin looked over at Howie when he heard a whimper “Are you crying?” he asked.

“Oh you’re one to talk! You cry all the damn time!” Howie sobbed.

Kevin smiled and put his arm around Howie as they all walked towards the exit.

Adam stared out of the window of the plane, staring at the fluffy clouds surrounding him and at the ground way down below.

The wind blew through Bradley and Neilson’s hair as they drove towards USC.


Two steps behind
yeah, baby
two steps behind
ohh, sugar
two steps behind


THE END