Disclaimer: I don't own Degrassi, of course!

He's not here. The thought clung to Maya's mind as soon as she realized Cam didn't show up to school today, capturing her attention for the remainder of the excruciatingly long school day. She told herself that giving Cam some space after the blow out that happened the other day would be the best thing for both of them, but after not hearing from him for more than 24 hours, she was beginning to change her mind. The worry she felt and the fear of not knowing how he is coping tore her apart, leaving her mind restless with negative "what if" scenarios—the worst being that their relationship was damaged in some way.

She couldn't move fast enough as she raced to his house after school; she didn't even consider the possibility of him not being there—she just needed to see him.

Fortunately, luck was on her side for that day. With permission from her older sister, who grudgingly consented to Maya taking the bus to Cam's place, Maya immediately bounced off to gather her books plus all of the homework assignments that she could give to Cam, and she headed straight toward the bus stop. After a fifteen-minute ride, which consisted of her nervously tapping the floor with her favorite tattered converse, she walked off the bus and towards Cam's home. After a brief knock, the door swung open to reveal Cam's mother. Maya smiled at her, waving shyly.

"Maya," exclaimed Cam's mother as she wrapped her arms around Maya in a gentle hug, "What a surprise!" She offered her another smile that lit up her face despite the dark circles forming under her tired eyes.

"I just came by to give Cam some of his assignments and to see how he was doing." Maya spoke the words as cheerfully as possible, but the heavy reality hovered over them and prevented the words from truly translating into the simple statement that it was.

Regardless, Cam's mother smiled gratefully as she motioned for Maya to follow her. "I'm glad you stopped by. Cam is going to be really happy to see you." There was a brief pause before she spoke again, "It might be a few more days until he returns to school."

A lump formed in Maya's throat that she tried incredibly hard to suppress. She relented to stay silent as she followed Cam's mom into the house, suddenly very nervous to face him. "I don't want to bother him," she mentioned uncertainly.

Cam's mom opened her mouth to protest Maya's concern, but a soft, nervous voice caught the attention of both girls.

"You're not," Cam's head peeked out of his half open door, and he paused in that position with hesitance.

Ignoring the jolt of her heart, Maya waved awkwardly, strangely unsure of how to approach him now that he's finally right in front of her. She broke the silence, but her voice shook, "I brought some of your homework over. We had a French quiz today." Finishing the sentence lamely, Maya scratched her head. "I'm really happy to see you," she confessed. Just seeing him calmed the uncomfortable feeling that sat in her stomach since they saw each other last.

Cam exhaled slowly, processing his nervous feelings and ignoring the fact that his mom could hear this conversation, "Me too." His eyes flickered to meet his mother's gaze, which prompted the older woman to excuse herself.

"Okay, I'm going to make some cupcakes," Mrs. Saunders placed her hands on Maya's shoulders, patting them gently, "You two can hang out in your room, honey. They should be ready in about an hour." She smiled at her son and gently pushed Maya toward the door before she walked back to the kitchen and began to nosily open cabinets in order to fetch the ingredients for Cam's favorite vanilla chocolate chip cupcakes.

Maya walked through the door that Cam held open, and once inside the room, she quickly scanned it for signs of what had been going through Cam's mind during the last day since they spoke. Tears rushed to her eyes when she got her answer—the box of tissues by his bedside, his disheveled sheets, and drawn blinds told her that he has been struggling with a lot of sadness—something she knew, but the idea of how much he struggled everyday kept breaking her heart over and over again. Forcing herself to compose herself for Cam's sake, she wiped her eyes as she placed her bag on his bed before turning around. She found him still lingering near the door with eyes downcast and slouched shoulders.

Sighing, Maya sat on the edge of his bed. "Will you sit by me?" She beckoned him softly.

Listening to her request without raising his head, Cam quietly shuffled towards her and sat next to her. He released a shaky breath when he felt her arms wrap around him and her head settle against his shoulder. "Did you go see the doctor?"

He looked at her fondly, quickly refocusing his gaze onto the floor when he answered her question, "I did." He fumbled with his hands, unsure of what to say next.

Lifting her head to get a better view of him, Maya tried to meet his eyes, but she never managed to catch his gaze. "Did you feel a little better after therapy?"

Unable to completely vocalize his frustrations, Cam struggled with his words, "I felt the same, honestly. Ashamed by how I acted. How I treated you." His short, fragmented thoughts hovered in the air, creating an increasingly tense mood between the two teenagers.

"Cam," Maya prepared to comfort him, but he stopped her.

"Don't say it's alright, Maya. I was wrong." Cam tightened his grip in hopes of cutting off his circulation to punish himself for the feelings of self-loathing that became stronger with each passing second. He just felt hopeless.

Aware of Cam reverting into a place that harbored his darkest thoughts, Maya could only observe him sadly, suddenly incredibly exhausted and drained by the conversation. She didn't make a move to stop his tightening grip nor did she attempt to use the typical soothing reassuring words that have been overused at this point. It almost felt like there was nothing left to say…but then the conversation with Clare and Eli reverberated throughout her mind, making her reconsider the unsettling thought. "I was sitting at The Dot yesterday drinking coffee when I ran into Clare and Eli," she began eyeing him curiously to see his reaction, "Have ever heard the rumor about him purposely running his car into a wall for her?"

Cam's forehead scrunched up in confusion, "I thought that it was just an accident."

"No, he did it intentionally…for Clare. He was diagnosed with Bipolar disorder and OCD, and he never sought proper treatment until he was forced to after his breakdown."

Maya now had Cam's interest, prompting him to turn his body at an angle, which made her more visible to him, "Why are you telling me this?"

She contemplated her words carefully before answering. "They seemed like any regular couple that day…laughing and holding hands—just," she paused letting her next words sink in, "Being normal. It made me realize that it's the same with us, Cam." Maya rested a palm on Cam's chest, right over his heart. "We are going to get through this. Whatever way that may be isn't important; it's just going to happen. I know it. You are going to be able to manage it and feel like yourself again."

The look in her eyes—a mix of hope, determination, and love—stunned him. She gave him direction, somewhere to go when he didn't know where to turn after hitting the very bottom. He could never express how much it meant to him.

"Maya," his voice trembled with the onslaught of emotions he felt, "I don't know what I'd do without you. I wouldn't be here." A stray tear escaped his eye at the literal meaning behind his words. Maya found him right before he would have ended his life, and she continued to be there very step of his slow journey back to a semblance of happiness. " I just…" He struggled with the right words, but he didn't know what to say.

Noticing his struggle, Maya wanted to do whatever she could to settle his thoughts. "Let's focus on the fact that we're best friends, and I'm never going to leave you. Okay?" Her vision blurred with tears, which she tired to wipe away as best she could but Cam stopped her efforts by grabbing both of her hands and bringing them to his lips. He kept them there for a moment as he thought of what to say next. In this case, simplicity felt right. "Okay," he stated.

Maya had to smile at his agreement and leant forward to kiss him sweetly. Once they broke apart, they looked into each other's eyes and shared another fond smile. "I'm really happy to see your face, " mumbled a relieved Maya. She felt like they could move forward once again. For the millionth time they had stalled, at least.

Surprising himself, Cam allowed the weight on his chest to lift when he released a short laugh. "I missed yours too." He glanced at the television in front of his bed, where the hockey game he was playing was paused, "I have been trying to beat my current high score, but you kept distracting me."

Maya giggled, "What? How was I distracting you?"

Cam took a moment to pick the controller up from the ground before he replied, "You were on my mind." He glanced at her, flashing her a small smile, before un-pausing the game.

Content with his answer, Maya leaned forward and placed her chin on his shoulder. She watched him play for a couple of minutes before trying to lighten the mood. "So what combination of buttons do you have to press to make a difference in this game? Can you smack any of the players against a wall or something? That part is always fun." She tried to keep a serious face, but she ended up cracking under pressure.

Cam watched Maya fall into a fit of laughter at her own joke. "Do you want to try?" He held out the controller, waiting for her reaction. He would love to see this.

Never one to back down from a challenge, Maya snatched the controller from his hand, "Why not? Watch the master and learn a thing or two." She playfully stuck her tongue at him before fixing her attention onto the screen. For the first time in a while, Cam managed a genuine smile that reflected a feeling of lighthearted happiness within him. It's shocking to him how fleeting but powerful the feeling can be. He forgot the game as continued to stare at her, but Maya's sudden burst of excitement broke his trance. Shaking his head and re-focusing his attention on the screen, he saw the message that he had been waiting to see once he started playing: NEW HIGH SCORE. He rubbed his eyes to make sure his vision was correct and this wasn't a hallucination. "What?" he asked to no one in particular.

Maya, who was currently doing a victory dance, answered a bewildered Cam. "I just beat your old score! Whoo whoo!" She continued to do a weird mix between the robot and the running man, while Cam just stared at the screen with his mouth wide open in shock. "I have been trying to beat that for the past 24 hours," he stated.

"Well, it looks like I might just be the hockey prodigy in this relationship," she exclaimed with flailing arms.

Finally snapping out of his stupor, Cam watched her in amusement. "Yeah right," he responded. He stood up quickly to grab her around the waist, bringing both of them down on the bed. He rested upon his elbow and looked down at her. "Is your dance marathon finished?" he smiled as she struggled to catch her breath.

"Yes," she laughed. She gently grabbed his neck and pulled him closer to her. "I'm finished," she promised before placing a sloppy kiss on his grinning lips.

A/N: It has been unbelievably long since I updated, I know. I'm sorry; Life has been crazy and extremely busy for me, and it's my explanation for such a long wait. It's been hard for me to find the time to write and even inspiration to write, but I promised I would finish this story, so just be patient with me! I hope everyone who reads this one enjoys! Thanks for reading :)