By the third zip line, Sophia opened her eyes. And on the last ropes course, I think I even saw a smile. The ropes course seemed to be better for her. My theory was that it was because those courses have parameters, decisions to make; it wasn't just a blind leap of faith. It was something she had control over. I sensed that she hated being out of control. Even the feeling of it. Like today, on that platform.

For a minute, I didn't know if she was actually going to do it. But she did. I still had tiny, half moon imprints on my forearms from her fingernails. I didn't mind. I had gotten to hold her. Really hold her. Like had my arms wrapped around her waist, hair pressed to my nose, skin to skin contact hold her. More than that. I got to help her. The look on her face after she faced her fear was all the reward I needed. Also, she smelled like roses and honeysuckle, and her eyes were so so so blue. Even bluer than the sky today, if that was possible, which was so clear it was dizzying. Sophia was dizzying.

"Jake." Speaking of. Sophia was busy with Maia, rinsing off their shoes and lower halves. It was a daily ritual. It had to be. I played football in rainstorms and I'd never gotten as muddy as I do now. She tilted her head at me, "Do you remember if I locked the door when I left?"

"Abby said it didn't matter," I replied with a shrug, immediately regretting the words when I saw Sophia scowl.

"Abby says lots things don't matter," she huffed, shutting off the hose with a tad more force than necessary. "Paying bills, washing dishes, stopping at red lights—"

I cut her off before she got too far into her rant, "I'm sure you locked it, Randall."

"When do I get to meet the mysterious Abby?" asked Maia, wringing out the hem of her t-shirt. Maia has basically been begging to meet Sophia's older sister since she found out about her on Monday. She couldn't believe she'd never met her before, seeing as it was a small island. In all fairness, Abby was pretty awesome. Not that I'd seen her all that much. It seemed like she was always ducking out of the house.

Sophia opened her mouth to respond, but before she could say anything we were greeted with the booming, and presently cheerful voice of our boss. Otis was balancing a precarious stack of black t-shirts, topped with a clipboard and a walkie talkie, which looked as though it was posed to fall at any second.

"Schedules and shirts before you leave," Otis was saying, voice muffled behind the fabric. The pile wobbled dangerously, and Kai and I were able to catch the top of it before it hit the ground. "Thanks team," blustered Otis, a little red in the face. Or maybe he was sunburned.

Maia pounced on the shirts immediately, rummaging through for her size, "Thank god they're a different color. Last year they were this hideous pukey green that totally clashed with—" Otis cleared his throat pointedly, raising an eyebrow at Maia. "Sorry," she said, biting back a smirk. "Schedules?"

"Ah— yes," Otis patted the many and large pockets of his cargo shorts, searching for what I assumed was the clipboard that had fallen off of the stack. Sometimes it felt like Otis was perpetually looking for something. Whether it be his sunglasses, bug spray, walkie talkie, or hat, more often than not they were usually attached to his belt. He was alright though, Otis. He was nice, and a good enough boss, although somewhat less organizationally inclined. Wordlessly, Kai handed him the clipboard. "There it is," he continued, "one for each of you."

"Wait," frowned Maia, pausing, "you aren't assigning us groups?" Her and Sophia had been crossing their fingers all week that they'd be together. Secretly, I'd been crossing my own that Sophia and I would be together. I liked Kai. But I liked Sophia more.

"Well, there's five of you this year," Otis explained. "You four, and Stacey."

At the sound of her name, the violently bleached blonde turned, heading over to join us where we stood. "What's up?" Stacey said, tossing her hair over her shoulder. She beamed at me, "Hi, Jake."

"Hey," I said. Kai raised an eyebrow. Stacey was Ruby's younger sister, eighteen like the rest of us. This was their first summer working at KVE too. They were from Utah, and I was pretty sure that Stacey liked me. Or maybe she was just a very smiley person. Either way. It didn't matter. Stacey was pretty and all. But she was no Sophia.

"...and that's why we're rotating this year with your age group," Otis was saying. "No set pairs, since it's an odd number."

I glanced down at the schedule, and was unhealthily disappointed that Sophia and I were not paired together for the first week. I peeked at her own expression, searching for the same disappointment, or at least a mild sign that she wanted to spend time with me too, but found nothing of substance. I was with Maia though, so I couldn't be too upset. We got along well. I thought we were pretty similar actually. Sophia was with Kai and Stacey, obviously.

"I can't believe you and Kai get to be in the same group!" Maia lamented, sticking her tongue out at her brother, who stuck his own tongue out in response.

Sophia patted her consolingly, "Oh, come on now, Jake's not so bad." She threw me a tiny, teasing smile, blue eyes sparking to life. My stomach did a cartwheel.

"Oh yeah?" I said with a grin, perhaps a bit more flirtatiously than I meant. Kai and Maia each gave me a pointed look. Fine, I meant it. But it wasn't on purpose. Mostly. Look, sometimes when I grinned at her like that she'd get all flustered and pink and it was really cute. Really cute.

She recovered more quickly than I would've liked, narrowing her eyes. "Then again," she added mischievously, "maybe I've just grown used to the creepy shit."

"Uncalled for," I shook my head, but I was smiling. And so was she.

"Stace!" thundered Ruby, her older sister, from their car. "Let's go!"

Stacey waved, jogging to meet the older girl. Though not before saying, "See you tomorrow, Jake!" I nodded in response, and Kai snorted in the most poorly concealed manner I have ever seen.

Maia flung an arm around Sophia's neck. "So," she hummed, "what are we doing to celebrate the end of training week?" Her eyes lit up, already talking a mile a minute. Sophia and I learned instantly never to actually answer one of Maia's questions. Odds were, she already had her own answer and wasn't going to wait to tell you. "You should come over!" she urged excitedly. "Oh-! Or we could head to the beach. I really want to show you this cove— or we could get smoothies at that place in town...what do you think?"

"That all sounds fun..." mumbled Sophia, drifting off slightly. She wavered, and I knew instantly that her mind was in a different place entirely.

"Sophia," prodded Maia expectantly.

She hemmed and hawed for a moment, fidgeting with the bottom of her shirt. "I don't know," she said. "I'm sort of tired. Maybe..."

"Come on," Maia wheedled, never to be deterred. "I've asked you over a bajillion times. Don't you want to?
"No, I do. I do," Sophia insisted. "It's just—"

"You're still thinking about the door," I supplied for her, with a knowing smile. "Aren't you?"

Her eyes scanned my face for a brief moment, and then she looked away, sheepish, "Not no..."

I shook my head good-naturedly at her, sighing in a way that let her know she wasn't being irrational. Well, she was. And she knew that. But I was telling her I didn't mind. "Come on then, Randall," I jingled the keys in my hand for emphasis. "Let's go check."

"Really?" She broke into a brilliant smile. "I know it's stupid, but—"

"It's not," I interrupted. "Not if it's going to make you feel better."

"Thank you," she said, gratefully. Sophia brushed my forearm with her fingertips. It was light and brief and barely there, but somehow it managed to dizzy me. "We'll go somewhere tomorrow," promised Sophia to an exceedingly grumpy Maia. "I swear."

"Surfing," declared Maia, wagging her finger at us. "You are going with us tomorrow morning. No exceptions."

Sophia immediately began to protest, balking at the idea, "Maia, I don't even know how to—"

"We will teach you and Jake," she cut her off. "Do we have a deal?"

"Deal." Reluctantly, Sophia accepted, and Maia squealed happily.

Sophia and I made our way to the beat up, old truck that I'd grown increasingly fond of these past couple days. I didn't ask if she wanted to drive anymore. I'd stopped that after day three. I didn't try to open the door for her either. That stopped after day two when I received a stare so withering, I basically cowered.

I slid in to the driver's seat, checking my phone briefly before turning the key in the ignition. I had three missed calls. One from my mother, one from my father, and one from Danny. I made a mental note to call him once we'd gotten back to the house. I did not want to call either of my parents. I probably should though. At least my mother. I hadn't talked to them in days, and she was probably worried. However, it was the middle of the night there, so I had to wait.

As if reading my mind, Sophia said, "Feeling reluctant to call people back, huh?"

I chuckled lightly, "Just my parents. It's just easier to..."

"Not," finished Sophia. "I get it. I've been avoiding calls from home too." She leans her head against the window as the lush green landscape passes by us.

"I know," I said. I'd noticed. In fact, there was one name in particular I'd seen her hit decline on more than once. "Tommy," I raised my eyebrows at her, "right?" I was testing my limits here and we both knew it. While I knew he wasn't her boyfriend, his name in her contacts had a yellow heart. A heart. Look, I'd just seen it whenever her phone lit up with a text. It was typically from him, which was nearly as worrisome as the stupid yellow heart.

Sophia reddened. Her eyes narrowed, "Spying on me, Sherlock?"

"What'd he do?" I countered, not backing down. I hoped he did something truly awful, and she was never going to speak to him ever again.

She propped her feet on the dashboard, avoiding eye contact. "Nothing."

"Then why are we avoiding him?"

"That," sighed Sophia, "is a long story." She threw me a pointed look, "That I am not telling."

I put my hands up as a gesture of innocence, making my eyes as wide as they could feasibly go. "I didn't ask," I said, lips twitching slightly.

"You want to," she replied, glancing sideways at me. "I can tell."

"And you call me Sherlock?" She was right though. I did want to ask. It was at times like these I wished I could read Sophia like everybody else. Maybe then I could figure out exactly who this Tommy character was to her, and why he made her chew on her lower lip and pick at the polish on her fingernails.

The rest of the car ride passed in comfortable silence, coupled with me sneaking looks at Sophia's profile. She was staring out the window, pensive and somehow free of total burden. Almost as if she was in another world. That was one of my favorite things about her. Other people might call it being spacey, or chronic daydreaming, or getting lost in your own head. If anything, this was the place Sophia was most found. I didn't mind the zoning out at all. It was like she had just discovered a secret, and I desperately wanted to know what that secret was.

When I pulled up to the house, I noted that Abby's car wasn't anywhere to be found, and concluded she must still be at work. Sophia wasted no time in marching up to the door and testing what had been vexing her for the past twenty or so minutes. I followed close behind, watching as she attempted to open the door and was unable to accomplish it.

I smiled as she turned around to face me, looking sheepish, "I told you you locked it."

"You must think I'm insane," scoffed Sophia, running a hand through her hair. She raised her head, looking up at me.

"Little bit," I teased, hovering my index finger over my thumb the closest it could be without actually touching. She huffed and swatted me, her eyes doing that deliciously scary blue thing they did when she was annoyed with someone. I grinned, shrugging what I hoped was a nonchalant shoulder, "Kinda cute, though."

Sophia's cheeks reddened slightly, and she tucked her hair behind her ears. She ignored my comment, unlocking the door and entering the house. But I saw a shy little smile on her face, almost as if she was self conscious, yet simultaneously pleased. It was all I could do not to pump my fist in the air and let out a victory whoop.

I stood in the doorway, scratching my head. "I should probably call Danny back," I mumbled, mainly to myself. I jabbed a thumb outside, and Sophia nodded

I stepped out onto the porch, settling down on wooden steps that creaked under my weight. The paint was chipped and peeling off in little flecks that stuck to the mesh of my gym shorts, dotting the black fabric with with white spots. I dug my phone out of my back pocket and scrolled to Danny's name. He picked up on the third ring.

"Jake!" exclaimed Danny, his face filling the screen. He was flushed and perspiring, and wherever he was was very loud. I could practically feel the bass thumping myself. "I've missed you sweetheart," he boomed, wagging a finger at me. He was tipsy for sure, and whatever party he was at was crowded as hell.

"Looks like you're having fun," I laughed, raising my eyebrows.

"I'm a social butterfly, J, you know me."

I rolled my eyes, "Of course. You gotta fly."

"You get it," he grinned at me, as someone bumped by him. "Though it's not the same without you, Jakey babe."

I grinned right back at him, "I'm irreplaceable."

He panned the camera around the party, and I valiantly tried to make faces out in the dim bluish light. It was to no avail. I couldn't even tell whose house it was out. I could guess, of course. All the usual suspects, I assumed.

"Say hi to Jake everyone!" commanded Danny. A chorus of drunken voices responded, all waving and cheering.

"We miss your face, Jake," a chirpy voice sang, and another face came into the screen.

"Hey, Allie," I waved back, and watched as she skipped off to dance somewhere else.

Danny began to walk outside of the house, finding a quieter place so that he could actually talk to me. Apparently, he was more sober than I'd first thought. He'd always had a killer tolerance though. Even better than mine. Which never made sense because I was a good four or so inches taller than him.

He leaned closer to the camera, "She definitely misses your face."

"What?" I frowned, confused.

"Allie," said Danny, tilting his head. "Who else? She's been asking about you ever since she broke up with her boyfriend."

"Oh."

"Oh?" Danny's brow wrinkled. "You had like a massive crush on her this year. You were all psyched to ask her to prom, but then we found out she was dating that dude from the all boys place."

I remembered. Distantly, though. I had liked Allie. She was in my statistics class and she was nice and played soccer and had short hair that most people couldn't pull off. I had wanted to asl her to prom. That all seemed very very far away now. Like a dream I'd once had. I glanced behind me, looking up at the window where I could see Sophia in the kitchen. I smiled unconsciously. I knew it'd only been a week, but it was hard to remember a time where I hadn't been able to look up and see Sophia. A time without her blue eyes and freckles and the stubborn little set of her mouth when she was annoyed. Her sarcastic barbs, always accompanied with a smirk that took my breath away, and perfect snark. A time where I liked Allie. How had I even survived without all of that before? Without Sophia? I couldn't fathom it.

"Who are you gaping at?" Danny's query interrupted my thoughts, breaking my Sophia induced daze. I snapped back to look at him, guilty. "Ah," he caught on fast, shaking his head knowingly at me. "We're still stuck on airplane girl, then?"

"Shh!" My eyes bugged wide. My phone was not on a low volume by any means, and the window was open.

"Well, now I have to meet her," proclaimed Danny. And as I moved to say ask emphatic no, he quickly bellowed, "Unless you want me to talk ore about how madly, deeply, IN—"

I panicked and relented immediately, "Okay! Okay. Shut up!"

"Folded like damn cheese," my best friend chuckled, as I rose from the porch and reluctantly stepped inside the house. Sophia was at the sink, drying a glass.

"Um, hey," I spoke, albeit a bit awkwardly. "So— my friend from back home wants to... meet you? Is that okay?" Sophia looked surprised, but nodded all the same, and I turned the phone screen to her.

"Best friend," clarified Danny, the minute Sophia's face swam into his view.

"Yes," I rolled my eyes. "He is regrettably my best friend."

"I can't believe you put up with him," Danny addressed Sophia, and I had the decency to look offended.

She giggled, "Neither can I." She lifted a coy shoulder, lips twitching, "But what can you do. Regrettably, I'm sort of stuck with him."

Danny beamed, "Oh, I like her." I groaned inwardly, palming my face. This could not end well for me. "I'm Danny," his introduction was glitchy. The service wasn't great in the house.

"Sophia," she replied, blue eyes sparkling.

"Jake's right," he said slyly, "you are pretty."

"Danny," I hissed, my face blanching and the back of my neck simultaneously becoming blindingly hot.

But he was still talking. "He gets nervous around pretty girls, so don't take it too seriously when he says something super nerdy or creepy."

Before I could even protest, or delve further into embarrassment, without missing a beat Sophia shot back with, "In my experience, it's typically both."

Danny laughed out loud. Straight up guffawed. I groaned again. This was a mistake. Evidently.

"Okay," I finally stepped in, put an end to the Jake bashing. I knew without a shadow of a doubt that both of them could go back and forth all night. "I think that about wraps this up."

"Awww," Sophia pouted, and Danny mimicked her. "It's just too easy, Sherlock."

I poked my tongue out at her, and bid Danny a final goodbye, but not before he mouthed very aggressively at me, I really like her. Just as I was about to put my phone back in my pocket, it lit up with a text. I grinned down at the screen. I couldn't help it.

Danny: she calls you SHERLOCK?! im screaming for you jakey babe

"I like him," commented Sophia, the corners of her mouth lifting.

"Well, that's good," I snorted. "Because when Danny like someone, you never get rid of him. And he definitely likes you."

There was a beat of silence, and then Sophia smirked, looking up at me beneath her long long lashes, "You told him I'm a pretty girl, huh?"

I swallowed, licking my lips. Pretty girls really did make me nervous. Sophia most of all. "Maybe."

"You think I'm pretty," she said, her blue eyes locked with mine. I could hear my heart in my ears. Her lips parted slightly, and I swear to god the moment froze.

That is, until it shattered. Her phone blared through the silence, and broke through the heavy quiet. She stepped back, eyes cast towards the noise. Was that a fucking Ed Sheeran song? Whose ringtone is an Ed Sheeran song? You know the one. The one they play at every school dance for those couples that have been together since like, the seventh grade.

"I should probably—" she grabbed the phone off the counter. She laughed slightly, gesturing to my own phone, "You jump, I jump, Jack, right?" And she headed outside. And just as the screen door slammed shut, I heard her say two words, "Hey, Tommy."

Well, fuck.