Becker's POV...

"Becker, wake up, we're here!" Declan's loud voice abruptly wakes me from an unusually peaceful slumber.

Greya smiles next to me while I hand her back her air pod.

We pile out of the van and grab our bags from the trunk area.

"I've never seen you fall asleep around anyone before," Declan says to me while reaching for his soccer bag.

I shrug my shoulders at him. " I'm sure you have," I lie. The truth is, I felt comfortable near Greya, safe really. I know she moved to the back row for me, she has her suspicions about me, yet doesn't push me for answers. Instead she tries to protect me in a way. That's what it feels like anyway. I can almost be myself around her and keep my real insecurities hidden.

"Hey, you alright?" Ari startles me by slapping me on the back of my shoulder making me react poorly.

"Whoa, I was only seeing if you needed help getting the bags. You look like you zoned out for a minute there," she says.

"I'm fine," I mumble back while handing over her bags.

"Someone woke up on the wrong side of the van," she mocks me before grabbing her stuff and jogging over to Greya.

A guy and a girl come walking towards us from the dorms. "Welcome to UCLA campus! I'm Nate, one of the team captains and this is Skye, captain of the girls team. This is where most of the freshmen players stay and you will be sharing rooms with them this weekend." Nate informs us.

"It's a smaller dorm, the guys are on the second floor and the girls on the first, we share a common room though. Ready ?" Skye says while they start leading us over to the building.

I walk behind everyone, taking everything in. This would be so great, living on campus, playing the sport I love, only worrying about my studies and not looking out for the next blow to the gut.

"We have 8:00 am sessions & breakfast is at 7:00 tomorrow so we should probably show you to your rooms," I hear Nate say.

The girls give us a small wave goodbye as they follow Skye to their rooms. I catch Declan's eyes on Ari watching her until she rounds the corner and I chuckle at him.

"Oh, you got it bad," I joke with him.

"Shut up! At least I'm making an effort."

I laugh again, "true."

We are each bunked in a room with a freshman on the soccer team. My roommate was nice and all, but I've always been cynical about falling asleep in a room with someone I don't know. If I was being rational, which I know I'm not, I'd be able to let go of my fear of being pummeled in my sleep. I've gotten by without sleep for this long and I don't imagine things changing any time soon. It wouldn't hurt to walk around the dorm for a bit.

The common room is empty this time of the night. It's peaceful really. Soon my fingers find their way across the keys of a piano in the corner of the room. No one will hear me if I play softly. I close my eyes and let my hands play the calming melody. Memories of my mother invade my mind. She's sitting with me on the piano bench, teaching me how to play, nothing but a proud smile shown on her face as she looks at me. These are the only moments I remember with my mother, the only memories I haven't repressed. But like all good memories, these too will fade in time.

"Wow, that was beautiful," Greya's quiet voice startles me and I freeze up.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you stop playing. You are an amazing piano player, I didn't even know you could play like that," Greya says as she cautiously slides her body onto the bench next to me.

Breathe Becker, she's innocently sitting with you, don't act like an idiot.

I haven't moved since she sat down. "Beck?" She says my name in the form of a question; obviously noticing my awkwardness.

"Hey, yes I'm full of surprises," I manage to say and give her a smile.

"What are you doing here? You should be getting rest before our sessions tomorrow," I say to her, trying to avert the attention away from myself.

"I can ask you the same thing," she shrugs. She is so difficult sometimes.

Fine, if she isn't going to tell me why she's still awake, I'll have to try a different approach.

"Playing the piano helps me relax," I honestly admit.

"What?" Her bright green eyes wide with surprise after realizing I may have let her in on one of my secrets. I'll get her to let me in on hers as well.

" When I can't sleep, I play the piano. The melody is something I can choose, it's soothing ," I surprise her even more.

"Can you play something else?" She looks down at the keys and brushes her fingers lightly across them.

I can't help but smile at her. No one since my mom has asked me to play for them before.

I begin playing the first song that pops into my head. Looking over towards Grey, I see her eyes are closed, her body swaying lightly with the music and her hand pretending she's the one performing the tune.

God only knows why, but for what ever reason I reach for her hand. My palm rests on top of hers while my fingers guide hers along the keys. What am I doing? My mind shifts between fear and comfort as an unfamiliar all-consuming physical sensation takes over my whole body when I touch her soft skin.

Her eyes remain closed, lips slightly turned upward, reassuring me that she approves of my unexpected actions. Before I have the chance to try and figure out these new feelings, she speaks.

"I'm worried, I've never left home before," she says, catching me off guard with this new revelation.

"What?" She chuckles, probably from the dumbfounded look on my face.

"You've never been away from home before?" I know I'm repeating what she just said, but I find it hard to believe, I need to make sure I heard her correctly.

She keeps her focus on the piano keys. Her revelation is odd, but I don't want her to feel embarrassed.

"I've never had the opportunity to get away," she solemnly answers.

"Why not?" I'm being direct, I know, but I'm curious as to why the nicest, most talented, and one of the smartest girls at our school hasn't had an opportunity to spend even one night away until now. I wonder if her parents are strict and never allowed her out much.

"I just couldn't," she flatly states, not offering me any further explanation.

"What made you able to get away this weekend then?" I want to know.

"Fynn," is all she says to me.

Before I can ask her anything else, we're interrupted by some scrawny guy wearing glasses and flannel pajamas.

"You two should probably get some sleep, I hear the coaches aren't going to be easy on you tomorrow," he says while we both look at him funny.

"Who are you?" I question him because he doesn't look like a college athlete.

"My name is Kyle, I'm the RA on this floor. If you need anything, I'm in room 105." With that, he continues walking down the opposite hallway.

Greya carefully slides off the bench without making contact, then stands facing me and holds out her hand.

"Whoever scores the most goals tomorrow, the other has to buy the winner coffee for the next week!" She smirks while still holding out her hand for me to shake.

I can't help but laugh, she jokingly gave me a taste of my own medicine.

I'm still laughing when I stand up and take her hand to shake it. "Deal."