I try not to grip his waist too tightly as he speeds up a path to an unfamiliar area. My stomach churns with a mix of excitement and—fear? I focus on his legs instead—the way they pedal and flex with each kick. When he begins to slow down, I finally relax and let go. He hops off the bike and extends a hand to me, a playful grin on his face. I smile back, taking his hand and swing my leg over to get off, my stomach still fluttering from the ride.

"We'll have to walk the rest of the way. There are too many stones and twigs," he says, glancing back at me as he leads the way. His smile confident and easy.

"Is this some sort of secret hangout? Are you sure it's okay if I just—barge in?" I follow, trying to keep up with his quick steps, as if he's memorized where every stone and twig lay, he slows his pace to match mine.

He glances down at me, his amber eyes almost twinkling, a hint of pride in his voice; "not to brag, but I'm the founder of the group."

"Wooow," I reply sarcastically, earning a chuckle from him "it feels like I'm heading to the White House."

This isn't like me—when have I ever cracked jokes? A wave of self-doubt washes over me, but his laughter reassures me.

"Don't worry, they'll love you—I'm usually the first to arrive, so I'll tell you a bit about them. You can judge later."

I fiddle with the hem of my shirt. When was the last time I made a friend? Elementary school maybe? Smile Dani. Don't mess this up. Just for this summer, keep smiling.

"Here we are." He stops and places the bike by a tree "the team friendship hideout."

"What?" I laugh, caught off guard, "team friendship?"

He smiles fondly and shakes his head "not my idea."

We reach the clearing, and my breath catches. The gazebo stands nestled among the trees, its wooden structure adorned with creeping vines. The leaves sway gently, catching rays of sunlight that filter through the trees. Inside, there were three benches, marked with carvings and colorful doodles, seem to hold years of memories.

A smile spreads across my face as I turn to Theo, who watches me with an amused expression. "It's beautiful."

"Yeah—It is." He smiles and steps inside "we've been maintaining it for three years now. Making sure it doesn't collapse."

I nod, "it would be pretty with some flowers."

"Should we plant some next time?" His tone is casual, but the way he tilts his head, waiting for my answer, makes me pause.

Next time? Does that mean I can come back here?
That makes you happy doesn't it? Being alone with a strange boy in the middle of nowhere. You're going to get hurt. Leave while you still can.
Or...stay, be reckless for once.

"Sure." I say with a small smile, taking a seat next to him on the middle bench, "who are your friends, by the way?"

"Oh—right." He takes out this phone and shows me his wallpaper. "We usually spend all summer together, and since this is the last before I start collage we're going all out. It'll be nice if you can join us too."

I hesitate, feeling out of place once again.

"I don't want to impose," I say, shaking my head, "it feels like I'm transferring to a new school when the year is almost over."

"Oh—I didn't think of it that way...how about this? We call you whenever we hang out and you come if you feel up to it. If not, it's all good." He says and casually shrugs "we like meeting new people. In fact, Liz joined us earlier this year. So you won't be the only newbie." He winks, his smile softens "and I'd like to see you more often."

I smile back, feeling my cheeks heat up again, I take my attention off of him and back to the wallpaper. Four people, five including him. They're all grinning at the camera with the beach behind them.

They all look so happy...my chest tightens and I stare at him in the picture, his hair is ruffled, sunkissed cheeks, and a grin so wide it made my cheeks hurt just by looking at it.

"We took this during the last holiday." He smiles fondly at the photo.

"You all dyed your hair...you're like the team from My Little Pony." I say, focusing on the blue strip in his hair in the photo, it oddly brings out the gold in his eyes.

He burst out laughing "you got the joke!"

I smile shyly, pride bubbling up. Am I actually funny?

"Hey!" Someone shouts in the distance, twigs crunch under footsteps as they get closer, "Theo's here already!"

"Of course he is," another voice, and a much deeper one, responds as two figures come into view, placing their bikes next to Theo's. They stop when they notice me, then glance at Theo, their eyes going back and forth. Feeling self conscious, I awkwardly raise my hand and wave.

"Hey, sorry to impose. I'm Dianthe—Dani." I stand up once they get inside the gazebo, fidgeting with the hem of my shirt again.

They exchange a smile as the girl steps towards me, extending her hand. She's a beautiful chestnut tan, long dark brown curly hair tipped with red, her soft blue eyes in a smile "I'm Naomi. And this is my boyfriend, Andre."

"Sup." Andre raises a hand in greeting, he's tall-six feet tall at least-with dark mocha skin, black box braids that sway as he moves, thick eyebrows with brown eyes and a strong jawline. After giving Theo a fist bump, he turns to Naomi with a soft smile that makes me feel a tad envious.

Andre glances at his phone, "the others said they're on their way."

We chat casually until two more arrive. A cute petite girl with pale skin and rosey cheeks, short blonde hair with a pink background, and brown eyes stands tall beside a boy who towers over her with a light brown mullet, sunkissed olive skin, and eyes in a beautiful hazel green color—like moss on wood.

"Heyyy~ I got the message that Theo brought a girl?" The blonde grins, her eyes meet mine with a sparkle "hey girly! I'm Elizabeth, but call me Liz."

"Hey, I'm Dianthe—Dani." I high five her raised hand awkwardly.

"And I'm Luca." The boy with hazel eye says, smiling with perfect straight teeth, it's almost intimidating. "Nice meeting you. Are you joining us for the trip this month?"

"Oh, um..." I glance at Theo, fidgeting with the hem of my shirt. His reassuring smile nudges me to answer. "I just got here, so I don't know..."

Liz nods thoughtfully, "how about you hang out with us for the week and decide by then? You know, like a trail run."

Andre huffs a laugh, Naomi grins "we definitely need another girl on the team. Do you have a bike?"

"Um...no, but my sister does," I reply and purse my lips into a smile.

"Perfect. We get around by bike anyways—none of us have cars yet, but all of us, except Liz, passed the driving test." She scrunches her nose playfully towards Liz who rolls her eyes in response.

I chuckle shoftly. Theo nudges her, "so, what's the game today? Your pick Naomi."

Her eyes light up as she leans forward, "how about...moss ball burst? Something light for today. We don't want to scare off the newbie." She wiggles her brows "you down?"

"I don't know that game..." I smile nervously.

I feel anxious. Am I doing this right?

"I'd be suspicious if you did! We came up with it anyways." Naomi laughs, waving a hand "so basically we divide into two or three teams, collect moss, shape it into a ball then roll it down hill. First one to burst looses. Sounds easy and fun, right?"

"Yeah. Sounds like fun." I smile and tap my shoes together, "how do you decide teams?"

Andre pulls out his phone and goes on an app "we do this often, I got an app for it." I watch as he types in our names and presses the mix button. "Alright. Team one: me, Liz, and Luca. Team two: Dani, Theo, and Naomi. Top of the hill in an hour."

I look up at Theo and exchange smiles, Andre places a hand behind Naomi's head and leans in to whisper something in her ear, she responds with a grin "oh you're on big feet." I chuckle at the nickname and he smirks down at her before walking off with his group.

"Alright team. Let's go down by the stream." Theo turns to us "it's been a while so there might be fresh patches."

I follow behind, making sure I don't dirty my shoes too much, I don't know how I'd be able to explain having muddy shoes if my mom asks. Naomi bends down and pokes at a soft green patch.

"Hey, remember when we had to dig up a few worms for a science project?" Theo looks at me.

"Yeah?" I wrinkle my nose at the memory.

"I caught the most because of this game." He grins and lifts his eyebrows once.

I chuckle and shake my head "gross."

Naomi straightens, a handful of moss in her grip. "The only problem with this game is keeping the ball together. It always falls apart on the second roll."

"Why not tie it up?" I suggest and wiggle a long piece of moss between us.

"What do you mean?" Her brows furrow.

"With string," I respond "I mean I used to glue moss on wood and rocks but never in a ball..."

Naomi hums thoughtfully, then rummages through her bag. "Would floss work?"

Theo comes over with a handful of moss "any ideas ladies?"

We explain, and soon the three of us are wrapping floss around the moss ball like a makeshift present.

"We're so beating Andre." Naomi chuckles devilishly.

We carry our moss ball to the top of the hill just outside the forest and wait for the others. Theo checks his watch. "Ten more minutes."

"So, Dani, where are you from?" Naomi looks at me, her cheek pressed on her knee.

"I was born and raised here but my mom is from Greece," I smile, "and you?"

Her lips curl into a teasing smirk. "Oh~ a descendant of a Greek goddess, huh?" I feel my cheeks flush as she continues, "I'm from California, and both my parents are Mexican."

"Oh? When did you come here?"

"I think...back in sixth grade?" she looks at Theo who shrugs.

"What about you?" I ask him.

"I was born in Wisconsin, raised here. I don't know my birth parents, but the ones who raised me are Canadian." He nods to himself.

His words make my heart tighten. "I'm sorry to hear that," I say softly.

He smiles shyly, rubbing the back of his neck. Before I can say anything further, he points down the hill. "There they are! Two more minutes! Take your time!"

We all stand as the other team approaches, their moss ball a lopsided monster, moss and mud sticking out like bed hair. Liz holds it with muddy hands, her expression smug and bright.

"Aww, your ball looks so tiny and cute," Andre mocks, blinking dramatically at Naomi "are you gifting it to your kitten?"

Naomi flips him off. Luca steps in the middle and Theo heads to the bottom of the hill. Naomi hands me the moss ball and I crouch down besides Liz.

"Alright team friendship!" Luca starts, I slap my mouth and Naomi giggles, "the moss balls burst tournament starts now! There's only one round, who's ever ball burst first, loses. The winning team decides the punishment. Get ready on the count of three...one...two...three!"

Both balls roll downhill. Ours is small and compact, holding steady as the opposing team's giant ball wobbles and bursts halfway down, spraying moss everywhere. I try to hold my excitement as our ball continues rolling downhill.

Theo pumps his fist into the air, laughing. Naomi and I high-five. She marches up to Andre, hands on her hips; "still ready to honor that bet, pretty boy?"

"I don't break my word, woman," Andre replies with a smirk, unbothered by the loss. Liz groans, leaning heavily on Luca who shakes his head.

"How did yours not explode?" Luca looks at me, Theo jogs up by my side panting, holding out the moss ball tied in floss, still in tact. "Ohhhh. Smart."

"Alright!" Naomi grins, rubbing her hands together mischievously. "As punishment..." She pulls out her phone, motioning for Theo and I to come closer. We lean in, forming a tight circle, as she shows us a few photos she's found on Pinterest. "How about this pose?" she giggles, barely containing her excitement.

Theo and I exchange amused glances before nodding in agreement. Naomi reveals the group pose to the others, and Luca, Andre, and Liz immediately burst into laughter.

As Naomi starts snapping photos, I try my best to hold back a laugh, biting down on my lip. Theo crosses his arms with a crooked grin, shaking his head softly. The entire scene feels ridiculous, and we burst out laughing as a mom walks by with her child and speeds up her pace, the child looking back and laughing at us with a pointed finger.

I check my phone, my heart flutters in dread, not wanting time to pass so fast "it's almost 9am, I've got to go."

After hugging Naomi and Liz goodbye, I wave to the others and make my way downhill. As I continue my walk, I hear footsteps behind me. Turning, I see Theo jogging to catch up "Dani!"

"Yes?" I ask, tilting my head.

"Let me give you a ride back," he says, slightly out of breath.

"Oh, no, thank you though," I reply, shaking my head, "I'd rather walk."

"You must be tired. And don't worry, you're not imposing. Liz and Luca have their part time job and Naomi and Andre and going on a date, so please?" He gives me a pleading look, fluttering his lashes dramatically.

I laugh softly, "since you put it that way...sure."

His grin is boyish, cheeks dusted in pink from the jog, and his hair ruffled by the breeze. My chest feels strange—light and warm.

Back at the 'hideout', he stretches, his shirt riding up slightly. I quickly look away. Once we're outside the forest, I hop on the back of his bike and hold onto his shirt. "Is this okay?"

"I preferred what you did earlier," he teases, glancing back. I hesitate before placing a hand lightly on his waist. He rides at a steady pace, following my directions until we reach my neighborhood.

"Nice neighborhood," he says, stopping the bike.

"They're all the same here," I reply with a chuckle and get off the bike.

He stands there smiling at me, one leg still on the peddle, anxiety starts to eat me away. Why is he staring so much? Do I have something on my face? Is he regretting asking me to tag along?

"Thank you again," I blurt out, breaking the silence. "This was...new. I really liked it."

"I'm glad to hear that." His gaze softens. "I—We can't wait to see you again."

"Yeah..." My cheeks heat up. "I should go. Enjoy the rest of your day, Theo."

I turn to leave but he grabs my arm, my stomach flips, butterflies flutter as if trying to escape a glass cage.

"Wait...say my name again?" His eyes slightly wide.

"...Theo? I'm sorry, should I call you Theodore?" I stammer and give him a nervous smile. Did I mes-

"No" his cheeks stain pink "I like it." He purses his lips and places his back on the handle "see you around Dani!"

I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding in and place a hand where his hand had been, it feels hot. As if I'd been burned.

This feels...new. Nice. Exciting.

...But don't get used to it. This won't last long. They were just being polite. You didn't even talk much. They probably think you're weird. Just stay home. It's better that way. Don't stress yourself out. They're not worth it. Pathetic.