pau - done (or) finished.

The goodbyes between Emerson, his friends, and Rosalind aren't exactly difficult. But, for some, it seems harder than for most.

"What do you think they're talking about?" Claire asks Emerson as she pulls her suitcase from Rosalind's Jeep with a small grunt of effort.

Emerson glances over at Rosalind and Alex, him giving her a small smile as she laughs at whatever he said. He nods at her reply, giving her a soft joking punch to the arm, a sign of friendship. He begins to walk away but she stops him, grabbing his arm. Turning around with an expression of hesitance, Alex is surprised by a sudden hug. This is when Emerson looks away.

"It's as if Rosalind didn't just start flirting with him only a few days ago." Claire snorts.

"Who knows." He replies, shrugging. "Something could have happened last night while they were snorkeling out by the reefs."

She sighs, tucking her short dark hair behind her ear, her full lips tucked into a slight pout of confusion. "I hope he doesn't get hurt. Do you think they exchanged numbers?"

"Probably."

"Gah." She winces, staring over at Alex as he finally walks away from her.

"What do you have against her?" Emerson smirks slightly, taking in her opposed stance, her arms crossed over her chest.

"What?" She questions, throwing her small backpack over her shoulder as she looks up at him innocently, "I don't have anything against her. I'm gonna go check our bags in, okay?" She offers when she spots Rosalind walking over hesitantly.

Emerson nods with a small smile. When he sees her look warily in the blonde's direction he frowns. Does it still bother her that Rosalind was interested in him? Or maybe it's the fact that he was infatuated with her throughout most of the trip that's getting to her. Either way, he hates the thought of Claire believing she's second best.

"Wait up." He speaks up as she begins rolling both of their suitcases away and she stops instantly, looking back expectantly.

"What? Did I forget something?" She asks, her eyes meeting his.

"No but I did." He steps forward, planting a soft kiss on her cheek, "You look beautiful today."

"Shut up wearing my airplane clothes and absolutely zero makeup. I'm leaving now, weirdo." She says dryly but he spots the slight tint in her cheeks and her tiny smile she's trying to hide.

"Okay see you in there." He chuckles, watching her walk inside before turning around.

"Hey." Rosalind stops in front of him, rocking back on her heels, "I just wanted to say goodbye."

"Yeah me too." He smiles, "Thanks for everything by the way. It was an amazing trip and it wouldn't have been the same without you."

"There's no one else I would have rather been crashed on an island with." She laughs, her blue eyes alight. They stand there silently for a moment, Emerson feeling a slightly awkward turn in the air before she clears her throat, tucking her hair behind her ear, "I just...wanted to say that I'm sorry."

"You have nothing to apologize for." He assures her, "Seriously." He laughs a little when her expression lightens significantly and relief fills her smile, "What happened - happened I guess. We both obviously felt things that just weren't meant to last. That doesn't mean we're not friends though, right?"

Rosalind stares up at him, a strange look on her pretty face, "You're a really different kind of guy, you know that?"

"Well you're a different kind of girl." He replies, "By the way, what's with you and Alex?" His voice takes on a teasing tone.

"Okay that's enough of that." Rosalind laughs, "Alex is...well he's Alex."

"Fair enough." He agrees, "I uh...I guess I'll see you around."

"I'd give you a hug but you're amazing new girlfriend is watching us from behind the glass doors." Rosalind laughs, "But don't turn around we'll just pretend we don't see her."

He fights a smile. "She's not my girlfriend."

"Yet?" Rosalind asks him with a raised brow.

He releases a small chuckle, kicking a small rock at his foot with his hands shoved into his pockets before replying, "Yeah. Not yet."

"Good luck. I wish you guys every happiness." She tells him, "And remind Alex to text me every once in a while, would you?"

"Yes, I will." Emerson laughs, shaking his head, and walks back inside to meet Claire who stands free of luggage and a with a curious expression.

"What'd she say?" She wonders.

Emerson throws an arm over her petite shoulders, walking with her in a rhythmic stride towards security. "That you're amazing."

"She did not."

"She did too."

⃒ ″ never waste a day of your life wishing you had someone else's ″  ⃒

The plane ride home is definitely a little easier for the six friends. Emerson's fear of heights has significantly decreased and he can actually enjoy looking out at the white clouds and endless blue sky from his window seat. Claire bribed Rhyme with her laptop for the entirety of the flight which has multiple shows and movies downloaded in order to switch seats with him from a few rows back.

"Now what are we going to do?" Emerson asks her as they settle into their seats, now able to unlocked their seatbelts and do their best to get comfortable.

"Talk and giggle like teens do."

"Fair enough."

"No actually I downloaded some stuff on my phone too because I figured you would forget. So, if we get bored, we can watch The Office." She winks with a smile, pulling her baby pink hoodie over her head and pulling on the drawstrings.

Laughing, Emerson shakes his head. "I did forget so thank you very much."

"You're welcome. I also bought some very overpriced snacks from the airport so what'll it be? The fifteen dollar gold fish or the ten dollar candy?"

"Definitely candy first." Emerson nods, "Which I will Cash App you for later."

"Nope my treat. You can pay next time." She chirps, opening the bag of sweets.

"Next time?" He grins.

"Yeah. Like when we get home and you take me on a real date." Claire speaks nonchalantly, "I like white roses by the way."

"I know, I remember." Emerson laughs, "Now are you going to give me one of those or not?" He laughs, reaching over to grab a piece of candy. She smirks, holding them out of reach into Alex's face who looks beyond perturbed.

"Claire." He reaches for them, leaning closer, his fingertips grazing the plastic bag, "You do know your arms are much shorter than mine right?" He looks down at her as she fights laughter in the quiet plane, his face next to hers as she strains.

She releases a small quiet laugh as she leans as far away from him as possible over into Alex's lap who glares deeply at her for interrupting his episode of The Flash. "Claire! Seriously stop and give him the freaking candy!" He whispers.

She and Emerson exchange a glance before busting into a fit of laughter, hands on their mouths as their faces turn red with effort to stay quiet.

Alex sighs, "This is going to be the longest flight of my life."

Alex wasn't exactly wrong because, on the long flight home, he seems to be the only one who isn't fully enjoying himself. Claire and Emerson use each other as pillows as they snooze happily on his left, Isaac and Gwen laugh together quietly at some romantic comedy in the the catty corner to him. Meanwhile, Rhyme sits next to an elderly man who has been telling him stories about him and his 1980's biker gang and he is eating up every word.

In the meantime, Alex tries to get comfortable in his tiny airplane seat but after he fell asleep for a few minutes, he woke up having to pee like no other. Emerson notices this as he's shaken awake by some slight turbulence.

"You good, man?" He asks Alex with a chuckle, watching as his friends bounces his knee up and down aggressively, his eyes locked on the seatbelt light overhead.

"Uh..." Alex sighs, "I have to go to the bathroom big time. The seatbelt light has been on for the last thirty minutes and this stupid turbulence won't stop." His frustrated grimace tightens further when the plane bumps up and down again, seatbelt pressing against his bladder.

"Just push the flight attendant button and see if they'll just let you go." Claire mumbles with her eyes closed, clearly now awakened by their conversation.

He shakes his head, "There's no time. I need to go now or there's going to be an accident." His dark chuckle makes Claire snort.

"Fine then go. But you'll get caught and I'm not gonna save you." She sighs, leaning further into Emerson to get a bit more comfortable. Alex looks to Emerson but he simply shrugs.

"Do you what you gotta do, man."

"Right." He speaks lowly, slowly undoing his seatbelt and peaking down the isle. They're stationed close to the back of the plane so he shouldn't have too much trouble getting into the laboratory unseen.

As soon as he's up, he's making a quick and painful dash to the restroom, his eyes on the prize. A few people give him weird looks as he passes but they say nothing.

Emerson watches as he opens the door and, once it's closed and locked, he relaxes once again against the side of the plane, pulling the window blind down as far as it'll go. He doesn't wake again until the plane has landed safely in their small home town.

⃒ " loyalty is being honest even in the moments where you may lose everything. "  ⃒

When the friends finally go their separate ways, after being in one another's constant company for the past two weeks, it almost doesn't feel right. They all exchange hugs as if they won't see each other for ages even though they know a week might not even pass before they're all together once again.

They all take separate Lyfts and Ubers just so they can all go straight home and lay in the comfort of their own beds. Oh and their family is pretty important too.

"I'll see you soon." Claire tells Emerson as he helps her shove her belongings into the trunk of the vehicle.

"Soon." He echoes with a nod and a smile, pulling her in for a hug. He's excited to have a second to himself to reflect on everything that's happened over the last two weeks but he's not excited to be without the company of his best friend.

"Bye." She smiles sweetly, closing the car door and giving him a small wave as she pulls away. He waves back with a slight chuckle.

As soon as Emerson steps into his home, he's bombarded with kisses from his mother and a big pat on the back and a hug from his father. He laughs nervously, not used to his father showing him any sort of physical affection.

"Hey guys." He nods to his dead with a small smile.

"How was your flight?" His mom asks, taking the handle or his suitcase from him and guiding him out of the foyer straight into the kitchen.

"It was good." He sighs, taking a seat atop a tall kitchen stool, "They took my scissors during security check though and Alex got in trouble for peeing when the seatbelt light was on."

"I'm surprised you made it through the first time." His father grumbles, grabbing a cookie from the plate his mother offers him.

"What doesn't surprise me is that Alex got into trouble." His mom chuckles teasingly.

"Same. The trip was as fantastic though." Emerson grins happily, snatching a cookie for himself and taking a bite.

His parents pause for a moment, looking at him in a peculiar fashion. His mother furrows her brows as she studies him, setting the plate down on the counter, before looking at her husband. They exchange an odd glance.

"What?" Emerson asks through a mouth full of chocolate and carbs.

"You just seem...different." His mom replies with a proud smile, "You seem happy."

"I am happy." He responds, feeling a little awkward under their gaze. He supposes he hadn't really thought about how people around him may react to his new mindset.

"Anything happen that we should know about?" His dad asks him with raised brows.

"Well..." He swallows, avoiding their eyes, "There is this girl."

"You met a girl?"

"Calm down, Regan." His dad laughs, "What's her name?"

Emerson hesitates before replying, "Claire."

"Her names Claire? That must be weird for Claire." Regan laughs, looking over at his dad who is giving her a small smirk, "What?" He doesn't say anything, "Paul, quit looking at me like that. What's going on?"

"Honey, I think that Claire is Claire." Paul says slowly. Her brows remain furrowed until she locks eyes with Emerson and she sees his burning cheeks.

"Oh. I see. And you like her?" He nods, "Does she know this?" Her shocked expression is laid out on her face like an open book. He's not surprised though. After all, he never expected this to happen either.

"Yeah, she knows." He tells them, standing up and nonchalantly checking the fridge for a drink.

"Okay..." She answers with a laugh, "How does she feel?"

"She feels the same." He tells her, grabbing the pitcher of orange juice, "She's the one who told me how she felt. I had no idea."

"Neither did I." She sighs, leaning against the counter with a bewildered expression, "Wow that's quite a shock. I'm happy for you."

"Thanks mom." He laughs.

"Is there anything else we should know about?" His father asks him, taking a seat at the table.

Emerson pauses, thinking for a moment about the Hawaiian beaches. He remembers the sticky humid breeze almost as if it's still blowing against his skin. He remembers the feeling of falling from that airplane and the leaping in his stomach as he jumped from the boat into the clear water by the colorful reefs. He thinks of the clear starry night skies and the humid rains of the island, the surprise he felt when Rosalind kissed him, and the utter shock he felt when Claire looked up at him and called him an idiot after confessing her feelings. He recalls the long hikes and the mosquitoes. The smell of the ocean air is still fresh in his mind. Last but not least he remembers the feeling of freedom. The feeling of letting go as he dove into those waves.

Emerson looks down at his tanned skin, feeling like a completely different person than the guy who stood in this house last.

Looking up at his parents with a soft smile he replies, "No, I don't think so."

★☆★☆

that wraps up the last chapter of How To Be Intrepid! thank you so very much for coming on this journey with me. i know it's not my longest book but i felt that it was finished so here we are.

don't worry, there is an epilogue coming very soon ;)

i have so much love for each and every one of you. i'm so grateful that you took the time to read my work.

see you next time.

- lyss xxx