MATEO WAS CROUCHED DOWN behind Chase's tent, adrenaline tickling his heart as he peered around it. He had pulled a reluctant Jay along to scout and they had practically ran from the coverage of the trees to this point, a sling of quiet curses leaving Jay's lips. Gabriela was still standing there with Sahar, gesturing at him to be quieter.

"What do you see?" Jay whispered.

"Chase with some guy," Mateo whispered back, a frown knitting his eyebrows together," strange though, I've never seen him."

"Who, Chase?"

"No, you fool, the other guy."

"Did you just call me a fool?"

"Both of you, shut up," Gabriela hissed at them.

Jay parted his lips to protest, but Gabriela just rolled her eyes and came their way, her footsteps muffled by the grass. Sahar had smeared war paint on all their cheeks and it looked beautiful on her olive skin. A part of him wanted to brush his thumb across it, but instead he tore his gaze away and looked back at Chase.

His friend was sprawled out on the grass, staring mindlessly at the sky. Their principal had given them another hour before they needed to gather back and it looked like Chase was planning to spend that time sleeping. The other guy was seated beside him, one knee pulled up and a bored look on his face. Now he had taken one more look at him, he knew for certain he was a new transfer.

His features were sharp, his dark hair and brown skin a soft contrast against the hues of green around him. Chase was muttering something to him and in response the guy smiled, his laugh a quiet sound. Jay muttered something about how this was all a waste of time and Sahar placed her hand on his mouth, shushing him. With the way Jay's face flamed up, Mateo knew that was the last complaint he would utter about this.

"Why are you lazing around here?"

They all practically jumped at the proximity of the voice, but Imani walked out of the trees then, her back turned towards them. She hadn't noticed the four of them huddling behind the cloth of the tent and Mateo was glad for it. Over the course of the last five minutes he had gotten invested in this mission of theirs.

"I'm not lazing around," Chase yawned," I'm thinking."

Imani rolled her eyes, before sitting down beside them. With her cold eyes and sheet of raven hair she always had been pretty, though Mateo had the feeling she liked few people beside Penelope. She had once told him he was okay and he still cherished that.

"Uh-huh," she said, before adding," what are you staring at, Amir?"

Mateo had been so focused on Imani that he hadn't realized Amir's gaze was focused on the tent, an amused smirk tugging at his lips.

"At the people crouched down behind our tent," he said, his accent elegant," are you planning to haze me?"

"Trust me," Chase said," attending this school is hazing enough." He sat up then, frowning. "And are you sure you're seeing it right? Who would be crazy enough to hide behind our te -"

He stopped talking then as he made eye contact with Mateo, who had just been peeking around it.

"Hello," Mateo grinned sheepishly.

Jay pushed him then and he fell from the coverage of the tent. When he looked back in betrayal, all his friend did was shrug.

"What are you doing here, Mateo?" Imani said.

"Uhm," Mateo began, getting quickly to his feet," well - you know, what else than going to see my best friend. Chase, man, I missed you so much."

Chase's look of suspicion vanished immediately and he got up as well, looking touched. "Ah, seriously Mateo? I missed you too, brother."

As Chase slapped him amicably on the shoulder, Mateo glanced back at the tent. "And you know, Jay was also thinking about visiting you, but he's being shy. Come on out, Jay."

"Jay's here too?" Chase said.

Jay fell out from behind the tent, eyes widened in utter displeasure as he looked back at whomever pushed him.

"I knew you were just pretending when you said you didn't want to be friends," Chase said happily," who knew you were this shy?"

"Yeah," Jay said darkly," who knew."

Amir's smile was amused. "Are these your friends, Chase?"

"Ah, yeah," Chase said, gesturing between thim," Amir, meet Jay and Mateo." He looked at Mateo then. "Amir's a new student here. Got enrolled just the weekend before the camp, the poor guy."

"Don't say that now," Amir chuckled," I'm glad to get to know you guys with this. I'm sure it'll help me ease into the school better." He got to his feet then, reaching out his hand to Jay. "Anyway, nice to meet you."

When Jay didn't immediately grab his hand, Mateo nudged him with his elbow. "Be friendly now, Jay."

At that they shook hands and Amir turned towards Mateo, giving him a firm handshake as well. He glanced back at the tent then, eyebrow raised.

"And those two still behind it," he said," are those your friends as well?"

Gabriela and Sahar appeared then, both donning a smile like nothing was going on and they hadn't just hid for no reason.

"What kind of sharp sight do you have?" Chase said with a dumbfounded expression.

"I just saw them all run towards the tent," Amir chuckled," it's nothing special."

His eyes wandered across the two girls, something curious in it as he settled his gaze on Gabriela.

"I must say you two sure are beautiful," he said sincerely, eyes flicking back to Sahar then," and are you per chance Afghan? Or am I way off?"

"I knew you had a familiar accent!" Sahar beamed, smile wide," my mother is, my father's Bengali."

Amir's face seemed to light up then and when he spoke, the foreign words sounded like a song in the air. Sahar talked back, excitedly, and they all stared confusedly.

"Your mother's Firuza Dirani?" Amir said in English then, sounding surprised.

"Yeah," Sahar nodded," my father's is Adhikari, but my mother kept hers because it was associated with everything she worked so hard for. I took hers as well."

"That's wonderful though," Amir smiled.

"I feel so white now," Chase murmured to Mateo.

"You are," Mateo whispered back.

Amir looked back at Gabriela then, as if he couldn't keep his gaze away from her. Mateo didn't blame him, Gabriela was a sight for sore eyes after all, but still, the jealousy in him welled up like flames, licking at his heart.

"And what's your name?" Amir asked.

"It's Gabriela," she said.

"Gabriela," he repeated, the Spanish lilt of her name sounding foreign on his tongue," a name fit for an angel, right?"

She raised an eyebrow, as if daring him to go on, and to Mateo's surprise he did.

"I don't mean it in a bad way," he reassured her," that came out all flirty. It just reminded me of the archangel Gabriel."

At that the coldness faded a bit from her eyes. The coldness faded from her eyes, making place for something a tad more welcoming instead.

"My family's Catholic," she said," it was either that or Maricruz."

"Both are good choices," he nodded.

Gabriela offered him a smile. "Thank you. We should be getting back though and finish building our tent. I hope you settle in well, Amir."

His eyes wandered across all of them again and he gave them a respectful inclination of his head. "It was nice to meet you all."

"Khoda hafiz," Sahar beamed at him, the words Mateo presumed to be goodbye causing Amir's eyes to sparkle.

"Khoda hafiz," he replied back.

"Why are you leaving so quickly?" Chase said.

"We'll see each other again within an hour, Chase."

"That's an hour too long, man," he joked, before waving at them," but sure, see you."

Their walk back towards their tent Sahar was happily chatting away with Jay, Mateo and Gabriela a few steps behind them. Their footsteps were in tred with their heartbeat, soft on the grass.

"Amir seems nice," he said.

She glanced at him. "He does."

"Is he your type?"

The words seemed to escape his mouth before he could stop himself, his gaze fixated on Jay's back before him. The red and white of his Hilfiger sweater danced before his eyes as Mateo tried to keep himself from looking at Gabriela again, afraid to see what her reaction would be.

The feeling of her calloused hand on his wrist was enough to make him stop walking then and for a second, he was afraid to breathe.

"Mateo."

"Yeah?" he murmured.

"Mateo, look at me."

He tore his gaze from the dandelions beneath him, kisses of yellow between the green. When he looked her in the eye, his breath hitched in his throat again. Her beauty had always been an overwhelming one for him, soft and sharp at the same time, like lightning in spring. He could already feel the electricity course through her skin.

"What is it?" he said, voice soft.

And then she kissed him.