"Guys please don't make it a big deal that I like him." Jess begged her friends. She, Amanda, Charlene, and Willa sat in a circle in the Lockhart residence basement, an array of empty cans, bottles, and food surrounding them.
"Jess come on!" Charlene squealed. "This is huge for you!"
Jess made a face and shook her head. "Please. Stop it. I'm already living in fear that he'll never feel the same about me."
"Are you serious?" Amanda scoffed. "Jess you're literally the most perfect human being alive."
"Hey!" Charlene glared at Amanda. "I take full offense to that, Mandy." She joked.
Amanda rolled her eyes playfully and shook her head. "My point is, he's crazy if he doesn't like you back."
"I hope you're right Amanda..." Jess said hopelessly. "I hope you're right...
•••
"Finn, come on!" Maybeck hissed. "You're falling behind us. And Philby is the world's slowest walker."
"Oh shut up, Maybeck." Finn snapped. He had been getting on Finn's nerve since the two met at Philby's house to walk to the girl's together.
"Let him be, mate." Philby lightly smacked Maybeck's arm, a gesture the artist used on him quite often. "Can't you see he's thinking?"
Finn didn't respond.
"Thinking about his "mystery girl" I'm assuming." Maybeck smirked.
"Shut it or I swear, Terrance." Finn glared at his friend as he used his first name.
"Alright alright." Maybeck held his hands up. "I'll stop. For now." He added silently.
"I know we're going over here to hang out with the girls," Philby said trying to break the awkward tension, "but what are we going to be doing exactly?"
"Spin the bottle I'm hoping. I could really use a kiss from Charlie right about now." Maybeck said with a slight smirk on his face.
Philby gagged. "You two make out way too much."
"How is that healthy?" Finn asked. "How is that sanitary?"
Maybeck shrugged. "Beats me. It's not her fault she's such an amazing kisser." He laughed triumphantly, claiming that he had the best girlfriend out of anyone he knew. "I am pretty curious to know what the girls are dragging us into this time though."
"Probably shopping at the mall again." Philby sighed. "I don't think my card can take much more of Willa's book hauls and all the Starbucks Coffee she buys." The redhead couldn't help but laugh.
"Amanda texted me earlier." Finn said. "She said it's a surprise. One that she assured me we'd like."
"Your girlfriend texted you but ours didn't text us. Wow." Maybeck shook his head.
"Amanda and I aren't dating, Maybeck." Finn said as they walked up to the front door of the sister's house. "We're just friends."
"Mhm, sure." Philby grinned.
Finn kept his mouth shut.
Amanda wasn't the one who texted him.
•••
There was a knock at the door and Wanda Alcott, Amanda and Jess's new mother, opened the door. "Boys." She greeted them with a warm smile. "Come in. The girls are down in the basement." The three nodded and headed in that direction.
"You better be right about us liking this surprise, Whitman." Maybeck quipped as they descended the stairs.
Amanda nudged Jess and grinned and winked at her. "They're here."
The second Willa heard Maybeck's voice, she jumped to her feet and screamed, "Philby!" She darted out of the room and ran to him. The girls laughed and stood up one by one as Finn and Maybeck walked into the room. Philby and Willa didn't enter the room at the same time as everyone else, which aroused some confusion.
"She ran out of here the second she knew you three were here." Jess said. "So where are they?"
Finn poked his head out into the stairwell hallway and made a face, and shaking his head he said, "They're making out. It's like they're in some sort of old teen romance movie or something. They're really going at it."
Jess laughed a little too loudly at Finn's remark, causing her friends to look at her strangely. "What?" She said. "It was funny." Finn gave her a look of gratitude and her heart fluttered. I love it when he looks at me like that, she thought.
"Okay!" Charlene clapped her hands together. "While we're waiting for Mr. and Mrs. Philby to finish making out over there, let us give you the rundown of what we're doing today."
"Willa can tell Philby later." Amanda added as she laughed.
Charlene nodded and laughed. "What's happening is basically–"
Jess cut her off, "PAINTBALL!" She yelled.
Finn's face lit up. "Seriously?" The girls nodded.
"You're not just saying this to lead us on, are you? No shopping?"
"Terry, we would never do that to you guys. We aren't that mean." Charlene kissed Maybeck's cheek.
"Do we pick the teams or does the place pick them?" Philby's voice turned everyone's head in his direction.
"Nice to see you two are done over there." Jess laughed.
"You'd be kissing him too if you knew how good he kissed." Willa smiled and winked at Jess.
"Okay. Gross." Jess shook her head and looked at Philby. "We told the place to pick the teams. The place is ours for the day. They gave us the teams ahead of time so we can get the fighting out of the way in case you don't like your partner. We haven't seen the teams so we're just as curious as you all are."
Charlene pulled a small piece of paper that looked a lot like a business card out of her pocket. She read the teams aloud, "Amanda and Maybeck, you two are team one. Willa and Tim, who is meeting us there, are team two. Myself and Philby are team three. And, Finn and Jess, you two are team four." The seven nodded, no one arguing about their partner knowing it wouldn't get them anywhere. The seven grabbed their things and headed for the door, all wondering just how smoothly today would actually go.
•••
"Maybeck stop stepping on my foot!" Amanda yelled as she and her partner traversed through the thick forest landscape, along the trail.
"Geez, someone's in a bad mood."
"No, you're just very annoying on so many levels." Maybeck glanced at Amanda to which she rolled her eyes and quickened her pace.
"No, I'm being serious." Maybeck kept next to her. "Something's bothering you. What is it?"
Amanda sighed and shook her head. "It's about Jess." She looked around and lowered her voice in case her sister was somewhere near them. "You cannot tell her I told you this or she'll have my head on a wooden steak for it."
"Don't you think that's just a little dramatic?" He looked over and saw the seriousness on her face and immediately got serious. "Okay, I promise I won't tell her, or anyone else." Maybeck focused his attention on Amanda and shut his mouth.
"Jess has a hard time expressing her feelings, as you know. A very hard time." Maybeck nodded. "And it's not easy for her to become attached to someone like she is to me. She's used to being used by people."
"Sadly."
Amanda nodded. "Well, since she and I found all of you, the Keepers, she's opened up. A lot. Despite how little it seems she opens up to anyone. I've known her since we were little and this is a huge step for her."
"I've seen her progress." Maybeck nodded.
Amanda continued, "Recently Jess has found herself attracted to a guy." She paused a moment. "Finn, to be more precise."
"Oh, Amanda, we all know." Maybeck laughed.
"You do?"
"Well, me and Phil. Finn is completely oblivious to the fact."
Amanda let a laugh out despite how much she hated herself for telling Maybeck, even if he already knew. "How'd you guys know? I mean it's kind of obvious but Jess is just an awkward person as it is."
"We knew something was up that night they showed up in MK together a long time after everyone else." Amanda nodded, remembering the night. "We both, Phil and I, know he likes her just as much, if not more, as she likes him."
"So everyone knows." Amanda said. "But the two of them."
•••
Willa tackled Tim to the ground and covered her head as paintballs flew past them. "Watch yourself, Tim!" She hissed. "One shot and we're out!"
"I know that, genius!" Tim lightly shoved Willa off of him. "But thank you for that. I need to be more vigilant."
"Hm." Willa nodded and stood up, brushing herself off. "That's what I'm saying." She smiled at him and bent over to retrieve her gun. When she stood upright again, three red paintballs hit her right in the chest. "Damn you Finn Whitman!" She yelled.
"Don't hate the plater," Finn said poking his head out from behind a tree, "hate the game." He winked at her and ran off with Jess.
"One down, two to go." Jess said, running alongside Finn. "Perfect."
Just like you, he thought to himself.
•••
"Okay, if you're going to shoot me, shoot my stomach. Don't get it in my hair!" Charlene held her hands up in surrender.
"Babe," Maybeck laughed. "You've gotta put up a fight. It's no fun if you just stand there."
Charlene groaned. "Why, Terry? Just shoot me. I don't like this game anymore. It's too hot, I'm sweating, and this outfit is hideous!" She motioned to the protective gear that surrounded her body.
"And you've never looked more attractive." Maybeck smiled.
"Terrance pull the trigger or we're done!" Maybeck's eyes widened and nodded, pulling the trigger and shooting her two times.
"Thank you!"
"Amanda," Philby backed away slowly. "Put the gun down. We're already out." He tried to pull the trigger on his gun but it was jammed. "Amanda Lockhart, I swear to–" She pulled the trigger and shot him, giggling.
"Love ya, Phill." She pat his head and skipped off laughing.
"I swear," Philby shook his head and muttered under his breath, "when that girl gets power in her hands…"
"Come on, let's go change." Charlene grabbed his hand and pulled him back onto the track and into the building. "I'm disgusting." She made a face when she saw her reflection in the window. "And we may or may not have a little plan to set Finn and Jess up to be in there alone."
Philby bit his lower lip to keep himself from laughing too hard and nodded. "I hope it's something we're all able to watch from the cameras."
"Oh it will be." Charlene grinned. "It will be."
•••
"I think we got everyone." Finn said facing Jess.
"So we won?" Jess smiled and Finn nodded. Jess looked around in awe at the scenery around them. "It's so amazing how this is possible…how they're able to replicate all of this forest-type stuff."
Finn nodded. "I agree."
Jess blinked a couple times and shook her head before looking at Finn. "Sorry." She blushed lightly. "I kind of got lost for a moment."
"Don't worry about it." Finn smiled. There was a silence between the two for a moment. "Jess, can I ask you something?"
"Sure." She smiled. "What do you need?"
I need you, is what he so badly wanted to say, but he cleared his throat and began to speak, "I was wondering if –"
"Here's a fun little twist to today's game." Charlene's voice rang out over the loud speakers throughout the arena that enclosed the paintballers.
"Since you two are the only ones remaining in the game," Amanda's voice now, "you two must compete against each other. The last one remaining, wins. Good luck and, guys, have fun!"
Jess and Finn looked at each other. "Well this is awkward…" Finn said.
Jess put her gun up in front of her and placed her finger on the trigger. "Very awkward."
"Jess, come on." Finn took a step back. "They just want to mess with us. Don't sink to their level."
Jess shrugged and thought for a moment. "You're right, Finn." She smiled. Her eyes suddenly widened and she pointed behind Finn. "Finn look at that!"
Finn turned around and Jess took her chance and ran. She quietly disappeared and climbed up a nearby tree. "I don't see anything." Finn turned back around. "Jess?" He picked up his gun. "Jess this isn't funny. Where are you?"
Jess looked down at him, perched on top of a branch, and bit her tongue to keep quiet. She wanted to win this. Despite how much she liked him, she wanted to crush him.
Finn turned around in circles multiple times. "She always had a thing for sneaking around undetected…I wish I could do that."
"In your dreams, Whitman." Jess muttered to herself. She felt a sneeze coming on. "Oh no…" She tried to stop it, but before she knew it, she had sneezed and fell out of the tree. She screamed.
Finn looked up and dropped his gun. "Jess!" He put his arms out in an effort to catch her but she fell on him, causing him to fall.
"Well this is a different ending to how I thought this was going to go." Jess placed her hands on Finn's chest in an effort to push herself up and off of him. Finn stopped her by placing his hands on her waist.
"Jess, you're hurt." He said, worried. He was right. When the two hit the ground, Jess hurt her ankle. It wasn't until he mentioned it that she felt the pain.
"I am, aren't I…"
"Jess, I like you." Finn blurted out. His eyes widened.
"You…you what…?"
"I'm sorry, I know that's really weird but I can't deny it anymore."
Jess bit her lip and smiled small. "You're such a dork." She brushed his hair back with her fingers. "I like you too, Finn. A lot. A whole lot."
"Wait what?" Finn looked up at Jess. "But I thought –"
"No thinking. Just, this." Jess grabbed Finn's shirt collar and, pulling him to her, kissed him.
Finn wasted no time before kissing her back. It felt so right. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer to him.
Minutes passed and the two kept at it. The other Keepers, and Tim, walked out and tried to split the two apart.
"Come up for air, you too! Damn!" Maybeck shot Jess in the back and she jumped, breaking the kiss.
She bit her lip and looked down at Finn. The two were in love.