I hope you guys enjoy this. It has been a while sense I have posted, but, hey, when you got an idea you got an idea. Based on this quote from The Return: "Given that Willa was one half of the 'Wilby' pair, she proved susceptible to Philby's pleading for help." p.149.
It was a beautiful, sunny day outside in Orlando, Florida. Not surprising for the time of year but for Willa Angelo, the bright sunshine seemed to uplift her mood. The last year had been rather rough on the growing girl. As soon as one problem was behind her another one seemed to pop up. It was a never ending video game that she just could not find the pause button too. Waking up this morning, the sun was a welcome gift. Being able to open her bedroom windows for a while let in a slow breeze of rejuvenating wind into her room as she hustled around sifting through belongings.
Earlier in the week she vowed to begin the arduous task of starting to pack for college. Willa was having more problems with the task than one might think. And her friends definitely were not helping. It was hard enough to think about everyone going their separate ways but when your friends are stuck in a past how are you supposed to move forward? Willa had lived in the same town her entire life, went to school with the same kids, and knew all of her neighbors. The idea of moving across the country was difficult to imagine at first but she had come to terms with it. At least she had until Finn had gone crazy.
To make matters worse, Finn had managed to drag Philby into his scheming. Dell was making the situation much worse than needed to be. He was logical and analytically, a no-nonsense guy. If he whole-hearted believed something there was slim chance he was exaggerating. And she could not exactly tell her boyfriend that he was losing his mind.
Thus, she decided that focusing on her own future would distract her from the impending disaster that her friends were about to get themselves into.
Willa was too distracted, or maybe it was the sounds of Taylor Swift's new album playing in the bedroom, to hear the car pull up to her house. Half-way through decided which books from her library would be making the journey with her and what others would have to wait for her return to be read she knocked into her shelf. Immediately covering her head with her oldest edition of Harry Potter, Willa managed to avoid the falling objects. It was good luck too. The self-proclaiming klutz knocked her old bow off of the top shelf. It was her very first, complete with a purple ribbon tied to the top.
Feeling a wave of nostalgia, she picked it up remembering the first time she ever hit a target. After three weeks of practice, young ten year-old Willa was growing frustrated and impatient with the lack of progress she was making with archery. The only reason she was taking the class was because she had broken her ankle and was unable to partake in her usual swim classes. Begrudgingly she picked up archery. She would have never guessed that it would come in handy later on in life.
Willa found her stash of arrows hidden away behind her closet door. Grinning slyly, she knocked an arrow and jokingly aimed around the room. Her mom would have killed her if she actually began a target practice in the confines of her room but what would one arrow hurt . . .
"Whoa, there Katniss."
The voice came from her doorway. Quickly, Willa lowered her bow and pivoted, trying not to look guilty.
Dell stood leaning against the doorjamb grinning like he just uncovered the biggest secret in the world. He did that a lot lately. Smiling mostly in awe, and mostly around Willa. But he would never admit that. Instead, he just stood there looking like he had been watching for a while and wearing the soft, blue tee-shirt that he knew Willa loved.
"Don't scare me like that, Dell."
"Scare you? You're the one holding a weapon." He entered the room with ease. Dell had been spending most of the summer at the Angelo residence. As much time as he was physically able to at least. "I think I have the right to be more scared in this situation." Willa had dropped her bow to the ground along with the arrow though she had thought to use it to coerce Philby into helping her pack boxes. The boy closed the gap between them, placing a gentle kiss on her lips. "Hey."
"Hey, yourself," she replied.
There was something different about the way Dell was looking at her now. Not as playful as he had been a moment ago. This look was all business with a bit worry. He wanted something. And it was not another kiss.
"What's wrong?" Willa asked. Dell opened up his mouth to begin, then shook his head and closed it. "You are a horrible liar, Dell Philby," she whispered turning around to address her book dilemma once more. "But I guess, if you don't want to confide in your girlfriend you could at least help her fill few boxes."
"Don't you find it ironic at all that you are so set on putting this life behind you and moving on to college but you won't tell anyone where you are going?" His voice was laced with humor, but not nearly enough to hide the curiosity, and possible bitterness, that seeped through.
Willa sighed turning around, "I thought we agreed that you were not going to push or pry anymore?" She turned to find Dell sitting on the edge of her bed slowly looking into the box she finished packing only an hour before. She watched as he took out one object, looked at it in his hands, then set it down on the bed. Was he unpacking?
"The deal was I was going to stop asking you when you were going to tell the others, I never said anything about pointing out the irony." Knowing it was the truth and he had caught the loophole in their deal, he looked up with a cunning smirk.
Willa just rolled her eyes, approaching the bed to put the objects back in the cardboard box.
"There is nothing wrong with wanting to get on with the next chapter of your life, Dell." She gave him a pointed look, moving the box from the bed to her desk top before taking a seat next to her boyfriend. "The story moves on whether you are ready or not."
"Just because it is the next chapter doesn't mean you forget all that happened in the pages prior."
"I'm not forgetting what happened to us. Trust me, I remember it. Vividly." Willa snapped. "Unlike, you and Finn though, I seem to have learned from our multiple near-death experience. I know how to avoid them now. Is it so wrong to value my life?"
After a moment of thought, Philby replied. "No, it's not." He fell back on the bed, exasperated.
Taking this as a moment of surrender, Willa shifted her legs under her. She adjusted her body so she was lying next to Dell on her stomach.
Philby looked at her, melting into her chocolate brown eyes. "You are making this way harder than I thought it would be."
"Do you mind clarifying?"
"I am a horrible boyfriend," he whispered.
Willa shrugged. "Not the worst I have had. Plus, you have only had a few months of practice. I'd say top . . . three, as of right now."
Her sarcasm was surprising, Philby thought while covering his face, she must be having a good day if she is not going to argue. Needless to say, he laughed. "Sounds about right. I expect after this conversation I will be last on the list. Behind the worst of that lacrosse player from Norbert High, what was his name again?"
"Jake Walden? He wasn't so bad-"
"He showed up to your Grandma's funeral with balloons!" Philby looked at her meaningfully, trying not to smile.
Willa made a face before whispering, "Yeah, that was pretty lousy wasn't it?"
"I'd say. . ." Philby took a deep breath and looked Willa straight in the eye. "I need you to cross-over tomorrow night?"
They remained quiet for a moment, Willa silently wringing her fingers together, thinking. Her mind had not strayed from the idea. Finn was a determined guy, if something was up he would get to the bottom of it. "You guys just can't do anything without me can you?"
"Don't sound so surprised," Philby chided. "Does that mean you will do it?"
"Of course," Willa said. "Just because it's risky doesn't mean I don't love it. Or you guys. I especially do not want to see any of you get hurt. So, if the only way to get you to stop is to go back in the field I will do it. And if Finn has gone all Doctor Who on us well . . . someone has go to look out for him while Mandy is away."
Philby breathed a sigh of relief, rolling up onto his side to rest on his elbow closest to Willa. "You are the best girlfriend ever. No competition." Firmly placing a kiss on her lips. He was going to miss this while she was away.
"You better believe it."
Promptly, they heard deliberately heavy footsteps coming from down the hall. "Hey Is!" It was Willa's smallest and youngest brother Indy, just barely nine years old, stomping along like he was trying out for marching band. "I know Dell is in there! You two better not be kissing!" he shouted as he entered through the open door with his hands over his eyes.
Philby had recently taken a liking to the boy and the feeling was mutual. Dell was an only child so the idea of having a little brother was overtly amusing to him. "It's all clear, Indy."
Not totally trusting, the little boy with the same matching brown locks to Willa, peeked out from behind his fingers. "Whew," he heaved. "Mom wants to know if Dell is staying for lunch."
Philby looked at Willa expectantly. Was he allowed to stay?
"You know he can't say no to the Angelo's Grilled Cheese Sandwich." Willa answered for him.
Indy nodded and turned to run away.
"Wait! Indy!" Philby called after him. "Did you get that remote controlled robot to work, yet?" The boy shook his head and Dell eyed Willa.
"I thought you were going to help me pack?!"Willa joked not able to keep the smile off her face.
"We will fix the robot to pack for you," he told her, planting a kiss on her cheek before jumping off the bed and down the hall after Indy.
Willa looked after in awe. The boys she managed to surround herself with were absolutely ridiculous.