So I am back, with my idea of a possibility of how Tory and the gang met! Told from first person Ben's POV.

I tried not to make it too awfully OOC, so my apologies if you find it like that.

Disclaimer: I wish- I have SO many ideas! I'm half tempted to email the authors and be all, "look, you should do this, and this, and all I want from you is acknowledgement that I helped, because that would look awesome on a college application" (especially if you want to write stories for a living, like me)

On with the story!

"Dude, did you hear about Kit Howard?" Hi's voice appeared out of nowhere, but I didn't even look up from my boat.

"Who's Kit Howard?" The name sounded vaguely familiar, but I couldn't place it and didn't really care.

"Christopher Howard. He lives next door. He works at LIRI, a marine biologist."

That explained it. He was the guy who was dating that fake, mascara-clad ditz. What was her name? Wanda? Wendy? "Your point being?"

Hi snorted. "God, you're grouchy today- oh, wait, you're just being yourself. If you really don't care, then I just won't tell you."

I shrugged, still inspecting Sewee, my Boston Whaler. "Fine by me."

"Ben, trust me, this is really juicy gossip. You wouldn't believe it." He leaned close and whispered, "I have vital information that could very well change us as a group forever."

I didn't like the sound of that. Begrudgingly, I turned and gave Hiram my full attention, hoping it wouldn't go to his head. "Okay, what is it?"

"He's a father!" Shelton yelled before Hi had the chance to, running up to where we were. "Kit's a father."

"He got Whitney pregnant? That's the juicy gossip?" I rolled my eyes. Those two were so melodramatic.

"No, even better!" Hi said with a blazing grin. Then it faded. "Wait, how can you know Whitney, but not-"

"Kit had a one-night stand with a girl when he was sixteen at a sailing camp in Cape Cod," Shelton interrupted. "A baby was the end result, unbeknownst to him. Well, unbeknownst until last month, when the mother died in a car wreck."

Hi elbowed him. "I was going to say that!"

I went back to work on my boat. "How does this affect me, exactly?"

"He's moving here tomorrow, Ben!" Hi said. "We can totally recruit him before those asses at Bolton get to him! More power for us!" He did a double fist pump.

"For once, he's right." Shelton wiped his glasses before sliding them back onto his face. "He might not want anything to do with making friends if his mother just died, but it's worth a shot."

I didn't like the idea of anyone joining our group. The more was not the merrier, in my case. I liked things just the way they were, and would be completely fine if he got recruited into the 'popular' group at that dumb prep school.

Okay, screw that. I didn't need anyone else getting a big head about superficial things. But I didn't want them joining up with us, either.

"Who cares?" I said.

Hi threw an arm around my shoulder. "Oh, poor Ben. You just don't get it. We need someone else on our side so we can finally defeat the Boltonites and rise up to the glory that we deserve!"

"The what? You're insane, thickburger."

"Maybe, but this craziness has saved our asses before. Insanity has never failed us. It will prevail in the end, just as it always has!"

I shrugged him off. "Until that fateful day they plan a sneak attack on the freakazoids, I'll stick to my own plan of action. Hey Shelton, hand me that rag." He gave it to me, and I rubbed away a smudge on my boat.

"Yeesh, why don't you just marry the damn thing?" Hi snapped. "You take such good care of it."

I swatted him on the back of the head, causing him to wince and rub it, whining. I ignored him and started to pack up the toolbox, satisfied for today. But I'd be back tomorrow to check the engine. It wasn't running as smoothly- most likely due to a loose bolt- and I was going to look for it.

"Whoever the new kid is," Hi said as we started back to our houses, "I hope he's not as violent as you are, Ben."

As promised, I was working on Sewee's engine the next day, looking for that stupid bolt. With my luck, it'd be one of the ones in the very back.

"Hi," a voice said. For a second, I thought they were talking about Hiram, until they continued with, "Do you boat a lot?"

Whoever it was obviously wasn't from around here. Worth a glance. I looked up from the engine and almost did a double take.

It was a girl- probably a year or so younger than me. Not many girls show up on Morris. I wondered how the hell she ended up here. Maybe she was supposed to meet her family somewhere, but took the wrong ferry. Got lost, and decided to explore the tiny island, get a laugh at the locals, maybe have some quick fun, before going back at the correct time.

Part of me didn't want her to be that kind of person (maybe I'd appreciate the 'quick fun' a little), but I brushed it aside. Couldn't think about that kind of stuff. I had to get her safely on her way, then get back to finding a needle in a haystack.

"I do, but you're probably looking for the ferry. Just go a quarter mile down that way-" I gestured with my hand. "- and then go down the gravel road until you see a dock and a boat named Hugo. That's the ferry, but go on the twelve-fifteen, not noon or twelve-thirty, because those will take you to the science facility." I didn't notice until the end of my speech that she was trying not to laugh- unsuccessfully, I might add. "What?"

Here it goes.

"I'm sorry," she said. "Your accent is just kind of funny."

"I get it a lot from tourists," I said.

She bit her lip and shook her head. "I'm sorry," she repeated. "I'm not used to the South."

"Well you have a dumb accent, too."

I hadn't been meaning to make her laugh, but she did, anyway. It made her eyes light up and her lips part in a devastating smile. I decided I liked it, and checked her out as inconspicuously as possible. Pale skin, long dark red hair, slender, long legs, a dusting of freckles across the bridge of her nose, and a pair of green eyes the color of leaves in the summer. Definitely pretty. Possibly more, but what got me was the fact that she wasn't dressed like a tourist. She was wearing a U2 t-shirt and jean shorts, along with some running shoes. No camera or purse or sunhat.

Something was definitely up.

"You gonna be in Charleston long?"

She smiled again. "As a matter of fact, yes. I just moved into a townhome with-" A pause. "A long-lost relative."

I was glad I wasn't holding anything- I would've dropped it. "You're Kit Howard's kid?" No way.

Sure enough, she extended a hand. I wiped mine on the rag before shaking it over the edge of my boat. "I'm Victoria Brennan, but my friends call me Tory."

"Ben Blue," I replied. "Where'd you come in from?"

"Massachusetts."

That explained the accent.

There was a bit of a silence before I finally said awkwardly, "So you're not looking for the ferry?"

She shook her head. "Nope. I guess you'll be stuck with me for a while."

I didn't mind that. I went back to searching, and finally found the loose bolt. "Half inch socket," I muttered to myself, then went to get it from the toolbox that I'd stupidly left on the beach.

"Half inch?" Victoria asked. She took it and handed it to me before I even got to the box. "Here. A loose bolt, right?"

I looked at her in shock and she rolled her eyes. "Yes, I know my way around the toolbox," she said.

"I, uh-" Smooth, Benny boy, smooth. "Thanks." I tightened it, using that as an excuse to hide the fact I was blushing.

"This is a really nice boat. Boston Whaler runabout. Sixteen feet. You've got a name for it?"

Duh. "Yeah. Sewee."

"Like the old tribe?"

Once again, she'd surprised me with her extent of knowledge.

"Yeah." I was losing my ability to speak more than one word per sentence. I helped her up into it. "Exactly like the tribe."

She ran a finger over it, like a caress. "How long have you had her?"

"Four years. Bought it used."

Victoria whistled low. "You've taken really good care of her. I've seen two year old boats that have been beaten from hitting reefs and scraping the sides of the dock. You repair her yourself?"

I nodded.

"I knew you looked like a mechanic."

"Did the fact that I was working on the engine give it away?"

She smiled. "Dry sense of humor. I should've known."

I didn't know how to respond to that, so I changed the subject to something I was a little more comfortable with. "Have you ever been on a boat?" I asked.

"A little bit," she replied. "But not as much as I'd like." Her eyes met mine, and I could've sworn I saw her cheeks flush a little. "Maybe you can take me out on yours sometime?"

"Uh, sure. Yeah, I can." I wanted to hit myself. I used to be able to talk to anyone that I wanted to (which wasn't a lot of people, but still) but now I think it'd be better if I just shut up.

She bit her lip again and smiled. "You go to the prep school?"

"Unfortunately."

"I'll be going, too. You're a junior?"

"Sophomore."

"Oh. Well I'm a freshman. Okay, well technically, I should be in eighth grade, but I skipped sixth."

So she's not just smart. She's brilliant.

I tried not to make a face as I realized that my worst enemy was also in the ninth grade. Thankfully, she didn't notice. "Kit-" she tensed up as she said his name, but forced herself to relax. "- was vague about the island. I think he was too busy freaking out and trying to get everything ready." She rolled her eyes. "So are you and I the only two on the island?"

Hell, I wish.

"Hey, Benster!"

Speak of the devil. Part of me wanted them to kind of go away so I could keep talking to Victoria. "That answers your question," I said. "It'd be best if you didn't make direct eye contact."

"What?" she laughed.

"Whoa, Ben, you've got a girl in your boat! You never let girls in your boat! What the hell did she do, give you a new anchor? Or something else?" Hi called. I wanted to hit him.

Victoria turned around, and both Hi and Shelton, who'd been watching Hi's and my interaction with a smile, stopped in their tracks. "Hello," she said.

Shelton found the sand very interesting. Hi went right into his act.

"Why, hello, there, madam." He bowed. "My name is Hiram Stolowitski. To whom do I have the pleasure of addressing?"

Oh god.

"Victoria Brennan. I just moved in."

"I do hope you find your stay in Charleston quite enjoy- wait, what?" That was one way to cut it short. "You mean you're... Kit's kid?"

She nodded. "Is that so hard to believe?"

"We expected another boy," Shelton finally spoke up. "Shelton Devers, by the way."

"Nice to meet you."

"You can't be-" Hi spluttered. "There's no way- there can't be girls on this island! There's no way that's even possible! You can't be Kit's- you're a girl! There aren't supposed to be women here! This is a bro zone!" He was obviously flabbergasted.

Victoria, however, was greatly amused. "Well, I'd respect that rule of yours, but surgeries like that are so expensive nowadays, so I suggest we let this one slide."

Hi looked at her, then grinned. "I like you." Then he looked at me and shook his head. "What did you do to get him to let you into his boat? He's not usually into chicks."

Victoria turned her head in my direction, a confused frown on her pink lips. "I didn't know you were gay."

"I-I'm not gay!" I spluttered, feeling my face heat up.

"No, it's okay. I don't discriminate. Really," she said. Shelton and Hi watched with smirks as Victoria kept talking, face flushed. "If you roll that way and prefer men, who am I to judge? I won't treat you any-"

"I'm. Not. Gay."

She met my eyes and saw the serious look in them. "Oh."

Hi and Shelton were laughing. "He just usually doesn't let girls he just met into his trophy wife," Hi said when they'd stopped. "Hell, he hardly lets us into it. He must really see something special in you."

Her face turned bright red, as did mine.

"So, you're going to Bolton? Freshman?" Shelton asked.

She nodded.

"Same with Hi and me. You're fourteen?"

"Thirteen. I skipped. Are you guys studying Paramecium Homeostasis yet, or am I behind?"

He blinked. "I think you're ahead. By two grade levels." His cheeks tinted slightly.

We all heard a vibrating noise, and Victoria pulled out her phone. "That's Kit. He wants me back so I can meet his girlfriend." She looked up at the sound of three sharp intakes of breath. "What? Is she a bitch?"

"She's a Barbie," Hi said.

"She's big on being proper," Shelton added.

"She's going to try to turn you into a debutante," I finished.

Victoria's eyes were wide with horror. "Do me a favor, Ben?" she whispered.

I arched an eyebrow.

"Start driving now and don't stop until we reach Australia."

Hi laughed. "Getting away from her isn't easy. She'll find you, no matter where you go!"

She shuddered. "I already don't like her." Her phone went off again, and she glared at it. "I guess I have no choice. I'll get your numbers later?"

We agreed and she said goodbye before racing off.

"Whoa," Hi said, plopping down on the bench in the boat a few minutes later. "Did you hear her sarcasm?"

"She's already on Paramecium Homeostasis," Shelton marvelled.

I stayed silent as the two talked, wiping the railing with a rag. But my mind was a whirl. She knew her tools, tribal history, and boats? I liked her, too, more than the guys did. But if I said that, we'd both be teased become miserable.

"She made Ben stutter," Hi pointed out, getting my attention. I hadn't been listening until that point. "He never stutters."

I'll admit, but only to myself, she did have a way of making me tongue-tied. I hated it- I wouldn't be able to talk around her without making a big idiot of myself.

Maybe I should keep the talking to a minimum when I'm around her, or the guys. At least until I figure out what the hell I'm up against.

I love Ben so much, and I found his actor! Maybe I'll post it as a cover for a drabble, if I ever get around to writing one. Or maybe Tory's thoughts about him? Hmm...

Anyway, I will no longer bore you, so goodbye! Reviews would be nice and appreciated!

-WiccaChick98