AN: Continuation! I'm not sure where I'm going to take this story, but the one definite detail I have is that Jeffrey has an iguana he named Jeremy. Feel free to anticipate that. Also, cliffhangers await you!
"It's a good thing you ditched the wings, but I don't think this is much of an improvement," Skye grumbled. The car seats were in the second row of the car, behind Mr. and Mrs. Penderwick, because there wasn;t quite enough room in the last row, what with 20% more luggage. Unfortunately, Batty kept asking either Jane or Skye (depending on if Jane was doing something) how Hound and Asimov were. Hound always barked when Batty said his name, and Asimov was—amazingly—asleep. Iantha managed to read the directions a bit more smoothly than they had last time, and in time, through Skye's complaints and Jane's bouts of brilliance and Batty's questions and Ben's laughter, they made it back to Arundel. Even their father knew the way back to the cottage and they pulled in the driveway.
"It's exquisite!" Iantha cried when she got out of the car. As soon as everyone was out of the car, they saw Jeffrey jogging through the trees. He didn't make it very far before three girls jumped on him and attacked him with hugs, screaming jovial hellos.
"Oh Jeffrey, we've missed you so much!" Batty said.
"Your letters aren't nearly as great as seeing you," Jane cried.
Skye thought saying something else would just be redundant, so she just hugged him tighter, and when they all pulled away, she smiled and said, "Hey. Two-on-one later?"
"That sounds enthralling, but you need to unpack the car first," their father called, as he and Iantha pulled suitcases and boxes of food out of the car while Ben and Hound cavorted in the wildflowers in the front. Jeffrey, Skye, Jane and Batty ran over to help, and in due time everything was inside. The girls staked claim on their old bedrooms while Mr. Penderwick and Iantha had taken his old study with Ben. At last, after clothes and toiletries were put away and food was stored in the cupboard and books were piled on nightstands, Jane and Skye went to join Jeffery for soccer.
Jeffrey had gotten a new blue soccer ball from his uncle last year, so with Dexter and the unchristened blue ball, they started two-on-one.
Being on the high school soccer team had not worsened Skye or Jane's skills. In fact, it had improved them greatly. Starting with Jeffery in the middle, the girls attacked the balls with new vigor. Jane had bid all of her different façades (Mick Hart and the Aztec Gods, for example) goodbye, so there would be a lack of shouting in this game. Eventually, the ball whizzed past Skye and Jeffrey dove after it like a lifeline. Skye faced him and began the second round. She managed to stop Dexter from going to Jane with a textbook foot trap. Skye and Jeffery were now a determined team. Jane had a difficult time finding a chink in their armour, but she jogged around a tree and stuck her foot out, managing to stop the blue ball from Jeffrey before it even reached him. And so it went on for the rest of the afternoon, until the three teens were breathless and sweating and happy, huge grins on their faces.
"That," Skye said breathlessly as they made their way back to the cottage," Was brilliant."
"A game fit for the best arena and the trophy with the most pulchritude," Jane commented. Jeffrey grunted his agreement, but he didn't seem as happy. "Jeffrey, what's wrong? Are you okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine. It's just—." He paused, looking up. The girls were staring at him, Jane's eyes full of fear, Skye's of dread.
"Jeffrey! Tell us!" Jane cried!
"Well, I've been accepted to this fantastic arts college next year, and if I'm lucky I can get a job out there."
"Well, where's out there?" Skye asked.
"California," Jeffrey murmured. "Which means that this might be my last summer here for a while, and I was just thinking about how much I'm going to miss this place, and you guys," he finished.
"Oh, Jeffrey," Jane cried again, hugging him. Skye hugged him too, for good measure. "It's okay. We'll make this the best summer ever, even better than last time."
"Okay." Jeffrey smiled weakly.
"Oh for Pete's sakes, Jeffrey, smile! The end of summer isn't here yet!" Skye said, punching him on the arm. He punched her back and grinned. They walked up the porch steps, peering at each other in the dim evening light.
"See you tomorrow?" Jane called as Jeffrey hopped down the porch steps.
"Do or die," Jeffrey called back, as Skye added it. They waved goodbye and watched until Jeffrey was out of sight.
Jane went inside, but Skye stayed out, watching the fireflies blink. With the looming fear of Jeffrey going to California, she didn't have the heart to tell him that she was going to and engineering school next year. A very nice engineer college on a scholarship.
In Arkansas.
