Welcome to chapter two, I thank you for hitting the next chapter. Drop a review, even if it's just saying hi XD Getting a review is seriously like the best thing ever guys, you don't get it.

For those who read the original: sorry to say this story is taking a different turn. I've taken some of the ideas from the old and completely rid of others. Expect good writing with both, though!

IMPORTANT: You should know that the type of car that is mentioned has a trunk attached to it. You could reach from the backseat into the trunk to get things, namely a dog. Rereading this chapter I realized how evil I sound if your trunk isn't directly attached...

Enough of my rambings!

Skye Penderwick P.O.V.

Everyone (not including Daddy, Iantha, and Rosalind, who had knowing smiles on their faces) was shocked. A boring summer flew away from my mind as a new one filled my thoughts. When I stared up and out of the tiny back window, I noticed something right away. We had both hit our growth spurts, but even with my 7 extra inches over the four years from the last time at Point Mouette (which made me above average for girls my age) it looked like he had grown…. At least a foot. He was seriously tall.

Jane spoke what we were all thinking. "How is he…?"

Rosalind responded dreamily. "Growth spurts are truly a wonderful thing."*

Moments later Alec appeared from behind the little quaint house, Hoover sprinting out in front of him and barking loudly. They seemed mostly the same, but happier. Jeffrey still looked almost exactly like Alec (really, how did we ever miss the resemblance?) and had his beard shaved. Hoover was, well, Hoover. Little and pudgy and annoying, yet somehow lovable. Hound began to give little yips when he heard Hoover barking. This was going to be a wonderful reunion for them.

I was knocked suddenly (and very rudely, I should add) out of my thoughts when Jane started interrupting. I mean speaking. She was shaking me and talking, trying to get my attention and failing miserably (yet she kept on talking) but by the time I actually started to listen to her rushed, endless talking all I heard was-

"-and because you AND he are here, my research will be so much easier!"

She concluded proudly, like she had made a sudden realization. I was puzzled, but before I could ask her what she meant and why Rosalind was laughing so hard (even if it did seem sort of nervous), she was opening the door and pulling Rosy with her. Also there was the problem of Batty and Ben trying to climb over me while doing something that seemed to be akin to playing octopus.

And then Hound began to howl. I'll just ask Jane later.

You know what, maybe I shouldn't.

I quickly and gracefully navigated the luggage (who am I kidding, I shoved and basically tripped out of the car). I then reluctantly helped Batty and Ben out while trying to tolerate their stubbornness to not talk to me, because octopus don't talk. Where was Rosy during this mess?

I finally got them out and went to the back to deal with the pressing matter of a very large dog. It was time to release the beast.

I held the backs handle at ready. Hound was practically blowing up with excitement.

"GET READY FOR HOUND!" I called in warning. Iantha quickly scooped up Ben and Rosy picked up Batty. Jane held her Popsicle (where on Earth..?) with much more caution. Jeffrey and Alec simple laughed and brushed it off. They would regret not taking that warning seriously.

After our first encounter with an extremely excited (and large) Hound getting out of a space he had been in for a long time, we learned. That was not a good day. I'll just leave it at that.

I opened the trunk and dove out of the way. Hound leapt out and quickly sprinted around the car in the direction of people. I then heard a strangled scream and a thump. Oh no…

I ducked my head around and saw a very tall Jeffrey with a very large Hound on top of him, along with an excited Hoover circling him and trying to jump on him. Everyone started laughing as he turned his smiling face to me.

"A little more warning, next time. Maybe scream a bit louder?"

-§-

A bit later, when Jeffrey had been helped off of the ground and Alec had handed out more popsicles (score!), luggage began to be unloaded. Sleeping arrangements were dealt with (It wasn't much, more like everyone quickly "calling" where they wanted to sleep and being shot down by the adults. In the end, Jeffrey, Jane, and I were on the sleeping porch, Daddy, Iantha, and Ben were at Alec's house, Batty was in her old room, and Rosalind was in Aunt Claire's old room).

Everyone quickly gathered their items and went to unpack. I grabbed my suitcase and backpack, making my way to the sleeping porch that I missed so much. Setting down my luggage, I flopped onto the old cot. Jane's luggage was already here, so I hoped that she was off helping someone else for a while. I was happy to finally be alone and stretched out, even if for a few seconds.

I say a few seconds because I was alone and at peace for about probably 20 seconds before Jane came barging in.

And Jane isn't quiet when she's excited about something.

So when she burst in, looking so happy she might explode, I groaned and covered my ears, preparing myself.

"Come on Skye!" She chirped. "We're finally here after a long drive, and we're at the beach! I can smell the salty waves, and the clear breeze blows through my entire existence! I can only dream of the colorful shells and Ocean creatures we'll see! Vibrant fish and majestic birds! I think I can hear the lively seals calling to me from oh so far away on their mysteriously beautiful island! My soul is bursting at the seams with the need to just-

"Shut up?" I groaned.

"Come on Skye," She said in a much lower, more teasing voice very unlike something Jane would say. "Can't you feel the romance in the air- Oh hi Jeffrey! We are still to become acquainted again! How long has it been since we've seen each other? Skye are you alright?"

Excuse me, what?

That made me sit up.

Jane's tone lightened considerably when Jeffrey walked in. What the- What? Now you just… wait just a second! What had she meant when she said 'romance in the air'? That was so out of character for someone like her….

I wrote it off as some Sabrina Starr musings. I couldn't deal with this right now. Besides, when Jane went into writing mode, she could get a bit weird. When she wrote a story about Sabrina Starr saving a frog, there were a lot of frogs found in the house… mysteriously. Let's just say that was the end of 'Sabrina Starr rescues a(n) [Place animal here]'.

"Nothing, Jane. Do continue." I closed my eyes again and lay down. I prepared myself to listen to the long list of questions that would surely come next.

"So," Jane started. "Where do you go to school?"

"Alec helped me get into a music school. It's pretty cool, actually. I'm preparing to go into Julliard and hoping to get a scholarship. They do a lot of cool things there, more than just basic and advanced music theory. Right now we're studying the 20th century and the different types of music. It went from a classical form to a techno style in so little time, it's fascinating. Then they have classes for if you want to try a new instrument. I'm actually becoming pretty good at guitar. I found one at Alec's and I had to learn. They taught me a bit about teaching music too, actually. Maybe I could actually manage a few good notes from a piano out of you, Skye."

I groaned and covered my head with my pillow.

"As much as I love fancy music talk, I really was just curious about you're social life." Said Jane.

Jeffrey gave a light chuckle. "Nothing exciting like a girlfriend or anything. I've got a few friends I guess. Not close enough that I would miss them over the summer, though. You guys are really my best friends, one of the reasons mother claimed to let me go, even though I think it's to have personal time with her new boyfriend."

I laughed. "How many evil stepfathers is that? Six? Seven?"

"The fifth." He groaned.

After a short amount of silence, I sighed and sat up. If I wasn't going to get any privacy, I might as well just unpack.

I stopped curiously when I saw Jane, though. She was [miraculously] oddly silent, probably because her lips were tightly drawn. Plus her arms were crossed, fingers drumming on her arm… And she was staring, eyebrows raised, annoyed (yet slightly amused?) at …. Jeffrey? This was really strange. Super out of character. I finally decided to figure out why and followed her eyes and wow Jeffrey is staring right at me.

It was the first time I had really gotten a good, close up look at him. He still had bright green eyes, unusually intense. He still had a splash of freckles splashed over his nose, but those were the only things that seemed familiar about him. I hadn't seen Jeffrey much over the past 4 years other than brief video chats with the family and just the sisters, along with texting and letters. He seemed to have grown into his face, looking a lot more like Alec. His jaw line was stronger and his face thinner. He had become more tan, and of course, taller. He stood somewhere around 6 feet tall, but he was starting to fill out, so he wasn't awkwardly tall.

Jeffrey was attractive.

Alrighty then I think that was more than enough staring for today. I tore my eyes away and stood up, quickly kneeling down to grab my backpack. I pulled out my blanket and threw it over the cot, then stuffed my suitcase underneath and plopped my backpack down beside it. There. Unpacked. Good.

"Skye… Skye? SKYE!"

"Wha- What? What I'm right here you don't have to scream!"

Jeffrey had apparently left some time in the past minute. He probably just went- actually I wasn't listening to what he was saying.

Walking across the sleeping porch to her suitcase and pulling something out, Jane spoke again. "You seem a bit… Oh, I don't know… Flustered?"

I put my face into my hands and squeezed my eyes shut, taking a few deep breaths to recover. I wasn't flustered. I don't get flustered. I put my hands down at my sides again.

"I don't get flustered."

Jane walked to the door of the cottage. "Come on, Skye. We're going swimming! Aren't you excited to feel the gentle waves lapping on your skin? How wonderful!"

"And also- before I forget, Jeffrey realized the same thing."

She threw me a wink and left.

I'm concerned for my health.

*Rosalind probably wouldn't say this, that's totally something I would say. Sorry XD