Brandon's P.O.V.

"And what time do you call this, young man?"

Upon bursting through the door, our hysterical laughter came to an instant halt at the sound of that stern voice. A temporary wave of alarm washed over me at the realisation that I'd have to face my mom's wrath for coming home so late, forgetting the fact that she'd be waiting up for me. She was leaning against the counter with her arms crossed, and an expression on her face that read, 'choose your next words very carefully'. Needless to say, I couldn't miss the opportunity to be a smartass.

"Uh.. 11:38?" I offered, glancing at my watch. I heard Stella stifle a laugh beside me at my witty attempt to lighten the mood.

"Where were you? Liam came home over an hour ago, and he told me he had no idea where the either of you were"

Way to cover for me! He'd really benefit from a lesson on how to lie..

"And you weren't answering your phone.." she continued. She shot up abruptly, her eyebrow raising in suspicion. "You're not drunk, are you?"

"No, mom relax." I scoffed, "Just tired and delirious, maybe high on sugar thanks to this one - but other than that completely sober"

"I'm sorry Isabel, it's my fault!" Stella suddenly piped in, "I insisted we go out to eat, and we had to walk since both of our rides had already left"

She's... covering for me? I mean, I have no problem taking a little lecture, but maybe she just didn't want to get me in trouble since the detour was her idea. Nice to know she's got my back, I'm definitely holding her to that.

"Oh it's alright, honey" my mom said sweetly, her tone instantly changing. "I'm just glad you're okay"

She walked over to us, and I was under the impression that she was about to hug me. I chuckled, shaking my head. "Well yeah, I can take care of mys-"

But to my surprise, she brushed right past me and enveloped Stella in her arms, making me realise her words weren't directed at me.

Sometimes I wonder if she knows I'm the one she carried around for nine months, not Stella?

"I haven't seen you here in so long, mija. Everything okay?" she asked, cupping her face in concern. "I tried to ask the boys, but you know men. Never have a clue what's going on"

An amused grin spread on Stella's face, it was clear they'd missed each other probably more than she missed me. Not that I'm jealous or anything.. I don't expect her to miss me, but I definitely missed her. In fact, I didn't realise just how involved I was in her life until she shut me out, and boy did that hurt.

She gave me a knowing look, smiling contently before bringing her gaze back to my mom. "Yeah, everything's fine now" she spoke truthfully.

"Luna must be worried, did you tell her where you are?" she asked.

"Oh, I called her on the way over here. Is it okay if I spend the night?" she asked. She knew it was, but she still asked whenever she got the chance, just to be nice.

"Of course, you're always welcome, you know that." my mom smiled warmly, before looking at me. "See, Stella calls her mother when she's out late. You could learn a lot from her"

Believe me, I'm starting to realise that..

"Sorry mamá. Have I mentioned how much I love that colour on you? You don't look a day over 22" I commented as I flashed her a charming smile, attempting to flatter my way out of this.

"Call next time" she said sternly, ignoring my comment and making me nod in compliance.

"Now, how was prom?" she asked, raising her eyebrows suggestively in hopes to hear some gossip. "Clearly you didn't leave with the people you came with. Meaning you managed to stir up a lot of drama in one night"

"Tristan dumped Stella" I blurted out a little too eagerly, earning an angry slap on the shoulder from her.

"Oh I'm sorry, are you okay?" my mom said, squeezing her shoulder sympathetically.

"He did not 'dump' me, jerk!" Stella gasped, glaring at me. "We weren't together in the first place. But yeah, any chance of it is gone now. It's okay though, I'm totally fine - it had to be done, I just thought I'd be the one ripping off the bandaid. I'm kind of relieved to be honest"

"Well it's his loss. I'm glad you're okay, and it's so nice to see you back here. And you look gorgeous, I can't believe I didn't make you guys take pictures!"

"I would suggest taking them now but Brandon looks like he was hit by a train" my mom said, glaring at my unkept state.

Gee, thanks.

"Seriously, there's a reason why I asked you if you were drunk. What happened to you, where's your blazer?" she asked.

"I lost it?" I offered.

"Technically it's not lost if you know it's location - discarded on the side of Madison street, that is. So more like abandoned" Stella said nonchalantly.

"You know what, we'll talk about this in the morning" my mom sighed, making her way to the door. "I'm gonna go to sleep, don't stay up too late"

"Oh, and..." she paused, turning back, "Get Stella out of that little dress.."

Man, I'd be more than happy to-

"..and give her something comfortable to sleep in, okay?" she finished, before disappearing up the stairs.

I mentally cursed myself for letting my thoughts go there, but I couldn't help it. I found my eyes travelling up and down her body - and she, of course, was oblivious to the fact that I was even looking in her direction, absentmindedly playing with a strand of her hair. The way she was stretched out, leaning her back against the counter with her elbows propped up behind her certainly didn't help either. She appeared to be succumbing to the fatigue, bored out of her mind, and was blissfully unaware of how enticing she looked right now.

That dress looked amazing on her, hugging her body without being too daring or revealing. She always looked so effortlessly good, but tonight in particular.. she was stunning.

I tore my wandering gaze off her before she could notice, and took a seat on the barstool nearby. "Did you really have to tell her about the jacket?"

"Did you have to tell her about Tristan?" she replied on cue, as she dragged herself to the fridge, probably looking for something to drink.

Okay, fair.

"Liam better not be asleep already" she said. "I was hoping we could have a sleepover, like old times"

"What do you two even do all night?" I asked in curiosity.

"Fun stuff. Wait, you should join in!" she squealed, suddenly slamming the fridge door in excitement as her eyes lit up with an idea.

"Spending the night with you two lunatics doing god knows what... yeah, no I'll pass"

"Oh come on, stop being such a buzzkill already and say yes!" she pleaded, "We haven't hung out all together in ages, are you really gonna deny me that?"

She continued to stare at me with puppy dog eyes, and I knew she wouldn't leave me alone until I agreed.

"..Fine" I sighed. "Can I guarantee my sanity will be intact at the end of this?"

"I wouldn't bet on it" she laughed.

Stella's P.O.V.

"Liam!" I whispered, knocking lightly on his door. "Helloooo"

I waited patiently, until I heard some footsteps and then eventually his confused head peeked out.

"Stel? What are you doing here?" he asked, letting me in.

"I thought we should have a good old fashioned slumber party, to make up for me being an absent friend. What do you say?"

"Yeah sure, but um.. you do know Brandon will be home sooner or later.." he said matter-of-factly.

"About that.. we kinda left together" I explained. "At some point before you all decided to ditch us, we made up and everything's good now. I even convinced him to join us!"

"Poor kid, he has no idea what he signed up for" Liam chuckled. "You're not gonna be wearing that wretched thing for the rest of the night, are you?"

"Excuse you!" I gasped in horror. "This is a couture dress, thank you very much!"

"Now go get the good stuff, and don't hold out" I ordered, before skipping to Brandon's room.

Yup, I was acting unusually cheerful, but I was genuinely excited to hang out with the two of them after so long. I'd spent so long ignoring Brandon that I'd spent barely any time with Liam, and after tonight I just wanted to forget the last couple weeks ever happened and go back to how it used to be.

Except, things were different now with Brandon. For me, at least. I couldn't stop hearing Tristan's words in my head.

"I think you came here with the wrong guy"

What did he mean? Well, I knew what he meant because he implied several times that there was something going on between Brandon and I. And he literally walked in on me saying I'd easily chose him over Tristan.

Initially when I said it, I meant in a 'I choose my friend over some guy' way, but the moment those words left my lips, I knew I meant it as more. As in, I'd choose him instead of Tristan.

I don't think Brandon perceived it that way though. He hadn't really acted like something had changed, or like I'd made some accidental proclamation of devotion to him. So maybe I'm safe for now..

"You can come in, you know"

I blinked out of my daze, realising I'd just been standing at the doorway like a creep.

"I assume you need something to wear?" he said, walking over to his closet.

I noticed that he had already changed and found myself observing him - he was just wearing a pair of grey sweatpants and a simple black T-shirt, but it wasn't as if he downgraded from that suit at all. Seriously, how does someone make casual look that good?

He reached into a drawer and grabbed a random shirt of his, as well as a familiar pair of drawstring shorts. They definitely weren't his considering they were half his size and had cupcakes on them, and it didn't take me long to recognise them as a pair that'd been missing from my wardrobe for a while.

"I've been looking for these!" I said, "How'd they wind up in your closet?"

"You probably left them here because they somehow ended up in my laundry" he shrugged.

"And it never crossed your mind to return them?" I asked.

"Why, so you can just leave them here again?" he challenged.

Good point.

"Plus, if I recall correctly, you weren't speaking to me. Was I supposed to mail them to you?" he asked.

"I-I'm sorry" I apologised, feeling a sense of guilt overwhelm me, as I reminded myself he was more than justified to make remarks like that.

"Hey.. no Sunshine, it's okay. It was just a joke" he reassured, stepping closer. "I'm not mad at you, relax"

"Now go get changed, because I swear if I hear that loud ass crumpling noise one more time..." he whispered, his face inching dangerously close to mine.

I glanced down at the fabric between my fingers, realising I had been fumbling with the edge of my dress out of nervous habit practically all night, and I was oblivious to the annoying high pitched static sound it was producing when it rubbed together.

"...I will rip that dress off you myself" he finished, his breath fanning my ear. I instantly felt the heat rise to my cheeks and inaudibly gasped at his words, trying hard to not visualise it no matter how graphic my stupid subconscious insisted on being. Despite it being an obvious joke, I felt my knees buckling at the mere thought of his hands anywhere near my body, especially in that suggestive context.

Get a grip, Stel! He obviously didn't mean it like that. I mean yeah, he always makes dumb playful jokes but I'm sure this is just a frustrated threat with zero serious intent.

In fact, it was probably meant to make me laugh or something, but there was certainly nothing funny about rendering me speechless by putting an idea like that in my head.

"You can change in my bathroom" he whispered, flashing an innocent smile as he gently shoved the clothes into my chest before he hopped back onto his bed, completely unfazed.

The audacity he has, acting all composed and unbothered after he just offered to- well, you know!

Turning my heel and heading towards his bathroom, I prayed my knees didn't actually give out on my way there. I shut the door behind me, quickly ensuring to twist the lock. It's not like he'd deliberately walk in on me or anything, but I definitely was not risking it.

Glancing into the huge mirror in front of me, I inspected my appearance. There were remnants of makeup still left on my face, and I figured I'd just remove it later on since I knew the guest bathroom had makeup wipes, and the chances of Brandon having any were pretty much non-existent. I turned on the faucet and splashed my face with cool water, in attempts to subdue this furious blush since I literally resembled a tomato.

I pulled the zipper of my dress, and tugged at the tight fabric until it slipped down to the floor. I had no idea how badly it was constricting my airways until I got it off, and boy did it feel amazing to finally breathe again.

After changing, I went back into Brandon's room where Liam was with a stack of snacks in his arms.

"Where's the rest of the stuff?" I asked.

"In my room, come on" he said heading out as Brandon and I trailed behind.

"Wait! We always hang out in your rooms, let's do it in mine!" I said, tilting my head in the direction of the guest room.

"You do know you don't actually live here, Stel?" Liam chuckled.

"I'm gonna pretend I didn't hear that" I said, clutching my heart dramatically. "Now go bring everything to my room"

"I say.. divide and conquer. I knock him off, and you share your stocks with me?" Liam offered, looking at me for a nod of approval before knocking down the house figurine.

"wha- you can't do that!" Brandon whined, looking at the both of us in bewilderment. "You guys are breaking all the rules"

"We may be friends in the real world bud, but here? It's every woman for herself" I said, adjusting the ridiculously huge shades sitting on my face.

"What the hell do you mean 'every woman for herself'? You guys are literally ganging up against me!" Brandon said. "When you said we were playing monopoly, I envisioned it to be much less brutal than this.. hunger games rendition you have going on"

Yup, that's what all this fuss was about - a board game. You see, Liam and I have this tradition of playing Monopoly but it's like our own twisted version where we take it much more seriously, which is way more fun.

"Yeah, not the way we play it" Liam said, shaking his head without dropping the fedora atop his floppy mess of hair.

And yes, we insisted wearing props, it makes us feel like big-shot business owners and just helps us embody our characters, ya feel?

"That's just capitalism, baby" I shrugged, shuffling through my paper cash before handing Liam some of it. "Better luck next time.."

"Finally I'll be able to compete with Paris Hilton, start my hotel franchise" Liam grinned.

"You guys are delusional, you know that?" Brandon scoffed, narrowing his eyes at us.

"Don't hate the player, hate the game!" I said.

"God, if one more fucking cliche saying comes out of your mouth, I'm sending your ass to jail" he grumbled.

"I'd like to see you try" I giggled, not being able to hold in my laughter at his growing aggravation.

"I'm all burned out, can we take a break?" Liam yawned. "Plus, the games basically over, there isn't a single piece of property I haven't got a stake in"

"You're tired already?" I asked. "We haven't even busted uno out yet!"

"What can I say, you're exhausting company" he replied, knocking off his hat. "You know I love you, but you really had to pick tonight of all nights to end your Cold War with Brandon? Not any of the other days in the last month where I actually offered for you to come over?"

"It was up to the gods of fate, not me!" I pouted, taking off my shades.

"Rain check for tomorrow? And the entire weekend, considering you spend the last one hiding away with my girlfriend" he said.

"Fine, we'll call it a night" I said. "Oh, and for the record, I was not hiding away. Is it a crime for a girl to get out of town once in while?"

"According to everything she told me, it seemed like you were" he teased.

"What?! Wait, what exactly did she tell you?" I questioned, struck with momentary panic.

She better not have opened her mouth, there's such a thing as girl code and-

"Nothing, I was kidding" he laughed, making me sigh in relief. Well, at least I know she's got my back.

"But now I'm curious and I wanna ask her" he said, eyeing me suspiciously as he started to pack everything up.

"Too bad you won't find out.." I said, helping to clean up the mess that had accumulated the floor. "What happens in Brookhill stays in Brookhill"

Brandon's P.O.V.

It had been about half an hour since we'd all gone to bed - well, Liam at least.

I went back to my room to let Stella get some rest, but I couldn't sleep at all. The events of tonight kept replaying in my mind, and I couldn't help but feel like she was still upset. Maybe not with me anymore, but just in general with everything that went down between her and Tristan, and also at herself. I don't know why she felt like she couldn't talk to me, but clearly she had a lot of pent up guilt she had been carrying around, and I didn't get a chance to really make sure she was okay.

Plus, something she said to me tonight kept bugging me..

'Of course I'd pick you..'

Just hearing her say those words induced this sense of fulfilment in me. It somehow validated the way she felt about me, even if she just meant it platonically.. I still knew we had something deeper. And knowing that she preferred me over Tristan.. boy, that felt good. At least now he doesn't stand a chance with her again.

But despite how insistent she was on apologising to me, I still felt somehow like I was responsible. If I had listened to her in the first place about Alison, we'd never be in this mess.

Sighing in irritation, I glanced over to the alarm clock beside which read 2:05 am.

Could she still be awake?

Maybe I should check up on her.. just in case, right? If she's asleep, then I'll go back.

Deciding to give in to the little voice in my head, I threw the blankets off my body, and crept out of bed trying to be as quiet as possible. I walked down the hall, and noticed the guest room door was slightly open so I peered inside. The bedside lamp cast a dim, golden glow over the blonde buried under the covers, whose face was illuminated by the bright light of her phone held above her face.

Of course she's on her phone at this time of night instead of being asleep. She seemed way too hyper just an hour ago to be knocked out anyway.

"Stel?" I whispered, getting her attention. Her eyes darted to mine, and she silently motioned for me to come in.

"What are you doing up?" she asked, as I shut the door behind me and approached the bed.

"I could ask you the same thing" I replied.

"I wasn't that tired" she said, sitting up as she tossed her phone to the side. "So, what do you need?"

"Scoot over" I whispered, allowing her to do so before I sat beside her. "I couldn't sleep and I just-... I wanted to see how you were doing"

"I'm fine.." she chuckled, raising a brow in wonder. "Are you?"

"Seriously, Stella. You don't seem all that bothered about everything that happened tonight, and it's okay to be.. not fine. I know I don't really like Tristan that much.."

"Oh please, like you can barely say his name without gagging" she snorted in amusement.

"Whatever, but I know you guys were close and you have a right to be upset about losing that. Look, I'm really sorry you got thrown in the middle of all of this" I said. "None of it was your fault. Everything that happened between Tristan and I.. it's not something even you could fix, you didn't do anything wrong and I need you to understand that..."

She nodded, humming in reply.

"I know we haven't really talked in ages, but I don't want you to feel like you can't vent to me, even if it's about him. I'm here to listen anytime, and I mean that...so please don't go burying your feelings like that again, Sunshine. The past couple weeks were bad enough with you ignoring me, but not knowing what was going on with you was the worst part"

Her brows creased together as a troubled frown marred her features in concern.

Sucking in a nervous breath, I continued, "I'm probably gonna regret saying this because it's gonna sound really cheesy and dumb, and you're gonna use it against me but I don't care because I need you to know. Before I met you, I was so lost and I treated everyone terribly, especially you, and if I could take all those months we spent fighting back, I would. I'm sorry I was such a dick to you when we first met-"

"Brandon, you don't need to-" she interjected.

"I do, trust me. Just let me finish. For some reason, having you in my life.. I just- I appreciate it.. a lot, okay? I never knew how much until you pushed me away, when all I wanted to do was tell you how sorry I was for whatever the hell I did, so things could go back to normal. It made me feel like.. you know, before.. and I didn't realise how much I.. need you. I guess I'm just trying to say that I'm really thankful for your existence, Stella Solaria. And if Tristan is dumb enough to let you go then you don't need him, because anyone who can't see how special you are sure as hell doesn't deserve you"

All of a sudden, she threw her arms around me, taking me by surprise as she nestled her head in the crook of my neck.

And just like that, her warmth.. that warmth I had been deprived of all these weeks, was finally back. She was back.

"Thank you.." she murmured, barely audible.

I wrapped my arms around her, holding her in a gentle embrace as I felt an instant sense of comfort. The neither of us said anything until I felt my shirt get damp, and slowly I pulled way, still keeping her in my hold.

"Sunshine, are you crying?" I whispered, inspecting her face in the soft light.

"No.." she sniffed unconvincingly, as a tear rolled down her cheek. "Of course not!"

"Well here come the waterworks, I didn't know you missed me that much" I teased, eliciting a smile from her.

"Oh shut up" she groaned, lightly shoving my chest. I reached a hand out, letting my fingers brush against her tear-stained face, lingering near her cheeks for a moment longer than intended.

I couldn't hold back the smile that crept on my lips seeing how adorable she looked in the moment, as if someone had just given her the entire world. That's how she deserved to feel, every second of every day, and I hated myself for letting her forget how important she was.

"So, did you just come here to creep in my bed and make me sob like a baby or... ?"

"That and I couldn't sleep" I said, retracting my arms as I shifted back to where I was sitting. "I assume you aren't sleeping because you're still on a sugar high"

"Yeah.. ice cream that late wasn't the best idea. But hey, it was probably the highlight of junior prom, right?" she laughed.

"It wasn't all bad.." I said.

"Oh really? Your date tried to rip my arm to shreds with her cheap acrylics, before threatening to drown me in punch. She practically suffocated you the whole night, then Tristan decided to end things with me because apparently you can't stop stealing his girls.." she joked, making me roll my eyes.

More like he can't stop stealing mine. And it's not like he ever had my sunshine in the first place..

"..then, our respective prom dates may or may not have hooked up with each other, and all our friends ditched us leaving us to walk home. Did I miss anything?"

"I lost an expensive ass jacket that my mom will definitely grill me about tomorrow" I added. "But on the bright side, I got you back didn't I?"

"Hmm, true.. and I ended the night with a classic sleepover at the Shields household, with my two favourite boys" she smiled, elbowing me playfully. "And I totally obliterated you at monopoly"

"That was not monopoly" I groaned in annoyance, "That was your weird, warped version that's tailored to ensure that you win"

"I know, but it was still fun, right?!" she squealed childishly.

"Yeah, it was" I admitted. "So.. I guess I'll go, let you get some sleep"

"Wait!" she whispered, grabbing my arm before I could leave. "Does it look like either of us are getting sleep anytime soon? Just stay and we can talk until we get tired"

"You sure?" I asked hesitantly.

"Yes, now come on and get comfortable, you'll hurt your back sitting like that" she said, adjusting the pillow behind me before tugging the blanket over us.

She's so caring, even in the smallest ways.. she manages to worry about everyone but herself. I don't think she could get any more endearing if she tried.

"Oh my god, there's so much gossip I need to update you on, you've missed a lot!" she beamed, her face instantly lighting up with the biggest grin.

Okay I take that back, she definitely could.

Within only 20 minutes of Stella tirelessly chatting she was starting to doze off on my shoulder, completely unaware that sleep was taking over her body as she continued to babble on.

"..Then, Bloom told me that-" she mumbled, interrupted by a yawn, "What.. was.. what was I saying?"

"Go to sleep, Sunshine" I whispered, as my fingers absentmindedly caressed her hair.

"But I didn't.. finish my story" she murmured, the rest of her words incomprehensible as her face tucked further into my arm.

"You can finish it tomorrow. Sleep." I ordered.

Watching silently for a few more moments, I waited until she snoozed off before gently cradling her head and lowering it onto the pillow beside me. I got up and walked to the door, looking back to make sure she was actually asleep.

Watching that girl sleep should be considering a blessing.. she looks so at peace, untroubled, completely etheral.

I felt my eyes getting heavy, at last. Maybe all I needed was the assurance that she was okay to put my mind to ease.

"Sweet dreams, beautiful" I whispered, taking in the precious sight before me one last time, and then shutting the door.

Stella's P.O.V.

"Sweet dreams, beautiful"

My eyes flickered open, adjusting to the sunlight, as a smile tugged at my lips. I recalled the events of last night, and the last thing I remember was talking to Brandon.. I must've fell asleep at some point.

Speaking of Brandon, I just had the cutest dream about him. It was no surprise, since he'd feature in my dreams now and then, but this one felt weirdly... real?

I sat up, glancing at my phone for the time, which read 10:43. As I tossed it aside, my eyes caught sight of the pillow next to mine which was still had indentations from last night, where Brandon had been sitting.

I raked my hands through my tangled locks at the thought of our late night conversation, and for some reason that fact that he came to check up on me at 2am because he couldn't sleep just made my heart skip a beat. Everything he said was so sweet and genuine.. what did I do to deserve that Brandon, especially after having to deal with the other one for so long. I guess that proves you certainly can't judge a book by it's cover, because I wouldn't have anticipated feeling like this around him in my wildest dreams.

My eyes suddenly widened at the recollection of the fact that I cried last night.

God, I can't believe I actually cried! Not embarrassing at all.. he must think I'm a total emotional wreck or something, especially since it was the second time.

Granted, the first was after I had a harrowing nightmare turned panic attack, so it was a little more reasonable. But this time, it was totally out of the blue.. he was just talking and I burst into tears!

But he said.. he needed me, and that I was special, and..

Ugh, is he trying to make me fall for him or something?! I mean, he's practically perfect and admittedly, Bloom's words are sounding truer by the day. In all seriousness, I felt overwhelmed with gratitude that he entrusted me enough to be that vulnerable, and his words were so heartfelt, I couldn't stop myself from grinning like a fool. I still felt my heart sting with guilt knowing I put him back in a dark place by giving him the cold shoulder, but at least that was over now and everything was good.

I felt my phone buzzing in my lap and answered it without bothering to look at the caller ID, bringing it up to my ear.

"My Stella Bella awake before noon, who are you and what have you done with my daughter?"

"Dad?!" I laughed, registering my father's voice as I lit up with excitement. I hadn't talked to him in what felt like forever. "Why haven't you called me in ages!?"

"Sorry sweetheart, I was swamped with work. How's school been?"

"I'm done with finals, and prom was last night which was.. interesting. The semester's over now though.. it went by so fast"

"It feels like yesterday when you were still here. But I'm glad everything is going so well for you there, I told you it would. I was just calling to check up on you, and also ask you about-"

"FINALLY! About time, I was waiting for you to bring it up. So when can I come back?" I asked eagerly. "I can come back, right? You said, and I quote, 'see you in the summer', and you promised I could spend it with you so if you're taking it back now-"

"Of course not Stel, you're always welcome back home. I'll be seeing you in two weeks, and your mother and I agreed that it's up to you how long you want to stay, as long you're back in time for school-"

"So I can spend the whole month there?"

"Yes, but there's one more thing. I want you to bring one of your friends"

"Really? You'd let me bring someone along.. to Miami?"

"Of course, I'll take care of everything here, you just bring whoever you want, okay? I know you've had a rough couple of years, and I don't want you to be alone when you come back. You're doing so much better in Gardenia than you ever did in Florida, and thats all you, Stel. Your mother's told me how well you've adapted and that you're much happier there, you've got good friends and you're doing well in school. We're just both really proud of you Stel-Bel, so I want you to have fun, and not to worry because you've done enough of that"

"Thank you, thank you, thank you! I love you!" I squealed.

"Love you more. I've got to go, but I'll see you really soon."

"Okay, bye dad!" I said, before hanging up.

Not only am I going back to Miami for the entire month, but I also get to bring someone? This is gonna be awesome!

A week later

"Are you doing anything today, hun?" My mom asked, sipping on her coffee as I joined her at the table.

"I think Brandon's coming over, why?" I asked.

"No reason, I just needed to do some grocery shopping before dinner and I need you to come along" she said. "I spoke to your father the other day. Can't believe you're leaving me so soon"

"You're so dramatic, mom, I'll be back mid august and we'll still get a couple weeks of vacation together. Plus, I'm spending the entire year with you!" I reminded.

"Yes I know, but it's not enough!" she pouted, embracing me in a side hug. "Soon you'll be in college and you'll leave me forever-"

"I'm barely even a senior yet!" I laughed. "Anyways, can we go shopping this weekend? I still need to buy some extra things for the trip"

"Sure. So, who are you bringing with you?" she asked.

"I... don't know?" I answered truthfully.

"What? Stel, you need to pick one of your friends, it's already a short enough notice!" she said.

She was right, but unfortunately, I was stumped, and 99% sure I'd be heading to Miami solo.

Why, you ask? Well, it seems like literally no one is available. Bloom and Musa are both spending the summer vacationing somewhere else, Liam's going to Cape Town to spend some time with his parents, Sierra's in Arizona.. and on top of that, none of them know my history in Miami and I didn't really feel like explaining everything.

There was just one person left, one person who'd be perfect, who understands it all..

"All my friends are busy!" I said.

"Why don't you take Brandon?" she suggested.

Yup.. Brandon was the only one left. An entire summer with him in Miami actually sounded really nice, but I couldn't ask him. It'd be too weird, right? He'd never say yes, plus he's probably busy too, and-

"Isabel told me they weren't going on vacation this year so he'd be available" she said.

Dang.. he's the only one in my friend group that's free. Yeah, coincidences are funny like that.

"When dad said bring a friend, he probably meant a girl anyway, not a.."

"..a handsome 6'2 hunk?" she finished.

"Mother!" I gasped, my eyes practically falling out their sockets at her choice of words as she burst into laughter. "You did not just call him... that!"

I swear, sometimes I think she's the teenager here!

"Come on Stel, it's Brandon we're talking about, not some random motorcycle-riding miscreant you picked off the side of the street. I trust him, so your father will be fine with it. Unless there's a reason he should be worried?"

"Nope, no reason!" I said, shaking my head. "You sure he's free?"

"Yes.. and I may have let it slip to Isabel that you plan on asking him anyway, so she's already fine with it" she said.

"Mom!" I whined, crossing my arms. "Why would you do that? Now I have to ask him! What if he doesn't want to go?"

"Come on Stella, we both knew you'd end up going with him. And I'm sure he'd love to" she said, as he doorbell rang. "Oh, that must be him"

"Please don't say anything!" I warned, narrowing my eyes at her as I got up to answer the door.

"My lips are sealed" she shrugged, grabbing her coffee as she head up the stairs.

"Are you alright?"

"W-What?" I blinked, looking up. Brandon and I were currently spread out on the couch, watching some random show.

"You haven't had a single piece of popcorn for like 3 episodes.. and you love popcorn" he commented.

"Why are you watching how much I eat?" I asked.

"I'm not, I'm just... observant. I only noticed because usually we make enough for the both of us, and the bowl is still pretty full-"

"Oh, what so eating is my one and only personality trait? I can't simply.. not be hungry for once?" I questioned, catching him off guard. "You ever considered maybe, eating isn't all I do, Brandon?!"

"Okay... sorry I asked" he said, knitting his eyebrows together in disconcertment at my sudden outburst.

"No, wait I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap. You're right, I'm being totally weird, only because well.. I've-.." I rambled nervously. "I've been meaning to talk to you all morning, and I was anxious about it because I didn't know what you'd say-"

"Stella, calm down and tell me what's wrong" he interrupted in, as he paused the TV.

"Nothings wrong. Everything's good, I just need a.. favour, if you will.." I started.

"Oh no. If it's anything like the last 'favour' you asked me, then my answer is no" he said.

"At least let me ask the question, idiot!" I groaned. "You know how I'm going to Miami next week to spend the summer with my dad?"

He simply nodded in response.

"Well, he asked me.. or well, ordered me to bring one of my friends along. Literally everyone is busy, and so I was wondering.. if you would wanna go?"

God, I sound like such an ass, why am I acting like he's the last resort when he was literally the first person that came to mind? I should probably just tell him that and stop making excuses.

"You- you want me to come?"

"..Yes. Honestly, you're the only one I'd want to go with. As much as I'd love to use the excuse that you're the last person left who's available, I can't because that's not the reason. You're the first person that I thought of, and the only one I'd want to bring. Especially because.. I haven't told anyone else about my past, and Luke, and.. everything, and so none of them would understand like you do. I know it's super short notice and I don't want you to feel obligated you to say yes.. you've probably had to deal with enough of me the whole year, let alone having to be stuck with me in a different state the entire summer. But if you're even considering it, then just know it'd really mean the world to me and-"

"I'd love to" he said, cutting my rant short.

"What? For real?" I questioned. "Did you not hear the part about being stuck with me in another state? A whole summer with Stella, you sure you want that?"

"Now I'm confused.. are you trying to convince me to go or not?" he laughed.

"I'm just warning you, so you don't hold it against me!" I said.

"I'd be honoured to come with you, Sunshine" he smiled, "If you really want me to go, that is"

"Yes!" I beamed. "By the way, don't bother asking your parents because apparently, my mom got them before I could muster up the courage to ask you. Technically, you didn't even have a choice in the first place and you're stuck with me"

"Oh yeah, my mom would've definitely forced me to go and babysit you" he scoffed, making me laugh. "Why were you so nervous about asking me, though?"

"I don't know.. I didn't want you to think I was being.. desperate or clingy or something. I didn't know if it was too much to ask"

"Well it's not. And for the record, you're nowhere near clingy - trust me, I know clingy" he reminded, referring to Alison. "If it means that much to you, of course I'd say yes"

"Good. You better keep that same attitude this weekend because we are going shopping" I sang happily, grabbing the remote and continuing whatever was playing as I heard Brandon emit an annoyed groan.

"No.. you're a nightmare to shop with" he said, already seeming to regret his words.

"Too bad, Brandy boy, you and I are hitting the mall" I smirked, grabbing a handful of popcorn. "Shit you're right, I really do love popcorn.."

The following week

Brandon's P.O.V.

"Don't give your father a headache, okay Stel?" Luna said, hugging her daughter as we set off our luggage. "And be careful"

"You too, honey" she said, turning to me. "Don't let Stella boss you around too much, it may be her hometown but you're still the oldest so don't let her drag you around-"

"Mom! You're putting him in charge? Just because he happens to be born a couple months before me?!" Stella asked, crossing her arms like a child.

"Take care of her, please?" she requested, a hint of worry clouding her eyes. I knew it wasn't because of Stella travelling halfway across the country, but because of what awaited her back home. It couldn't be easy facing all that alone, and her mother knew it no matter how convincing a front she put up.

"I will.." I promised, as she embraced me in a hug.

"Call your mom when you land, okay?" she said, as I nodded. We said our goodbyes, before lining up for security, and soon enough we boarded the plane.

"You know, I should be the one taking care of you" Stella commented, taking her seat after putting away her hand luggage. "They have gators in Florida. I bet your delicate, pampered west coast ass couldn't handle that.."

"Are there gators anywhere near your house? Or even in your town?" I asked.

"Well, no, but-"

"Then my delicate, pampered west coast ass should be fine" I laughed. "If we do see one, I promise I'll let you protect me"

"This isn't funny!" she groaned. "I don't need to be treated like I'm made of glass. I can take care of myself"

"I know you can, Stel. Your parents aren't trying to smother you and neither am I, they're just looking out for you" I said.

"I know.. sorry. I think I'm just a little on edge" she admitted.

"Why are you having doubts now? You were so ecstatic, you basically packed my suitcase for me, and you didn't trust me to wake up so I'm running on no sleep and caffeine, per your request!"

"It's been months since I last visited, and I got so used to staying away. I mean.. what if I can't handle it.. what if it's all too much?" she sighed.

"It'll be fine, Stella" I assured, sitting down next to her as I buckled my seatbelt. "Just relax, okay?"

Unfortunately, I couldn't stick by my own advice when the turbulence began. It had been years since I'd last been on a plane, and I used to hate flying as a kid. I thought my anxiety would subside as I got older, but that theory hadn't been tested until now.

"Hey.." Stella said, turning her attention to me. "You're all.. jittery. Are you okay?"

"I'm fine... just not a big fan of planes, is all" I shrugged, struggling to keep my cool as I started looking around.

"What do you mean? Oh god, don't tell me you have a fear of flying.. " she said, looking at me in disbelief. "You didn't think to mention that before we boarded?!"

"I don't.. it's not a full fledged phobia or anything, I can handle the flying part. I just used to get kinda restless during take off and turbulence and stuff when I was younger" I explained, starting to feel my nerves kicking in, as my heart started to race.

"You're serious? You're not joking?" she asked, her gentle voice starting to soothing me.

I shook my head, my breath getting more rapid as the movements of the plane became rougher.

"Okay, just.. um, focus and keep your eyes on me" she whispered, her eyes boring into mine as she placed her fingers over my hand, her thumb softly stroking my knuckles.

The uneasiness I felt immediately started to alleviate at the sight of her honey coloured orbs, and the slow continuous pattern of her blinking almost became hypnotic to me. The stiff tension in my muscles began to fade away at her touch, as if I could feel her warmth seeping into my skin and melting away all my worries.

"You're gonna be fine" she whispered, with an invigorating smile that made me forget why I was even anxious in the first place. "I'm right here.."

If she only knew effect she had on me...

"I told you I'd protect you, didn't I?" she winked playfully, as we set off into the air.

"Thanks Sunshine" I whispered, lightly squeezing her hand before pulling away.

"You should get some sleep. You look terrible" she remarked.

"Excuse you, I happen to like my face"

"Seriously, now's not the time to be vain!" she laughed. "You haven't slept all night, so get some shut-eye. It help calm you down too"

"Fine.. I blame you, by the way. I wouldn't be this shaky if you didn't pour coffee down my throat at 2am" I said.

"At least we didn't miss our flight, my plan worked" she argued. "I'll wake you up when we land, okay?"

"What about food, am I just supposed to starve?" I questioned.

"It's only a 5 hour flight, Brandon. You'll be fine" she said.

"Says the girl with a lifetime supply of oreos in her bag" I huffed, pointing to her mini backpack.

"Fine, you can have my oreos if you get hungry, happy? Now stop complaining"

After a couple hours of sleep, my eyes met with the harsh light glaring through the window, and I started to stir awake, feeling much more refreshed. I lifted my head, feeling a weight on my shoulder, and I glimpsed at the mess of blonde hair leaning on my arm.

Only Stella would force me to sleep, only to snooze off herself before she gets the chance to wake me up.

"Stel, wake up" I whispered, rousing her from her dozed state as the plane commenced landing. "We're here"

"Already?" she yawned, rubbing her eyes as she looked over her shoulder.

"We're here!" she squealed, any trace of exhaustion suddenly vanishing from her. "I'm so excited, you're gonna love it! I'm gonna show you around town, and take you to all the best spots, and, oh you're gonna love my dad, he's awesome-"

"So I've heard" I laughed, "But maybe we should wait till we hit solid ground, before you make any more plans?"

"This is gonna be so much fun!" she smiled, gazing out the window in adoration.

Something tells me she's right...

So this chapter did switch up POVs more frequently than usual just because I felt like both sides were equally important at this point, and I wanted to showcase both their perspectives on the aftermath of last chapter.

Btw, the upcoming couple chapters are probably some of my favourites, I can't wait for you guys to read them! Hope you enjoyed this chap, remember to review. Love you all! ❤︎