Shaw looked around the field, squinting in the afternoon sun. It was the day of soccer tryouts and Shaw was as excited as possible. She enjoyed being part of a team, even though she got competitive. She was more than confident she'd make it.

Shaw adjusted the strap of her duffel bag. She'd brought her cleats and shin guards. She'd almost just worn them to school today, but Root had talked her out of it. Shaw looked to the bleachers. Root was sitting on the bleachers closest to them, and Harold was on the far bleachers waiting to watch the boys' tryouts. Root had worn a shirt with the school logo for good luck.

Shaw gave her a small wave. Root waved back, her arm stretched above her head. Shaw wondered if this was what having a girlfriend was like. Not that she wanted a girlfriend, or Root to be that girlfriend. Shaw shook her head and walked for the group of girls sitting in the grass, putting their cleats on.

Shaw dropped her bag next to a girl she recognized from her history class. "Hey," Shaw said, plopping onto the ground.

The girl looked up and nodded, adjusting her shin guard. She held her hand out. "Zoe."

Shaw took her cleats out of her bag and shook the girl's hand. "Shaw."

Zoe tied her hair into a ponytail, looking at the other girls on the field. "What position are you going for?"

"Forward," Shaw answered, putting her shoes on. "You?"

"Goalie." Zoe stretched her legs out, reaching for her toes. "I like to watch everything happening."

Shaw was surprised to see her fold herself in half. She hoped the girl was as talented as she was flexible. Shaw finished tying her shoes and hopped up, pulling her leg behind her, stretching. She saw Joss talking to a blonde girl. When Joss looked her way, Shaw waved.

Joss waved back and then pulled a whistle out of her pocket and put the lanyard around the neck.

"Alright, girls. My name is Joss Carter. I'm the Captain. I'm a senior. We're going to start with some laps and then shoot some goals."

The tryouts lasted about an hour. Shaw was definitely sweating by the end of it. She and Zoe had been paired together for most of the time. Shaw had managed to get a few goals passed her, but Zoe really was a terrific goalie. She was on the team; Shaw was sure of it.

They were on their last exercise, shooting balls down the field as hard as they could. Joss just wanted to see what their range was. Shaw was last to go, watching the other girls try their best. Everyone did pretty well, but Shaw was ready for her turn. She had a mean kick.

"Alright," Joss said, nodding to Shaw. "Go ahead."

Shaw took a few steps back, looking down the field to where the boys' tryouts were happening. It was probably too far to kick Lionel in the head, but Shaw could at least aim for him. She ran for the ball, glancing up at the bleachers where Root was. Root was stretching, her stomach bare as she reached upwards.

Shaw's foot connected with the ball, sending it flying down the field. It soared towards the boys tryouts, almost slamming into John. Swallowing, Shaw tore her eyes away from Root's bare skin, hardly aware that she'd even kicked it. Looking around, she saw the girls staring at her.

"Impressive," Joss chuckled. "I guess I asked for your best."

Shaw gave her a mock salute, feeling scrutinized by all the eyes on her. She didn't want attention, and now she'd gotten it somehow. Joss blew her whistle and announced that tryouts were over. The results would be posted on the bulletin board by the front office Monday Morning. When they were dismissed, Joss jogged over to Shaw.

"Hey, I'm glad you came out," Carter said, smiling. "That was an amazing kick."

Shaw nodded, wiping her forehead. "I'm sweating more than I expected." She put her hands on her hips, taking a deep breath. "I must be out of shape. My heart is racing."

Carter laughed. "Well, you and Morgan were really going at it. I almost expected someone to throw punches."

Shaw laughed. "Really? I loved it. She's pretty impressive."

Carter patted Shaw on the shoulder. "So were you." She smiled again and turned away. "Have a good night!"

Shaw waved absently and headed for the bleachers, picking up her duffel bag from the sidelines. She felt like she'd done a good enough job to make the team and Carter had seemed supportive. Shaw was feeling a little bit excited. She enjoyed playing soccer and it was as good a place as any to get out her aggression.

Root jumped up when Shaw got close. Shaw watched her coming bounding down the bleachers. She wondered what had happened to her, and how she'd kicked the ball so hard. Root was cute, but she wasn't that cute. Shaw smiled as Root hopped on the last step and landed in front of her.

"That was great!" Root yelled, clapping her hands.. "Here, give me your bag. I can carry it. You must be tired." She pulled the bag off Shaw's shoulder.

Shaw let her take it, only grumbling a little. "Thanks."

They walked together to the bleachers down the field. The boys' tryout was still happening, so Root and Shaw sat down next to Harold to wait for John and Lionel. Shaw tried not to think about Root's stomach.

"How are they doing?" Shaw asked. "I haven't looked over there at all."

"They're doing well," Harold answered. "John was on the team last year, so I'm sure he'll be more than adequate. Lionel is holding his own."

They watched the boys run around for a while. Shaw was impressed with their foot work. Both of them were good. Maybe they could practice together in their free time. Root and Harold could do their computer whatever. John scored a goal and the three friends cheered.

Harold turned to Shaw. "Are you coming to our dinner party tonight?"

Shaw frowned. "What dinner party?"

"My parents are friends with yours. They're hosting a dinner party tonight. John will be there, too."

Shrugging, Shaw turned to Root. "Will you be there?"

Root smiled, sadly. "No, my parents are out of town, so I'd have no way to get there or get home."

"You should come home with me. We'll have a sleepover like we're freshmen ," Shaw suggested. "I don't want to go to a dinner party by myself. No offense," she said to Harold. "I promise to shower first."

Root grinned at her. "I'd love to have a sleepover."

"Please make sure she showers." Harold laughed and gestured to John and Lionel, who had finished up and were heading toward them. "All of you are required to shower. I am not a fan of sweat."

John tossed his bag onto the bleachers, loudly. "Are you insulting my manly musk?"

The friends groaned.

"And I'm out," Shaw announced, grabbing her bag. "'Manly musk' is my limit." She gestured for Root to followed her and stomped off the bleachers. "Come on, let's leave before we get infected with Sixteen-Year-Old Boy." She turned to give Root a hand hopping off the bleachers. Her skin grew hot where they touched, just like it had last time. When Root was on the ground, Shaw dropped her hand. "You coming, Lionel?"

"Nah, I'll go with them."

Shaw just turned away, ready to get home. She'd driven Alicia's car, a huge Range Rover, and she was thankful there'd be air conditioning. Every time she got close to Root, her whole body started to get warm. Shaw wasn't a virgin, but none of the guys she'd slept with had felt like this. Maybe Root was that hot, after all.

They walked through the fence around the field to the parking lot. Shaw dug her key out of her bag as they headed for the car. Root stopped to get her bike from where it was leaning against the fence, and Shaw turned around to walk backwards. Root smiled at her, walking her bike forward. She seemed happy.

The past week had been good. After they'd made up, Root seemed a little less distracted. Shaw had been upset, but she still watched Root. The whole time they'd been fighting, Shaw had debated whether to apologize. She'd felt so betrayed when Root said she'd been spying. Shaw was a private person and didn't get attached easily. She never knew when she'd have to move.

They reached the car and Shaw opened the back so Root could put her bike in. Once it was set, she closed the door and they climbed into the car, throwing their bags in the back. Shaw pulled out of the parking lot and headed into the surrounding neighborhoods. She glanced at Root again. Root was curled up in the seat, feet up on the dashboard.

"Hey," Shaw started. "Where do you live?"

Root looked at her, frowning. "I live just outside of town, near the county line."

"Oh." Shaw had no idea where that was. "Is it far?"

Root shrugged. "Not too bad."

"Ok." There was something about Root's voice that made Shaw feel off-kilter. "Just wondering."

They got to Shaw's house quickly, and she parked in front. They left Root's bike in the car. She wasn't going to need it, and if it rained, it'd stay safe. Shaw grabbed her bag from the backseat and they walked up to the front door. Shaw had been surprised when Alicia and Nathan had given her a key. They really wanted her to feel at home and have the freedom to hang out with friends.

"I'm home!" Shaw called out, kicking off her cleats in the front hallway. She started towards the stairs. "I brought a friend."

"Come into the kitchen," Alicia called back.

They dumped their bags onto the bottom step of the main staircase and turned to walk through the dining room into the kitchen. Shaw smiled at Alicia, and leaned on the kitchen island, looking over the plate of cookies that had been set there. She gestured over her shoulder.

"This is Root."

She watched as Alicia gave Root a critical glance. It didn't fit with her friendly image, wearing an apron and oven mitts. She looked incredibly displeased that Root was there, and Shaw was suddenly wondering if she'd missed a rule about letting Alicia know before bringing friends over. Shaw had been talking about Root for two weeks now. It couldn't be too surprising that she'd bring her over.

The look disappeared from Alicia's face, a big smile replacing it. "Hello!" Alicia said, too cheerfully. "It's nice to finally meet you. I've heard a lot from Shaw and Nathan."

Shaw looked over her shoulder at Root, who was smiling nervously. Root's eyes flicked to her. She pushed her hair behind her ears.

"I can go," Root said quietly, blushing. "I should get home anyway."

"No!" Shaw stood up. She looked at Alicia. "Can Root sleepover? And come to the party with us?"

Alicia looked surprised that Shaw was asking for a sleepover. "I'm not sure…"

"Please don't leave me stuck with the boys. I'll punch someone."

"Alright, I guess." Alicia shrugged. "I did leave two dress options on the bed."

Shaw nodded. "Thanks. We're going to go shower and change."

"Thank you, Mrs. Corwin," Root said quietly.

Shaw led her out of the kitchen, snatching her bag up from the stairs and hurrying up. She had no idea when Alicia would be so weird about Root, but it didn't matter now. They'd gotten permission for a sleepover and Shaw wasn't going to let her take it back.

She pushed into her room, throwing her bag onto her desk. Her room felt too clean. It was like living inside an ikea store. She wanted to get posters to put up or something, even if she had to take them out once she was 18. Right now, it was just full of books and a couple pictures of her parents. She turned to Root, smiling.

"This is it. Where the magic happens."

Root laughed, moving to the bed. "It's a pretty small bed for magic. I'm guessing I'll be sleeping on the floor."

Rolling her eyes, Shaw sat in her desk chair. "We can squeeze. You're skinny and I'm small. It's not my fault they bought me a twin bed. It's like they wanted to keep me from getting any action."

Roots face turned red, and Shaw realized what she'd said. She hadn't meant to imply that she and Root were going to have sex. It had just been an observation. Shaw had thought about it, but she thought Root might be flirty with everyone. Looking Root over, Shaw licked her lips. She wouldn't mind, though, if something happened.

The more time she spent with Root, the more Shaw wanted to spend time with her. She could admit to being attracted to Root, and maybe Root could handle being friends with benefits. It didn't have to be more than that. Root chuckled, pulling Shaw out of her thoughts.

"If I'd known this was some ploy to get me naked, I would have tried out for the soccer team , too. You shouldn't be the only sweaty one."

Shaw tapped her hands on the arms of her desk chair and stood up. "I shouldn't be sweaty at all. I'm going to go shower."

She left the room quickly, and walked down the hall to the bathroom. It didn't take her long to start the shower and undress, and then she was standing beneath a steady stream of hot water. It burned her skin, reminding her of what touching Root felt like.

Shaw reminded herself that she was only here for a little while. There was no point in even trying to get close to anyone. She was bad at it anyway, bad at friends, bad at relationships. She just wasn't built that way. Telling herself that didn't stop her from wanting to touch Root's body.

She had a feeling that if she'd invited Root to shower with her, Root would have said yes. Although, Shaw couldn't be sure. Root flirted a lot, but she'd never made any sort of real move. The conversation just now, about Shaw's twin bed, was the closest they'd come to talking about sex or anything. She didn't even know if Root was a virgin. Shaw wasn't looking to be anyone's first anything.

Showering quickly, Shaw turned the water off and stepped out onto the bath mat. There was no way her hair would be dry by dinner unless she blow dried it, but she wasn't going to do that. Instead, she wrapped it up in a towel, out of the way. She took another towel and wrapped it around her body.

Walking back to her room, she hesitated before walking inside. Root would probably see her naked while she got dressed. Was that something she wanted? Shaw didn't want to tease her anymore about sex. If she wasn't going to give in, then she should stop hinting at it.

Rolling her eyes at herself, Shaw walked into the room. Root was looking at her bookshelf, hand in her pockets. She looked up when Shaw came in, smiling. Blushing when she saw that Shaw was wearing a towel, Root held her hands up.

"You're making it pretty easy," Root laughed. "I kind of like a challenge."

"Very funny." Shaw waved her hand as she walked to the dresser. "Turn around while I get my underwear on."

Root pouted, but she turned around. Pulling a drawer open, Shaw dropped her towel. She glanced at the dresses on the bed, both white, and pulled out a nude bra. She grabbed a pair of white underwear and shut the door.

"Hey, Shaw?"

"Yeah?" Shaw stepped into her underwear. Root didn't respond. "What?"

"Do you have a boyfriend?" Root asked, sounding too casual. "Back in New York."

Shaw shuddered. "Gross. No."

Root chuckled. "Yeah, boys are gross. Do you… like boys?"

"Are you asking if I'm gay?" Shaw put her bra on, reaching around to clasp it. "I'm bi. I play for both teams."

"Oh, ok."

Shaw raised her eyebrows, turning around to find Root staring at her. Root blushed, caught, but she didn't look away. Shaw felt heat pool in her stomach, and she was tempted to just kiss Root. They were almost 18, almost in college. It wouldn't be weird to hook-up with one person for a while. As long as Root didn't catch any feelings, they'd be ok.

There was a knock on the door and Root jumped. Alicia's voice came through.

"You girls getting ready? We're leaving soon."

"Almost dressed," Shaw answered back. "We'll be right down."

So much for her plan to sleep with Root. There was still after dinner, though. Root smiled at her, winking. If Shaw got through the night without getting annoyed to death by Root, maybe she'd consider kissing her. Knowing Root, Shaw would definitely get annoyed.

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An hour later, Shaw was standing in front of Harold's house holding a plate of cookies. She looked up at the towering building. It was more a mansion than a house. Shaw counted about 12 windows just on the front of the building. She sighed and watched Alicia ring the doorbell.

A dog barked inside the house, and Shaw perked up. Feeling a hand slide around her arm, Shaw turned to see that Root was holding on to her, like a lady holds on to a gentleman. Shaw raised an eyebrow, but Harold opened the door before she could say anything.

He smiled at Alicia and Nathan before turning to Shaw and Root. "Hello! I'm glad you could make it."

Shaw rolled her eyes and stepped forward into the house, forcing Root to drop her arm. "Did I hear a dog bark?"

Harold nodded and stepped aside, letting them all in. "That's Bear."

"Bear?" Shaw said, incredulously. "Like our school mascot."

"Exactly!" Harold said, looking pleased that she'd picked up on that. "He's a sweet dog."

Root grinned. "He loves me more than Harold."

"He's going to love me the most." Shaw shoved the plate of cookies into her arms. "Lead me to him."

"Sameen," Alicia scolded, lightly. "Let's greet everyone and then all you kids can go see Bear."

Shaw grumbled, but followed Harold, Root, and her foster parents into the dining room. Root seemed comfortable in the house, and Shaw remembered just how long she'd been friends with Harold. Shaw wasn't sure she'd ever get used to a huge house like this. She almost whistled at all the food on the table.

John was already there, wearing a nice black suit. It was weird seeing him in anything other than work out gear. From the look he was giving her, he thought the same thing. Lionel was seated, also wearing a suit. She waved to them.

"Everyone, this is Sameen." Nathan announced to the room. "She's in John and Harold's class."

"And Root's," Shaw said, waving awkwardly when Harold's parents looked at her. "Hello. Thank you for inviting me."

Harold's mother smiled. "Of course. We've heard a lot about you from the boys."

Shaw's eyes narrowed and she glared at John, who just shrugged. The worst part about having friends was that she had no control who knew about her. How many people in the town already knew her name? It was a lot easier to be anonymous in a city.

Alicia laid a hand on Shaw's shoulder. She looked at the adults in the room. "I promised Sameen that she and the boys could go play with Bear." When the other adults laughed, Alicia patted Shaw's shoulder. "Go on, but try not to ruin your dress."

Shaw nodded and looked at Harold. He put the plate of cookies on the table and headed back into the foyer. Beside her, Root looked uncomfortably aware that Alicia had said 'Shaw and the boys'. Shaw followed the others out of the room.

She didn't like how people kept forgetting about Root. It was like all the adults were determined to ignore her. Had Root done something in the past? Was she a ghost? Glancing at her again, Shaw saw that Root was staring at the floor, frowning. Shaw knocked her shoulder aginant Root's, getting her attention.

"I'm taking my heels off," Shaw told her. "I suggest you do the same."

Root smiled at her, and stepped out of her shoes. "I like dressing up, but I hate the shoes."

"I'm not a fan," Shaw agreed as she slipped out of her heels. She groaned. "Ugh, I hate things like this. I always have to wear heels and stupid dresses."

"You look great," John commented. "I love the dress."

Shaw rolled her eyes as they continued into the house. "I know I look great, John. I work very hard for this body. I just wish you could be formal in sweatpants."

Harold opened a door. "This is my room. Bear stays with me."

Shaw pushed past him into the giant room, and headed straight for the dog. Bear rushed up to her panting, and Shaw dropped to her knees to pet him. She looked over her shoulder at Harold. "He is the cutest dog ever."

Harold's room was about three times the size of hers. He had a huge bed, a huge desk, and a huge television. It looked like every teenage boys dream room, and Shaw's. She didn't see any video game consoles, but tv stand had drawers. Shaw made a mental note to challenge them to a game at some point.

"Don't hog him!" Lionel sat next to Bear. "Share the love."

"I've had him for about four years," Harold said. "He's almost seven years old now."

"Oh, yeah?" Shaw asked, scratching Bears ears. "Your parents finally relent?"

"Actually," Harold said, hesitating. He glanced at Root. "He's been trained to be my service dog. I had an accident a few years ago."

"Oh," Shaw saw how uncomfortable the boys and Root seemed. "Can I ask what happened?"

"No," Root answered, tense. "I don't want to talk about it."

"I asked Harold," Shaw muttered, annoyed. "What's it to you?"

"Root can tell you when she's ready," Harold sighed. "It's more her story than mine anyway."

Shaw raised an eyebrow, absent-mindedly petting Bear. She wasn't sure what that meant, but she knew about privacy. She had things she wouldn't tell them, so she wasn't going to push Root. Shaw just nodded.

She could figure out that this was probably about Hanna, Root's missing friend. Something must have happened to her. 'Robotics Accident,' Harold had said. Shaw changed the subject.

"You have a pool, right? When's that party?"

"Over winter break," he answered. "My parents will be out of town for a conference. They're scientists, like Nathan and Alicia used to be."

Root sighed. "Remember when they all liked me?"

"They still like you," John offered. "They're just… confused about your relationship with us."

Shaw snorted. "They think she's sleeping with one of you? Yikes. No offense."

"Full offense," Root corrected her, laughing. "No way in hell. What's the phrase? Don't dip in the company ink? I'm not sleeping with anyone in my friend group, thanks."

Shaw wasn't sure why that comment annoyed her. Hadn't she just been trying to talk herself out of sex with Root? She couldn't bring herself to look at Root because she wasn't sure if Root was joking or not. It didn't matter anyway. No dipping in the company ink. Nothing was going to happen.

"Are we going to Lambert's party next weekend?" John asked. "I'm not opposed. We'll just drink his alcohol and leave."

"I'll go." Shaw flipped her ponytail over her shoulder. "I need to burn off some steam."

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Hours later, Root and Shaw lay in bed, their backs to one another. Root stared at the wall, unable to sleep with Shaw's warmth behind her. It had been a weird night, and this was just a weird end. Root had sort of been hoping that something would happen between them, but Shaw had shut down at some point during dinner.

Root wasn't sure if it was something she said or if it was another one of Shaw's things. She wasn't really sure what went on in Shaw's head most of the time. The mystery was something Root liked, even if it could be difficult to deal with sometimes. Everyone she knew was so predictable and constant, but Shaw was like a breath of fresh, complicated air.

She didn't think Root was weird, and she always made sure Root was there. It was nice to have someone checking in with her. Harold and John were great, but it was different when it was a girl. Especially, a girl as hot as Shaw.

Root rolled over to stare at Shaw's back. They were under the dark red quilt, warm even though the room was cold. Shaw's night shirt was almost sheer, worn from years of wear. It didn't seem particularly special, but Shaw was attached. Root ran a gentle finger down Shaw's back.

Shaw twitched and Root froze. This was the second time she'd been caught tonight. Where had all her self-control gone? Shaw rolled over, the bed creaking as she turned to face Root.

"Can I ask a personal question?" Shaw asked her, eyes closed. She sounded half-asleep, mumbling. "Where are your parents?"

"Um." Root licked her lips. "Away. On business."

"Oh," Shaw breathed. "Ok."

Root didn't tell her that they'd been gone for four years, or that she never heard from them at all. She didn't tell Shaw that she'd been abandoned and that if she hadn't been a good hacker, she would be dead by now. It was only her ability to hack her parents back accounts that was keeping her going. She'd probably sell the big empty house when she went to college.

"Roll over," Shaw ordered. She yawned loudly. "Roll."

Root obeyed, turning to face the wall again. Shaw pushed herself against Root's back, throwing her arm over her side and holding her close. Like before, Root felt hot where they touched, itching for more contact. She took a deep breath, knowing that she wouldn't get any sleep.

"I'm not making a move," Shaw mumbled. "No company ink."

Root closed her eyes, suddenly realizing why Shaw had gotten weird. When she'd said that, Root had meant Harold and John. They were boys, and friends from childhood. Root would never think of them that way. She hadn't been talking about Shaw.

Shaw was something else. She was Root's friend, but maybe they could be more. Root hadn't had sex before, but that didn't mean she wasn't willing. Shaw was hot, and she was nice in her own rude way. Even if Shaw wasn't interested in dating, Root thought she might be up for something casual. Root could do casual.

Settling back into Shaw's arms, Root decided to make her move next weekend at Lambert's party. They'd definitely sleep over at Harold's afterwards, and Root would make sure to wear something to the party that showed off her legs. She'd seen Shaw looking at them. Smiling, Root closed her eyes. She needed to sleep this week, because next weekend, she wouldn't be getting any rest.