After Will leaves, Sonny goes home. He sits on the bed, turns the TV on but he cannot seem to focus on it. His hand is shaking on the remote and he's drained. Neither happy or unhappy, mainly unnerved. He can still feel the shadow of Will's fingers on his own. He has stopped hoping and only one thing matters now : to improve Will's mood, to make that exhausted look go away. Will's way too young to look so worried and Sonny's mind goes back to his sleep-over at Sami and Rafe's place, wondering what's going on beneath the surface in there. He turns off the TV, tidies a little then goes to bed. Extra sleep won't be a luxury. He's out cold when a discreet beep signals a new text.
There are actually two texts for Sonny to read when he at last wakes up. Both from Will. The second one from this morning reads " Hey, man, don't forget the indie fest. I might get another ticket thru T. We can hang there ? " The second one is shorter and more affectionate. " I'll be more around, promise. Your friendship means a lot to me. C U" Sonny swears he'll be the best friend one could dream of.
Today, he's up for a climbing excursion with the Club. They all meet in front of the building and carpooling has Sonny sit next to a lively talkative girl named Sonia. They drive for two hours then branch off to a path near craggy gorges. They scout for the best climbing spot. Sonny gets a text from Brian, saying he's late and he GPSes him to their location. After the first three have reached the top, it's Sonny's turn and he waves at Brian who's walking towards them, then begins his ascension.
All of a sudden, the stone he was hanging to detaches itself while his foot trips on the wet rocks. The rope, badly put on, is useless. Sonny struggles to get another grip but his hand slip on the crumbly soil. Panic turns him blind and paralyzed. Cold invades his body as it bumps against the rocks and ends up on his butt... after falling about three feet down.
Brian is coming to him, laughing. He freezes at the sight of Sonny's face "Sorry, Sonny, I didn't mean to... I..." Sonny collects himself and make a quieting gesture "No, it's okay. I had an accident last year and, to fall like that again, it put me into a panic state. I'll be better in a minute." Brian nods and walks away with an awkward air. Sonny is unpleasantly surprised at this attitude from a usually-attentive Brian and wonders where this is coming from. He gets up, sweeps the dirt from his trousers. He waits for everyone to have finished the ascension to try again. This time, everything goes smoothly. Up there, Sonia comes to him to see how he feels. She puts her hand on his shoulder and Sonny finds her much better at comforting than Brian. He spends the rest of the trip avoiding him and manages to come back in a different car than his. While he chatters with the other two passengers about the day they had, he takes his cell out and instinctively writes Will a text.
He's awaiting Will at the door of his class and notices he looks more rested. He feels like a mother hen with her chick. Well, needless to say, Will is as cute as a baby chick. They walk to a bench that, if Sonny's memories serves (and when it comes to times he spent with Will, he tends to remember very accurately), is the same one they sat on, one evening with Chad. They aren't any stars now, as it's barely dusk, so Sonny watches the stars in Will's eyes. He finds himself telling me about his day, including the fall and Will's compassionate gaze confirms what he thought : that Will is more real and less sophisticated than Brian. He opens up about his accident " I was preparing myself for K2 on a smaller mountain, in the Himalayas and this rope broke. I hit my head and fell for ages. It's so fast, you know..." Will's face has turned chalky, hearing this. Sonny doesn't elaborate " It was a life lesson for me. I don't think I would have survived K2 otherwise. I learned to be more prudent and double-check everything. I tend to be reckless and I hit one of my limits." Will looks deep in thoughts. Finally, he says " At least you're not afraid to take risks. I'd rather be like you." Sonny frowns. He hates it when Will is self-depreciating. "Hum... My story shows that risks can lead to consequences, long-term ones. You, on the other hand are poised and more aware of your responsibilities. You think about your those you love and care about." He's thanked by a flashing smile from Will, who then starts fiddling with his backpack's strings. "Sonny..." "Yes" Sonny is careful not to frighten Will who talks on "My mom and Rafe are splitting up. She cheated on him... with my dad."