4-23-23: Story updated with grammar and other mechanical changes

September

She is unsure when it changed, but every tight hug, every kiss on her head or cheek, and every time he pulled her onto his lap, climbed through her window, and slept near her, suddenly made her nauseous. She quickly understood that it wasn't bad…she just wanted him.

And that was her dilemma now. How could she want her best friend? How could Steven make her feel like she was about to vomit butterflies? How the hell did he make her face and neck burn in embarrassment and not notice?

She doesn't tell Donna or any girls on her volleyball team. Instead, she keeps these things to herself. Because she knows the only person she actually trusts is the one person she doesn't want to know.

A locker slammed, and Sophie was jolted from her thoughts; she blushed under Donna's stare, "what?" she asked as they strolled to class.

"Swim and volleyball have been very good for you," Donna stated with a wicked grin, "Jesus christ do you know how jealous I am of your boobs."

Sophie snorted and rolled her eyes, "I admit I have slimmed down, but early puberty sucks balls," she replied.

A sharp laugh distracted the girls from their conversation to see an older boy leer at her. Both girls shared a shudder as Sophie flipped him off, and they quickly walked away.

"Hyde, is your mom serving the students in this fine establishment?" Eric mocked as his friend sat down at the lunch table. Steven quickly punched him in the arm, "shut up, Forman," he snapped. "Yeah, shut up, Forman," Micheal cackled. Eric shot him a glare, "Shut up, Kelso," he snarked back.

Sophie and Donna glanced at each other as they sat next to the boys, "So why have you guys started calling each other by your last names again?" Sophie asked.

Donna nodded, "Yeah, I thought this was just some weird phase over the summer," she stated.

"Well, I mean Hyde is well, I don't think we started that there. See, there was this pot incident, and it stuck, and Kelso…we didn't start that either. I think the cheerleaders started that one. So that was…and for me…I don't know. It feels like they only call me that when I annoy them," Eric shrugged.

"So what your saying is," Sophie started with a grin, "they're cooler than you."

Eric glared at her, and Hyde laughed as he pulled her close to kiss her cheek. Sophie could have sworn she blushed with how the butterflies in her stomach swarmed, but none of her friends seemed phased, at all.

November

The last bell of the day rang, Sophie watched as her classmates rushed out to meet their friends, but she stayed near the door. The last thing she wanted was for that skeezy Sophmore to show up when no one was around, and she knew Steven was on his way here to walk her home.

She had not told anyone about the dill hole bothering her because she thought she could handle it. Only she wasn't handling it; she was hiding. She shook her head, told herself to get a grip, and looked into the hallway. She didn't see the weird stalker she seemed to have earned, but she didn't see Steven either.

Still, she refused to let the older boy influence her into hiding in the classroom any longer and began to head toward her locker when she suddenly felt a hand grab her breast from behind. Then, before she could even shriek, she heard a crack and a thud. Sophie turned to see Steven holding his hand, and the creepy older sophomore was knocked out on the ground.

"Steven!" she yelped as she grabbed his hand to examine the damage, "are you okay?"

He glared at her a little, "am I okay? That asshole touched you, Soph!" he growled.

She nodded, "I know, and you clocked him before I could. Now I'm more concern-"

"Mr. Hyde!" a voice bellowed through the hallway, cutting her off. They glanced to see the Assistant Principal storm towards them in a rage, "violence is not tolerated in this school," he yelled.

Sophie opened her mouth to protest, "But Mr.-"

"I do not care what may have occurred to incite this incident, Ms. Winston," he snapped before he turned back to Steven, "Now, Mr. Hyde, come to the office at once. Andrews, please help Mr. Garrison to the nurse's office."

Sophie gripped Hyde's hand, clearly upset. Steven looked at her and grinned, "no worries, doll, I'll meet you outside, okay?"

Sophie watched angrily as Steven was taken to the office.

Steven sat on the sofa and watched as Sophie paced angrily in her living room. He had been suspended for the rest of the week. Not that he cared, but Soph seemed to be spitting flames.

The front door opened, and before Kevin could even drop his keys, Sophie started to rant, "Dad! That asshole of an Assistant Principal gave Steven an external suspension. For protecting me!" she shrieked.

Kevin froze as he stared at his normally quiet and polite daughter. He turned his head to Steven, who sat on his couch, his arms crossed, unperturbed, "did she just call a faculty member of her school an asshole?" he asked, shocked.

Steven smirked, and Sophie flushed in embarrassment, "well, he is! Steven only knocked the kid out cause he grabbed my-" she stopped and looked at her dad, her eyes wide and face flushed with embarrassment.

Kevin squinted his eyes at her, "I see," his anger was palatable. He peered back to Steven, "you clocked him?"

Steven nodded, and Kevin grinned, "good boy, go grab a beer."

"Dad!"

March

Steven helped Kevin with a car in the shop since Sophie was with Donna, and Eric and Kelso were at the arcade. "Alright, that should do it," Kevin exclaimed as he pulled away from the car and wiped his hands. He glanced at the clock behind him, "let's eat some lunch," he suggested.

Steven followed him into the office and sat on the couch at the coffee table he and Sophie colored on the day they met. He glanced up as Kevin handed him a sub and a coke and sat in the seat next to him.

They ate in silence until Kevin swallowed a bite and said, "you know, kid, I don't ever think I've ever told you how proud and thankful I am that you take care of Soph," he paused a moment as he watched Steven shift uncomfortably and grinned, "I've also noticed you seemed to have developed some other feelings for her."

Steven froze and cautiously looked at him from the side. He was terrified that Kevin, a man he respected, would tell him that he wasn't any good and to stay away from Sophie.

"I just want you to know I think you're a good kid, and I know Sophie trusts you and adores you, so you have my permission to ask her out," Kevin said as he grinned with delight at Steven's obvious discomfort.

Steven glared at the man, "it's not like you can stop me," he mumbled indignantly and obviously embarrassed with the praise given to him, only for Kevin to hear him and start to laugh, "No, I don't think I could," he said, "but I do think you and I need to set some boundaries, no matter what I do not want Sophie pressured to do anything she does not want to do."

Kevin watched as Steven tried to lean back on the couch and drink his soda as he tried to act like he was not bothered by the conversation. "So," he said with a wicked smirk, "first things first, what do you know about sex?"

Steven choked on his drink.

July

It was near the end of summer vacation, and Sophie and the boys had decided to go camping before Donna returned from her stay-away camp. She glanced around the small campsite as she sat next to the campfire. Steven crawled out of the tent and moved to sit by her side with a grimace. "Kelso fell asleep with partly eaten marshmallows in his mouth," he said.

Sophie laughed and glanced back at the tent, "will he be okay? I mean, won't he choke?" she asked, grossed out but concerned. Steven shrugged, "I mean, even if he doesn't, he'll wake up and panic. He's done it before."

She rolled her eyes and poked the flames with a stick. She could feel Steven watching her, creating goosebumps down her body.

"Soph?" he suddenly asked.

"hmm?"

Steven stopped and looked at the flames with a frown. She watched him carefully when suddenly he turned to her, grabbed her head, and pulled her in for a deep kiss. He let go a watched her cautiously. Sophie touched her lips in thought. She felt numb, a good numb, a numb that messed with her head and traveled down to her toes. She glanced back up at Steven, who still watched her, "is that okay?" he asked.

Sophie nodded and leaned back to kiss him again, "it's really, really, okay," she mumbled, and he grinned as he kissed her back.

She pulled away and gave a laugh, "I've been wanting to do that since school started," she admitted. He grinned, "I wanted to kiss you since I saw my first playboy magazine." Sophie groaned and shoved him away while he laughed delightfully at her beat-red face.

He pulled out a joint and lit it by the campfire. Sophie watched him as he took a drag. He glanced at her, "you want to try?" She frowned, "you'll teach me how?" He smiled and nodded, "and you'll keep me safe from..." she waved her hands towards Eric and Kelso's tent, "shenanigans?"

Steven laughed, "I've always kept you safe from shenanigans...well, mostly." Sophie rolled her eyes and let him pull her close, so she snuggled into his side. "So what you do is," he started as he held the joint for her to see, "slowly. inhale, hold for a few seconds, and then exhale." He glanced at her, "you sure you wanna try?"

Sophie nodded and grinned, "let me watch you a few times, and then I'll try," she said.

Steven blushed.