Noelani spoke into her cell phone as she lounged on the roof right above where her bedroom was placed.

"Napa's been pretty okay. I've made a couple of friends here already... I uh, I miss you mom." Noelani's voice cracked a little and she wiped away the tear that escaped.

"I really, really, really miss you. I love you, call me when you can." Noel hung up the phone.

Noelani let out a sigh, then turned to face the sky.

The sun was beginning to set, making the sky turn a series of purples, oranges and blues.

Noelani glanced at the other houses behind her before hugging her knees to her chest.

In the driveway, Noelani could see Alejandro and Erin conversing with each other, sitting in Alejandro's truck.

The breeze picked up a little as the hues in the sky turned red and yellow.

Noelani took in a deep breath as her tears started anew.

She missed her island.

She missed her mother.

But most of all she missed what her relationship with her father could've been.

What it should've been.

Noelani wouldn't admit it to anyone outside of herself and maybe her pets, but...

She was lonely.

Something needed to change.

Noelani moved from the roof after a few more minutes to sit in her hanging wicker chair, restarted her homework and twiddle a pencil in her right hand.

R&B music was playing at a medium volume from her Alexa and the windows were open to let in the tangerine colored light from the sun.

Cinnamon was laying on the rug placed by Noelani's bed while Blue was asleep in her giant gray dog bed, placed over by Noelani's closet.

There was a dainty knock at the door and Noelani called out without looking up, "Come in."

Erin stuck her head in, her straight blonde hair tumbling over her shoulder, "There's a cute boy waiting downstairs for you."

"Who?" Noelani raised an eyebrow.

"Uh, tall, has this blonde patch in his hair..."

"Oh, Jalen," Noelani rolled her eyes, "Can you send him up?"

"Yeah."

After a couple seconds Jalen appeared in the doorway, "Hey."

He was wearing gray joggers, a navy blue graphic t-shirt and a pair of black Jordan 11's.

At the sound of a new voice, Cinnamon turned her head and began to bark and growl at Jalen as he slipped his Jordans off.

"Cin! Cin!" Noelani snapped her fingers once and Cinnamon turned her head towards her owner and relaxed.

"I didn't know you had a dog." Jalen said as he lumbered over to sit on her bed.

"I have two," Noelani pointed to Blue in the corner with her pencil.

"Oh." Jalen responded simply, his eyes flickering back and forth between the two dogs.

"So what's up kid? Whatcha doing here?" Noelani raised an eyebrow.

"I was bored. You wanna do something?" Jalen surveyed the walls, his eyes raking over the various pictures and the Colombian flag that Noelani had put up.

"I'm doing homework," Noelani snickered, lifting her pencil for proof.

"So?" Jalen flopped down on her pillows.

"So... I'm busy. Plus, why do you think you can drop by my house just cause?"

Jalen rolled over to lay on his back, "Ain't that what friends do?"

"Still a text would've been nice," Noelani responded, pressing numbers into her calculator.

"Kinda hard to text someone when you don't have their phone number."

Noelani looked up from her work, "Fair enough," Noelani tossed her unlocked cell phone onto the bed next to where he was still laying down, "Gimme your phone."

Jalen types his number into her phone, "You wanna go somewhere?"

"Like where?" Noelani raised an eyebrow.

Twenty five minutes later, the two were sitting in a booth at the nearest Napa Chick-fil-A.

"So wait," Jalen took a sip of his large sweet tea then set it down.

"How does a Colombian man from Oakland find himself in a small town in Hawaii?" Jalen leaned back into the booth cushion.

"My dad was in the navy, stationed at Pearl Harbor and my mom was visiting a friend near the base. They bumped into each other on the street and here I am." Noelani shrugged before examining the huge waffle fry in her hand.

"Just try it," Jalen coaxed, "Its good."

"Mmm." Noelani hummed uncertainly.

"Come on, kid." Jalen groaned.

"Oh, uh uh. Until you can beat me without tripping me you can't call me kid, kid." Noelani shook her head.

"Just eat the damn fry, Lani." Jalen chuckled.

Noelani raised an eyebrow at his tone but bit the corner of the potato then widened her eyes, "Holy fuck, that is good!"

A few customers sitting at tables and booths in the perimeter turned to look at Noelani after her outburst.

An African American boy and girl who looked about nine and eleven walked up to the table.

"J. Green, can we get a picture?" The younger girl asked in a low voice.

"Uh," Jalen glanced at Noelani.

The memory of Noelani blowing Jalen off when they first met caused Noelani to give him an embarrassed smile.

"It's fine." Noelani affirmed.

Jalen slid out of the booth to stand in the middle of the two children.

"She's pretty." The girl attempted to whisper.

Jalen glanced back at Noelani and their eyes met, "I know."

The three faced the boys' parents to take several pictures.

Noelani propped her chin up in the palm of her hand, an involuntary smile spreading across her lips at seeing Jalen squat down to high five the younger kids.

Noelani jolted a little at the feeling of her stomach flipping a little.

Oh no.

No.

No.

No.

Noelani was not starting to like this boy.

Noelani would like this boy.

There was no point.

He was going to the league and she would be going back to Hawaii for college.

So... why did her abdomen feel like the time Noelani had jumped off the cliff on Waimea Falls?

Freefalling.

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