"Hey there," I said, plopping down criss-cross on Bryce's bed.

"What time is it?" he groaned.

"A little before 3."

He wiped an arm across his eyes, letting out a yawn.

"Have you been out of bed today?"

"I think I got up to pee once."

"How're you feeling?"

"Okay I guess," he said, pushing himself up vertical. "Do you know if Dawson's been out today?" He reached down and nudged his sleeping dog with his foot.

"No idea babe, I just got here."

Bryce put his head in my lap, letting out another yawn.

"Did you sleep well?'

"I didn't wake up once. Well, except to pee I think."

"So all you need is a little brain surgery to cure insomnia."

"I'll recommend it to all my friends."

I laughed as he sat up again, rubbing his eyes. "I need to take Dawson out."

Dawson's head lifted up at his name.

"We could go to the dog park," I suggested. "Get a little sunshine."

"Okay," Bryce agreed.

I gave him a quick kiss before heading out to his living room, giving him a few minutes to freshen up.

Josh was lugging his suitcase to the front door, Kayla behind him.

"You're leaving?" I asked Josh.

"I've maxed my vacation days," he said, with a half-smile. "My boss might kill me."

"We're going to miss you," Regina said, jutting out her bottom lip.

"I'm going to miss you too Ms. H," Josh said, giving her a tight hug.

"What's going on?" Bryce asked, coming out into the living room.

He'd managed to get dressed, sporting a pair of khaki shorts and a baseball tournament t-shirt.

"My flight leaves in a couple of hours," Josh informed him.

"That's today?" Bryce asked.

He nodded. "But I have a present for you."

"It must be my lucky day."

His living room was scattered with Get Well Soon balloons, teddy bears, and flowers.

Everybody loves Bryce Harrison.

Josh swiped his gift bag off the counter, tossing it to Bryce.

Bryce caught it, plopping down on the couch.

Dawson was immediately by his side, his nose stuffed inside the gift bag.

"I think this one is for me bud," Bryce said, giving Dawson a good scratch before opening his gift.

Inside was a white beanie.

"You talked to my mom," Bryce said, laughing as he pulled it out.

"I wanted to get you something useful," Josh defended.

Bryce disappeared back into the bathroom and came back in a few minutes with his beanie pulled over his head, more importantly over his scar.

"Looking stylish there," I said, with a smile.

Bryce chuckled.

"I think he pulls off the beanie look," Kayla mused.

"I'd date him," I said, with a nod.

"We're going to the dog park," Bryce informed his mom.

"Come take your meds first," she said, giving Josh one last hug before heading over to the kitchen to find Bryce's medicine.

"Beanie and glasses," I said, taking a seat on a barstool in the kitchen. "You could totally be like one of those guys that hangs out in coffee shops and snaps at other people's poems."

"Hey, I could be one of those people that presents a poem," Bryce defended.

"I think you need a little more hipster clothing first," I said, observing his outfit. "You're not quite there yet."

Bryce raised an eyebrow at me.

"Right now you're like a hipster wannabe."

"I could pull it off," Bryce muttered, before accepting his medicine and a glass of water from his mom.

Dawson let out a whine at Bryce's feet.

I turned around and gave Dawson some attention.

"He's been needy lately," Bryce said, after he finished. "He won't leave me, and whenever I'm not paying attention to him he does that."

"He was worried about you while you were gone," I said, scratching Dawson's belly. "And his daddy came home with a scar on his head and glasses. It probably freaked him out a little."

"You're too needy," Bryce chastised, reaching down to pet Dawson. "Let's go."

~*~

"Good morning sunshine," my mom greeted, as I made my way into the kitchen.

"What time is it?" I muttered, opening the refrigerator to locate the orange juice.

"A little after 12."

I turned to stare at her. "In the afternoon?"

"Well if it was the AM would I be sitting here fully dressed with my hair and makeup done?"

I rolled my eyes, pulling the orange juice out of the refrigerator. "Why did you let me sleep so long?"

"You've hardly gotten any sleep this week," she pointed out. "Dear, I know you're worried about Bryce, we all are. But your health is important too."

I really was not in the mood for a mom-lecture.

"Okay," I agreed, pouring myself a glass of orange juice before taking a couple of sips. "Where's dad?"

"He went down to the golf course with a few friends, and I'm getting ready to go to lunch. Do you have plans?"

"Well I didn't before now. I suppose I'll go to Bryce's."

"Are you sure? I can cancel my plans."

I shook my head, putting the orange juice back in the refrigerator. "He's been locked in a house full of girls all morning, I'm sure he'll be grateful for the relief."

"I'm not sure if you're aware of this, but you are also a girl."

I shook my head at her, heading out of the kitchen. "I meant that we could go somewhere mom."

"Oh."

I headed into my room, changing from my pajamas into a pair of blue and white polka dot shorts and a white lace shirt. I paired it with my eyelet lace white Keds before running a straightener through my hair and dabbing a little makeup on.

"I'm leaving!" I heard my mom announce. "I love you!"

"Love you too!" I called back.

I located my purse and my phone, seeing that I already had a couple of text messages from Bryce, all within the last 20 minutes.

Just woke up.

Are you coming over?

Please tell me you're coming over.

Sophie, come over.

Why aren't you here yet? Do you realize that this is a desperate situation?

I rolled my eyes, texting him to let him know I was on my way.

I left my house, and was at his house in less than 10 minutes.

Kayla greeted me at the front door, letting me back into the living room.

Bryce was playing GTA 5; Dawson curled up right next to him.

"So I was thinking like an aqua green color for the bridesmaid dresses," Kayla said, taking a seat on the couch.

Regina was sitting in the armchair, a wedding book open in front of her.

"Aqua green would be pretty," Regina agreed, marking it down in her notebook.

"You agreed with her about the teal too," Bryce reminded her, without looking away from his game. "And that other blue, all of which are exactly alike."

"This is why you can't be involved in the planning process," Kayla informed him.

"This is why I don't want to be," Bryce countered.

I took a seat next to him on the floor.

"Please tell me you're going to get me out of here."

"If that's what you want."

"More than anything."

I turned around to face Regina. "Are there any errands you have that need to be done?"

"What?" Bryce asked me.

"Oh nothing that you need to worry about dear."

"Bryce and I would be happy to do them," I countered. "He's dying to get some fresh air and I'm more than happy to spend the afternoon doing pretty much whatever. And I know you have to be busy between everything that's been going on."

"I did not agree to this," Bryce reminded me.

"Well now that you mention it, I do have one thing that I could use some help on," Regina mused.

"We'd be more than happy to help." I nudged Bryce in the side, hard. "Right?"

"Yeah," Bryce muttered.

Regina headed into the kitchen to find her grocery list, which had about a total of seven items on it.

"We'll be back later," I promised, standing up.

Bryce disappeared back into his bedroom, and came out a minute later with a beanie and a different shirt.

"Be careful," Regina instructed.

"Okay," Bryce muttered.

Regina kissed his cheek, and the two of us left, much to the dismay of Dawson.

"Thank you," Bryce breathed, once we were safely inside my car. "If I heard one more thing about that wedding I was going to lose my mind."

"I think you already have dear," I pointed out, with a half-smile. "But I'm always happy to spend my afternoon with you."

"I thought cheesy lines were my thing," Bryce said, with a laugh.

"You always have to ruin the moment, don't you?" I teased.

"Judging by the way you just turned on your blinker, you're going to force me into going to Panera for lunch?" Bryce asked.

"You bet," I said, with a smile. "Did I mention that I love you?"

"You better."

~*~

"What's next on the list?" I asked, as Bryce put both of his feet up on the shopping cart.

Somehow I didn't see a guy that just had brain surgery riding around on a shopping cart as a good idea.

"Frozen chicken," he said, stepping back down off of the shopping cart as I gave him a look. "I know what my mom likes."

"Good, lead the way."

He took us through the cookie aisle, stopping at the mega-stuffed Oreos.

"What are you doing?" I asked, raising my eyebrows at him.

"I had my head opened up," he informed me, taking a package of the Oreos and putting them in the cart. "I deserve these."

"Somehow I'm not accepting that excuse."

"I have to get my perks in wherever I can."

"I definitely wouldn't waste it on mega-stuffed Oreos."

We made our way over to the frozen food aisle, and I grabbed the frozen broccoli on the list and went back over to catch up with Bryce, who was at the frozen chicken.

"Did you find it?" I asked, as I rounded the corner.

Bryce's forearms were pressed against the shopping cart, his forehead pressed into his palms.

My heart began to pound in my chest, and I jogged over to the basket.

"Hey," I said, dropping the broccoli into the basket. "What's the matter?"

"It'll pass," Bryce muttered.

"What will pass?"

He was silent for a few moments, and I felt my stomach start to churn.

He'd just had brain surgery. What if something was wrong? I could feel the nerves building up inside my stomach and creeping through the rest of my body.

"Hey," I said, rubbing his back. "Talk to me."

"I feel dizzy and nauseous," he said, breathlessly.

"Let's get you some fresh air."

He straightened up, and the two of us exited the store, leaving the shopping cart where it was in the frozen food aisle.

We got a few strange looks on the way out.

Bryce leaned up against a cement pole outside, slowly sliding to the ground.

"Take in a few deep breaths," I said, placing my hands on my hips.

I felt as though I was going to be sick myself. I don't think I could handle it if something was the matter with him.

Bryce leaned his head back against the pole, doing as I instructed.

"Is everything alright here?" a police officer asked, coming up the two of us.

I recognized him as the officer stood by the front doors inside the store.

"Yes sir," I said, with a nod. "He's just feeling unwell."

The officer looked over at Bryce. "Do we need to call for assistance?"

"No," Bryce declined, his voice a bit stronger than it was inside. "I just need a minute."

The officer looked between the two of us, clearly confused.

And then Bryce took off his beanie, revealing his staples.

"Oh," the officer said, his eyes widening. "Is there anything I can get you?"

"No," Bryce declined, resituating the beanie on his head.

The officer waited with us until Bryce was feeling well again, and then gave Bryce a hand to stand up.

"And you're sure you're feeling alright son?" the officer asked.

"I am, thank you," Bryce said.

The officer nodded, and then headed back inside.

"I should call your mom," I said, reaching into my purse for my phone.

"Don't," Bryce said.

"I can't keep this from her."

"But you know what will happen if you call her. My mom will rush down here and make a big deal out of nothing."

This was not nothing.

"Let's just go home, and you can tell her there and let her freak out."

"You don't look well," I said, taking his pale and sweaty cheeks between the palms of my hands.

"Let's just go home."

And so I took him home, where Regina was in the living room, reading a book in the arm chair.

Kayla wasn't in sight.

"Hello," Regina greeted, with a smile. "What did you two do this afternoon?"

"Well we were at the grocery store," I said, as Bryce lied out on the couch, closing his eyes. "And then Bryce got sick."

"Sick?" Regina asked, closing her book.

"It's not a big deal," Bryce muttered.

"He said he felt dizzy and nauseous," I filled in.

Regina disappeared into the kitchen and came back with a wet rag. "How are you feeling now?"

"A little better," Bryce said, his eyes still closed.

She took the beanie off his head and put the rag across the back of his neck. "It's probably overexertion honey. You had surgery on Monday; we need to take things slow."

He didn't answer.

She went back into the kitchen and came back with another rag, laying it across his forehead.

Dawson came out into the living room, pressing his nose into Bryce's palm.

Bryce reached over and petted Dawson's head without opening his eyes, before letting his palm drop.

Dawson pressed his nose into Bryce's palm again.

"Not now Dawson," Bryce muttered.

Dawson hopped up on the end of the couch, his head resting on Bryce's feet.

"It's just overexertion then?" I asked Regina.

She nodded. "A mixture between the steroids, the pain meds, and then trying to do too much too soon I think."

I felt my nerves uncoil, and I let out a sigh of relief.

I reached down and kissed Bryce's cheek, and he reached up and squeezed my hand, his eyes still closed.

"Don't you ever scare me like that again Bryce Harrison."

What did you guys think about Josh having to leave? And Bryce's new beanie, do you think he can pull off the beanie look? And then what about Bryce & Sophie's outing? Were you worried about Bryce there?

Teaser: There's a new kid at school, and he's only got one goal on his mind. And Bryce reaches his breaking point after a rather stressful day.