"What are we doing today?" I asked the boys as I sat at the lunch table.

They shrugged. "We could go to my house." Nick offered.

"We have Sky today" Carter reminded me.

I pointed at him in realization. "Right. Is she allowed to come?" I asked Nick.

He nodded. "Sure. I love the little squirt."

For the rest of lunch we talked about random shit. Honestly the boys are the ones that come up with most of the conversations that happen.

"I dont think I've seen your family since after the accident. How have they been?" Logan asked as we walked to psych.

I shrugged. "Better. The first week was a little rough, especially with Sky. She didn't want to go in a car but she had to. They're both fine now though."

"Did they find out what happened?" He asked.

"Yeah some guy was driving and not paying attention to the road. They think he was on his phone." I answered.

"God people are so dumb"

"Everyone has their moments, but that doesn't make all people dumb."

He sighed. "I mean I guess that's true."

"Everyone has their own shit going on. We can't judge them if we don't know the whole story"

"Yeah yeah, I know" he waved me off.

That was a weird. He's never been so dismissive about something before. I dropped it when Mr. Trody walked to the front of the classroom.

"So are you going to Nick's after practice?" I asked Logan after class.

"Thinking about it" he shrugged. "I have to go home first."

"Well I hope you get to come" I told him. Logan has become a part of the group and it's more empty when he's not around.

He smiled over at me. "Yeah me too"

I went into Mrs. Holt's class. Carter and Remi were already there. We talked a little bit before Mrs. Holy got our attention. After her lesson she gave us a paper to do.

My phone buzzed continuously. Will contact flashed on the screen.

He should've been in class.

"Mrs. Holt, may I go to the restroom?" I asked politely.

"Hurry back" she told me. I grabbed my phone and walked out of the door.

I answered the phone as soon as I could.

"Will? Why aren't you in class?" I asked immediately after I answered. I was worried.

"It got canceled." He answered. "Are you at lunch?" He asked me.

I let out a breath of relief. "No Will, I was in class. As much as I would love to stay and talk to you I have to leave before Mrs. Holt finds out I'm not in the bathroom."

I really wish I could talk to him. We haven't got the chance to talk in a little bit. He was busy with football and I was busy with school things.

"Skip class" he said like it was nothing.

"Will, you and I both know I can't do that. Mom and Dad would find out and I would get in trouble"

"Well I guess I'll talk to you later snowflake" he whined.

I rolled my eyes at his dramatics. This boy I swear.

"You're a dork. A dork I love but a dork nonetheless. I love you."

"I love you more." He said. Just as I was about to hang up and get to class, he called out to me. "Guess what?"

"What?" I asked a smile coming across my face. I had to bite my bottom lip to keep from smiling uncontrollably.

"Two and a half weeks until I see my girl again."

"She's a lucky girl Erickson" I told him.

"That's where you're wrong, Barnes. I'm a very luck guy" he said and I hung up on him.

I rolled my eyes at him. My heart broke a little bit every time we hung up. Every time we said I loved you. Every time I remembered we were 1200 miles away from each other.

I took a deep breath before returning to the classroom. That was too long to pass for a bathroom break.

"I'm sorry Mrs. Holt, I had a bit of an issue." I said implying my period had started.

"Very well Miss Barnes." She said and I went to sit down.

I sat down and Remi gave me a weird look. "Okay I know for a fact you started two days ago and I saw you had a phone call before you left, what happened?" She leaned over

"Will called, his class got cancelled and he wanted to talk, but I couldn't skip class."

"You could've skipped. I would've covered if you asked." Remi scolded me for not skipping class.

I rolled my eyes at her. "Will can wait. I'll call him at practice."

***

I kept up with what I told Remi and I called Will at practice.

"Hey snowflake." He said as he answered the call.

"Hey babe, what're you up to?" I asked.

"Just back from CC with Ellie and Christian. I'm surprised he actually took a break from studying to come hang out with us. How was your day?" He asked.

"Well someone called me during Mrs. Holt's so I had to pretend to go to the bathroom to talk to them."

He gasped from the other side of the phone. "How dare they call you like that? That's so disrespectful. I can't believe them" he said. "Did you at least have a good time talking to them?"

"Oh yeah it was pretty good" I couldn't contain my smile or my laughter. I bit my lip to in attempt to stop laughing.

I heard Will let out a strangled groan. "Cora Maeve Barnes, please tell me you're not biting your bottom lip right now."

"Wouldn't you like to know?" I teased and laughed. I bit my lip to contain it while I talk to him.

His contact flashed across my screen for a FaceTime call. I ignored it the first time. Then he whined like a baby and called again.

"What?" I asked when his face took over my screen. My lip was being bit so I didn't laugh too hard at his face.

He was pouting and it was so cute. "Now I want to kiss you and that's not fair."

"You can kiss me in two and a half weeks." I told him.

"I'm gonna miss you so much between now and then. Just know I'm counting down the days until I get to kiss your lips again."

"Me too, babe, me too" I said.

"Shit, I have to go" he told me.

"What? I thought you were free the rest of the night" I frowned.

He looked at me with apologetic eyes. "I'm sorry snowflake, Coach just scheduled a mandatory lifting session, I have to go before I'm late."

"I'm gonna need to talk to your coach"

"I'm sure he would love that" he laughed. "I promise to call you after I'm done there. I love you"

"I love you too Will. Be safe" I called to him. I could hear him scrambling around his room.

"I will," he blew a kiss at me than hung up.

I frowned and looked at my black screen.

Why does long distance always have to do this to us? It feels like when we have the time to actually talk something always comes up.

"Are you okay?" Cater crutched over to me.

"Um yeah I'm fine. Will had to leave so yeah. All good here"

"Coco, you're a terrible liar. You're not fine. I miss him too you know. It's not easy only getting to talk to your best friend only a couple times a week. At least you get to talk to him every day." He sat down next to me.

I sighed. "I know and I feel really selfish about that. It seems like I hardly get to talk to him anymore. There's no time for us to sit and talk for hours like we used to."

"I know, coco. I get it. I miss my best friend, but you two love each other and 1200 miles isn't gonna change that."

"Yeah I know."

"As much as I hated the idea of you two at the beginning, it'd be weird without you together. I truly believe the two of you are soulmates."

I gently shoved his shoulder with mine. "I didn't think you were such a romantic" I teased.

He laughed with me. "No but seriously, I completely believe that you are meant for each other. You make each other better and you are so in love"

"Yeah but I love my family too, especially my big brother who has amazing words of wisdom and is shockingly a romantic." I laid on his shoulder.

"Your cast comes off Monday excited?" I asked.

"I'm excited to get to play football again. I'm out for another month"

After practice, Carter and I picked up Sky from one of her friends' house. To my shock when the door opened Tia was on the other side.

"Cora, I didn't know you were Skylar's sister." Tia said.

"That means your Marcus and Kelsey's mom"

She laughed. "I am. Let me get Skylar from the twins room. I'll be right back" I stepped into the little entry way and waited.

"Coco!" Sky squealed and jumped into my arms.

"Hey nugget" I hugged her.

"Do we have to go?" She asked.

"We have to go see Nicky, Tommy, and Loggy. Plus Tia has to cook dinner." I said.

"Nicky?!" She asked excitedly.

I nodded with a laugh. "Yep Nicky."

Tia handed me her bag and we were on our way. We pulled into Nick's driveway. I got Sky out of her car seat as Carter crutched to the door.

Sky ran in to see Nick.

"Nicky!" She squealed and ran up to him. He picked her up effortlessly and put her in his shoulders.

"Hey squirt" he said

I'd never think that out of everyone in the group that Nick would be the one who was good with kids. At least I know who to call to babysit my future children.

"Hey everyone" I said as I walked in. I made my rounds to hug everyone.

I saw Amber and Dylan in the kitchen and made sure to say hello.

"Hey Coco, looks like we're going to Con and Len's for dinner since Harper and Dad are on a date" Car told me as I walked back in with everyone.

"Okay" I said. I haven't seen Len or Con in a while. Len has been so busy with cheer and college in general and Connor just stopped visiting as much. I kind of missed them.

"Nicky, I'm hungry" Sky told Nick. She pouted.

"Don't worry I'll get you something" He said and hopped up from his seat on the floor next to her.

He came back with a bowl of animal crackers. I didn't really care. I'm not sure if she had a snack at Tia's or not. We'd probably end up eating later than normal anyway.

"Hey Logan did you know that Sky is friends with Tia's kids? We just picked her up from her apartment actually"

"You know Kelsey and Marcus?" He asked Sky.

She nodded happily. "They are my besties" she said happily.

"Small world" Logan mumbled.

We all sat in the living room and just talked, joked, and played Mario kart on the WII. Sky is a maniac when playing Mario kart.

She, of course, insisted on playing with Princess Peach. Nick and Tommy gave in immediately. Someone's wrapped around some fingers.

"Tommy, can you get me a drink please?" She gave him puppy dog eyes.

"Of course I will, Sky" he said and got up. He came back with a CapriSun with the straw already poked in.

I laughed at the two teenage boys at a five year old's beck and call. It was quite a sight to see.

If anyone thought before that the boys were friends with us and love Sky like a little sister, they'd be wrong. Maybe not about the little sister part. They were definitely Sky's boys.