Spectrum 2

Chapter 8: Sofia

Sofia's POV

"When is he going to be here?" Katie asks with excitement.

"He said that he would be here on Tuesday." I say, feeling the excitement bubble up. "I haven't seen him in months. I can't believe he's actually coming out here."

"I can't wait to meet him. He's only ever said hello while you guys were on Face Time." She laughs.

Even after moving to Wisconsin, Shane never stopped talking to me. If anything, we actually talk more now than we ever have before. I haven't seen him in months. I have known him for eight years and we have never been so far away from one another. Nor have we gone so long without seeing each other. I thought that I was going to go home for the summer, but ended up staying at Katie's lake house- and while this was a blast, I miss home. 

I miss Shane.

"Is he coming here?" She asks. "Or are you going there?"

"I'm assuming he'll come here first." I shrug. "He definitely can't stay here, though. The house would fine the fuck out of me." I laugh, knowing that if he even stayed past curfew, the sorority would not hesitate to fine me for breaking the rules.

I'm sure it would be money well spent, though.

"So you're going there." She smirks, giving me suggestive eyebrows.

"Oh my God." I laugh, shoving her playfully. "It's not like that. He's just a friend."

"A friend that you're madly in love with." She sighs dreamily. "He has to be into you, too! Right? I mean, he's flying out to Wisconsin just to see you."

"Yeah, but I'm like his little sister." I scoff.

"Lies." She says, unconvinced. "There is no way I talk to my older brother the way that you two talk. We practically hate each other." She laughs.

"Me and Grayson are pretty close, too."

"Yeah, but I don't see you waiting by the phone every Sunday night just so you guys can Face Time for three hours. Or longer. I've literally walked into the room and seen you asleep while still on the call." She points out.

"It's not like that." I say. "We're just really close."

"Yeah, we'll see."

"He's like twenty six. There is no way in hell that he's going to go for a nineteen year old girl. Especially not me."

"Yeah, we'll see." She scoffs. "You're in denial."

"Trust me." I say. "I want to believe that everything you're saying is true."

"So you admit it. You are in love with him."

"I never said that I wasn't." I point out.

"Yeah, but-"

Before she can even finish her sentence, Rachel comes into the room- without knocking. Per usual.

"Hi?" I question, giving her a quizzical look.

"Someone's here for you." She says, leaning against the doorframe.

"Who?" I ask, getting out of bed and walking past her.

"How would I know?" She asks, following me down the hallway.

When I get to the front door, I finally see exactly who it is that is waiting for me.

"Shane?!" I exclaim in excitement, rushing into his embrace.

"Hi, Sofie!" He exclaims with a laugh, hugging my tightly.

"What are you doing here? I thought you wouldn't be here for another few days!"

"I wanted to surprise you. Surprise!" 

"Oh my God!" I laugh, hugging him once more. "I wasn't expecting you here so early!"

"Hopefully that's okay?" He questions.

"Of course! I'm so glad you came all the way out here!" I reply, never so sure in my entire life. 

"Well, I'm all yours for the next week." He adds.

"All week? Really?" I smile.

"It's not like I know too many people in Wisconsin." He laughs. "I'm all yours. So tell me. What's on the agenda?"

"Well." I say. "First, my friend wants to meet you. And after that, we need to get out of here. This house is...yeah." I reply, shaking my head in slight embarrassment.

"I think you forget that Grayson and I were in a fraternity all of two months." He reminds me. "I know all about the house."

"Yeah, but women are significantly worse than men." I say. "But only when it comes to living with them.  We're better than you in every other way outside of living arrangements." 

"You're absolutely right." He laughs. "I rented a condo for the week. Full kitchen and everything. How about we go there and I make us dinner. And then, maybe we can see if I can sit through that movie you've been hounding me about." 

"Yes!" I exclaim with excitement.

-

As soon as I'm done with introductions, I rush him out of the house and towards my car.

"You're going to be my chauffeur?" He smiles.

"Of course. Here. Allow me." I reply, opening his passenger side door.

"You're so thoughtful." He smiles.

When I get around to the drivers side and get into the car, he's looking over at me with a bright smile on his face.

"What?" I laugh.

"I'm just glad to be here. That's all."

"So how does it feel?" I ask.

"How does what feel?"

"You're rich now." I point out. "That's gotta mean something, right?"

I watch as he begins to think for a moment before exhaling dramatically.

"It's a relief. I mean, yeah. We were well off before. We could have probably saved up enough money for a home eventually. But now...it's different. This is life changing money. But as far as how different I feel...I don't really feel very different. I just feel like...me. I feel relief, but nothing too different past that."

I smile at his answer and realize that no matter how much money he ends up making, he'll always be the same. He will always be one of the constant people in my life. I would bet my entire life on it.

The condo isn't too far from campus. Really, I had no idea that something like this was even in Wisconsin. It's a nice area that required a code to even get to the road heading up towards the building. 

"Money Bags has to have a gated community now." I tease.

"Shut up." He laughs. As soon as we get to his place for the next week, he gets out of the car and rushes towards my side. "M'Lady." He smirks, opening my door.

"M'Lord." I reply with a laugh, surprised that he even remembers out month long Community binge watching session.

"Shall we?" He asks.

"We shall." I nod, following him up the driveway and to the front door.