Will looked forward to starting work at Reese Veterinary Clinic for the summer. Dr. Tate was a friend of his father's and Will enjoyed his gentle joking manner. Besides, the hours were good and Will liked pets; without numbers to distract him, the animals would make going to work more fun. 

His first two days were spent training under the watchful eye of Dr. Tate's cantankerous secretary, Marlene. Her eagle-eyed attention missed nothing and she made Will aware of each detail he skipped, fumbled or forgot. In fact, she seemed to enjoy correcting him, flavoring her criticisms with a raspy snicker and a "Maybe next time, Champ."  

After work, Will would bike home, exhausted. Slumping on the couch, he ate reheated meals from the freezer in front of the flickering television with Toby by his side. More than once, he flashed back to Skye's visit, her luminous 1 filling the space behind his eyes before he went to sleep. 

Midweek, Josh texted an invitation for dinner and Will jumped at the chance. His mouth watered all day just thinking about Mrs. Archer's cooking.

The Archers' Georgian home had always reminded him of where perfect sitcom families lived on TV. Large shuttered windows opened wide to let in the sun, colorful artwork warmed the walls, and gleaming hardwood floors practically begged socked feet to glide across them. When Will and Josh were younger, they'd take turns sliding down the shiny banister in the front hall and spent hours perfecting flying leaps from the tire swing out back.

Will let himself in through the front gate, but before he could knock, the door flew open to reveal Josh standing with arms crossed and eyebrows raised.

"Feeling better since Saturday? Seriously, what the hell, Will? Skye's a pretty girl, but next time ask Uncle Joshie for advice before turning tail and running away. Also? Sunstroke's the lamest excuse I've ever heard."

Will gave him the finger and walked past him into the house.

"Shut your pie hole, Uncle Joshie. If it makes you feel any better, I went home and puked my guts up that night. Maybe you should've come over and held my hair back, some best friend you are." The lie came out so smooth, he almost believed it himself.

"Touché," Josh said, waving Will into the house. "Next time, wear a hat, my delicate flower. So, Shelby tells me Little Miss Sunshine dropped by your place on Sunday and she's been asking about you. Methinks you may stand a snowball's chance in hell of getting laid someday after all." Punching Will's arm playfully, he received a sharp elbow to the ribs in return.

"Come on, Josh, be cool to Skye." Annoyance flicked at Will's ribs.

"Hmm. So, you do like her," Josh considered. "Okay, I'll lay off. I was just teasing anyway." He shrugged. Josh's nonchalance had always been a source of envy and frustration for Will, depending on the day. He wished he could be more like him, shrugging the world off with a joke and a smile, but the numbers and their repercussions clung to his thoughts. When it counted though, Josh was always there for Will, and no one understood Alex's loss like he did.

Exhaling, Will changed the subject. "So, where's the food? I'm starving."

"You're starving? It's killed me not to dig into Mom's cooking before you got here. Seriously, it's been death by nostril since I got home." Slapping Will on the back, he led the way to the bright eat-in kitchen that bloomed with the heady scent of freshly baked bread.

As soon as they stepped through the doorway, Josh's mom pulled Will into a warm hug, and her husband waved hello from the window seat. They were like a second set of parents, and Will felt as comfortable at their rustic dinner table as he did at home. Though Josh's older brothers were away for the summer, his mother still made enough food to nourish a small army.

Serving dishes on the long granite countertop overflowed with slow-cooked ribs, buttery corn on the cob, potato salad, and homemade bread. Filling his plate, Will sighed and practically melted into his chair as they sat down to eat.

"Will, you have to come over for dinner more often," Josh's dad said in a stage whisper. "Kelly has me following a heart-healthy diet six out of seven days a week, so this is a real treat."

Josh's mom gave her husband a poke. "Come on now, John. How would it look if you didn't follow the same advice you give all your patients? Plus, we're kinda fond of you, so you might as well stick around for a while, huh?"

Josh's father was the most respected physician in Reese, and the Junior First Aid course he taught every summer was a local tradition. Thanks to his influence, Will had grown up alongside the Archer boys, practicing splints on teddy bears, correctly diagnosing acute ailments, and acing the CPR test in gym class.

"Oh, you're a good woman, Kelly and I'm a lucky man to have you. Thanks for looking after me, sweetheart." Josh's dad squeezed his wife's shoulder. "Now, what's for dessert?" He cackled as he narrowly avoided her swat.    

"It's a good thing I love you, John Archer." Josh's mom laughed and shook her head. "Pie's in the fridge. Go get it yourself."

Josh's dad passed slices of chocolate cream pie around the table for dessert and Will glanced around at his second family. When three sets of vibrant 3s twinkled back at him, he smiled.

***

Will stayed at Josh's house until nine, then collected Toby for his nightly walk. Under a velvet sky, crickets sang a soundtrack from the grass, and Toby snuffled along the sidewalk while Will's mind wandered back to Skye and her 1.

The initial shock of her number had mostly worn off, but thinking about it still felt tender, like pressing a fingertip against a bruise. Ever since Alex died, Will had done his best to avoid anyone whose shelf life seemed sketchy, and Skye fell firmly into that category. The problem was, he didn't want to stay away from Skye. Aside from being pretty, she was interesting and bright. And when he'd told her about Alex, she'd understood in a way few people could. In any other circumstance, he'd want to spend more time with her. Sighing, he pushed the thought away.

Come on, Will. Just let it go.

Eventually, their route took them to Shelby's house. Will's pulse picked up a little as the porch came into view and indecision slowed his footsteps on the sidewalk. Should he turn around, cut through the park and avoid the place? Or square his shoulders and ignore his beating heart? Giving him a quizzical look, Toby whined and tugged on his leash, determined to move forward.

Fine. Taking a breath, he let Toby lead the way.

Once again, the soft porch light was on, but this time, Skye sat on the verandah, curled up on a wicker chair under a downy throw. Dark hair curled over her shoulders onto the cream-colored blanket, and a book she'd borrowed from his dad's collection half-hid her face. Nervous energy lit up Will's stomach, and for a second, he stopped in his tracks, unsure whether to announce himself or keep walking.

Recognizing Skye, Toby woofed an excited hello and scrambled to try and reach her. Looking up from her book, she slayed Will with her smile.

Shit. He'd been caught staring. "You really don't do the whole 'light reading' thing, do you?" He attempted a joke to hide his nerves.

"Haven't you heard? Light is for losers. Hey, you two wanna come up and sit for a minute?" She patted the seat beside her, and his heart tripped as he climbed the steps. Toby made a beeline for Skye, placing his golden head on her lap, sighing and staring up into her eyes, begging to be pet.

"Geez, Toby. Get some self-respect, man. You're acting like a lovesick pup." Will rolled his eyes and settled into the chair beside Skye. Her 1 glowed in the porch light and a shiver climbed up his fingers until it reached his neck.

"Oh, don't listen to him, Toby," Skye crooned. "We're the perfect pair, aren't we? You can sit with me any day, boy." She rubbed his ears, and he melted into a doggy puddle on the porch. A faint breeze clinked the glass chimes over the kitchen window and played with Skye's hair while Will scrambled to make small talk.

"I still can't believe you're spending the summer reading up on psych and prepping ahead for college. You know, you're kind of a nerd, right?" He caught her eye, then looked down at the wooden floorboards when her 1 flashed.

"I prefer to think of myself as well prepared." Picking up her book again, she paused to examine the cover. "Ever heard of Lucifer, Will?"

"You mean the devil? Yup, I'm pretty sure he's famous." Stretching his long legs out in front of him, he threw her a lopsided smile.

"Nice try, smartass, but you're not quite right. Believe it or not, Lucifer started out as God's favorite angel but got sent to hell when he challenged God's power. Then he became the devil." She winked and placed The Lucifer Effect down on the wicker table.

"So, Dad's book is helping you brush up on your demon trivia, then? Call me impressed."

Skye sighed and stuck out her tongue. "Actually, the author's a famous psychologist. He created a full-on prison simulation in a Stanford campus basement in the '70's. Pretty cool, huh? Students were assigned roles as inmates or prison guards, and in six days everything went all Lord of the Flies." Her 1 sparked again, and Will's extremities buzzed for a second like she'd given him an electric shock.

"So, what happened?" He rubbed his hands together to get the feeling back. She had him curious. His dad's library was bursting at the seams with books, and Will had only made his way through a fraction of them.

"It got so bad they had to shut the whole thing down." Her eyebrows raised and excitement seasoned her voice as she spoke. "People who were normal on a regular day started acting completely out of character. Fake guards turned power hungry and cruel, inmates backstabbed one other and became violent, even though the whole thing was a simulation. The book explains how stress and power can turn good people bad. Even those you least expect." She cleared her throat. A cool breeze breathed across the porch, and the chimes sang an eerie tune.

"That's a crazy story, Skye." Will shivered and crossed his arms.

"They say truth's stranger than fiction, right?" She looked down at her hands. "I told you light was for losers."

"Yeah, I guess you did, didn't you?"

Skye seemed drawn to the dark corners of life when she could be playing in the sun. Not that Will was one to judge. He was pretty sure he lived in a perpetual state of grey.

Giving her head a little shake, Skye brightened again and shrugged. "Don't get me wrong, I'm a sucker for happy endings just like anyone else you've ever met. Trust me."

He looked at her more closely, wondering again what exactly made her tick, when Toby's sneeze jarred him from his thoughts.  A quick look at his phone revealed it was getting late. "Oh man, I should get going. Sorry to run out on you, but I gotta work tomorrow and my boss' secretary's a major stickler for being on time. Thanks for the mini psych lesson, Skye. Freud's got nothing on you." Despite her number, he liked her company.

"No problem; I've got lots of reading to do. Thanks for stopping by." Her 1 beamed. She ruffled Toby's fur one last time, and he licked her hand before running down the stairs. From the sidewalk, Will turned to wave before heading off into the night.

***