"Cori?" Nicky U stared down at her.

"Nicky?" Cori slowly sat up as he stepped into the shed.

"Are you okay?" he asked, holding out his hand to help her up.

Cori nodded in bewilderment as she got to her feet, now able to fully observe Nicky. He was drenched from head to toe; his brown hair dripping furiously, his sandaled-feet completely caked with mud.

"Good," Nicky sighed. "You had me really worried when I couldn't find you."

"You were looking for me?" Cori stared at him in surprise.

"Of course," he told her simply. "And I would have found you sooner if Kole would have actually told me you ran off."

Cori shamefully lowered her head, but Nicky continued.

"He didn't even bother to let me know you were gone until I started looking for you around the camp," he said. "And by that time, it was already starting to rain. I totally lost track of time today. Sorry it took me so long."

"Sorry what took you so long?" Cori knit her brows as a drop of water dripped from Nicky's shirt onto her foot.

"Oh, yeah," Nicky chuckled. "That's why I was looking for you- I found Tanner's necklace."

"You did?!"Cori gaped at him in disbelief.

"Yeah," Nicky smiled. "I mean, I knew you wouldn't have taken it, so I've been searching his room all day. Turns out it was wedged in between the floorboards by his dresser," he chuckled.

Nicky had barely finished his sentence before either he or Cori knew what happened next.

It was an act of pure impulse, but one Cori could not control- and before she could think, she had flung her arms around Nicky and was hugging him tighter than she had ever hugged anyone before. It was even more passionate than any of the embraces in her dreams, and this time, she knew the swooping feeling of excitement in her gut was real.

"It was Nicky all along," Cori breathed deeply as Nicky's arms closed around her in return and they continued to hug.

Sinking even further into his torso, Cori's jubilation even masked the fact that Nicky's rain-drenched tee was soaking her own. All she could feel was the beautiful clanging of her heart, and to her greater pleasure, with her ear next to his chest, she realized she could hear Nicky's pounding the same way too.

At last, and with extreme reluctance, Cori released Nicky from her strong hug, taking a small step back to look up at his face, a small delighted giggle escaping her lips.

"What?" Nicky strongly gazed down at her.

"Nothing," Cori smiled. "This just reminds me of a dream I had."

"Me too," said Nicky.

"You had a dream like that too?" Cori raised her brows.

"Well, not exactly like that," Nicky's face grew even more serious, causing Cori's heart to skip a beat. Then, after another intensely anxious moment, Nicky went on. "It was more like this," he said, and with one smooth swoop, he leaned down, and planted his lips on hers.  

Cori's head spun as they kissed, knowing nothing but bliss. She was no longer standing in a woodshed with Nicky U, the famous singer of Miracle 10- she was sharing a sweet kiss with Nicky, the kind and caring boy she liked.

"That was like your dream?" Cori blushingly bit her lip when they had finally broke apart.

"No," said Nicky. "That was much better."

Cori exhaled breathlessly and shyly looked at her feet.

"Come on. Let's get out of here," Nicky extended his hand, and heart still racing, Cori accepted it. "There are some people back at the cabin who I think owe you an apology," he added, leading her out of the shed and through the woods.

~~~

In all that had transpired since the whirlwind of feelings- and actual wind-, Cori had entirely forgotten about the other members of Miracle 10 and how they had been treating her. However, when she stepped into the cabin, she was greeted with a very different set of expressions.

"You found her!" JM called relievedly from the kitchen as they entered, the earlier tense atmosphere instantly doing a 180.

"Sweet! Now we don't have to go back out there!" Kole, who was toweling off his hair, had obviously been searching in the storm as well.

"Good," agreed Axel, stealing the towel from Kole so he could dry off too.

"It was just a little rain," JM chuckled, now taking his turn with the fuzzy cloth.

"And lightning," complained Axel, sitting down at the table.

"Whatever! You came running back to the cabin as soon as that big bolt flashed!" Kole teasingly pushed Axel. "He got scared," he added, flashing Cori a mischievous grin.

"No, I just didn't feel like getting drenched anymore," argued Axel.

"Whatever," Kole repeated. "You ran away from the storm."

"And I'm pretty sure you were right behind him," JM crossed his arms, looking amused.

"Well, at least I stayed outside longer than him or Tanner," Kole defended himself. "Besides, you came back in, too," he pointed out.

"Yeah, yeah, we all came back in," Axel sounded bored. 

"Well, all but Nicky," said JM, now surveying his super-soaked band mate and tossing him the towel.

"Yeah, man! You're drenched!" Kole exclaimed. "Were you really out there in the storm looking for Cori this whole time?"

"Yeah," Nicky shrugged as if it were the only sensible answer.

"Then you must really love her," a voice at the top of the landing suddenly made them all pause.

Tanner was now descending the stairs, looking slightly irritated and rather dry. The previously-missing arrow necklace hung from its chain around his neck.

"So..." Tanner slowly rounded on Cori when he had joined them in the kitchen. "Guess you didn't take it," he said, before sitting down casually on the couch.

"That's his way of apologizing," chuckled JM.

"Yeah, I'd accept it, 'cuz that's probably all you're gonna get from him," Kole joked, receiving a dirty look from Tanner.

"But it's more than I see any of these guys giving you," JM playfully nudged Kole in the side. "We're really sorry, too," he finished.

"Hey! I was going to say it!" Kole punched JM on the arm. "We're sooo sorry we didn't believe you, Cori!"

"I already told her that, dork!" JM swatted at Kole.

"Bet you're glad you're back," Axel scoffed to Cori, as the boys continued to wrestle.

"I bet that's not all she's glad about," Tanner added unexpectedly. He was eyeing her and Nicky from his place on the couch, looking resignedly apathetic.

"Huh?" Axel followed Tanner's gaze. "Oh! So that's why you wanted to find her so bad."

"What?" Cori furrowed her brows, but now trailing after their stares, too, realized what they were looking at. She and Nicky were still holding hands.

"So how long has this been going on?" Axel smirked. It was the first time since Cori had arrived that he actually looked interested in the conversation.

"How long has what been going on?" Kole looked up from the headlock JM had him in. 

"Whoa!" JM released Kole in his surprise, now noticing Cori and Nicky's more-than-friendly body language. "Are you guys dating?" he demanded with an impressed gasp.

Cori glanced at Nicky unsurely, but he smiled and squeezed her hand.

"If she wants to," he answered simply.

"So you guys were kissing in the tent last night!" shouted Kole suddenly. "I knew it! Cori and Nicky sitting in a tent, K-I-S-S-I-N-G!"

"Hey, idiot! That doesn't even rhyme," Axel smacked Kole, but he continued on.

"First comes love, then comes marriage," Kole continued his childish chant, as Cori's face burned with shyness.

"Then comes-" Kole went on, but unable to endure the extremely embarrassing teasing, Cori mindlessly blurted to shut him up.

"Stop it! The tent's not where we were kissing!" she yelled before she could process the words.

"So you were kissing?!" Kole screamed with delight. "Where???" Cori's attempt to make Kole stop singing had worked- just not in the way she had intended.

"That's not what I-" Cori stuttered, but Nicky spoke up helpfully.

"Don't you guys need to go change clothes or something?" he tilted his head towards their damp outfits.

"Nah. We've got time!" said Kole obliviously.

"No, Nicky's right," JM pulled Kole towards the steps. "We should change."

"Why? The floor's already wet," Kole frowned in confusion and both JM and Axel gave him an impatient look. "Oh!" he gasped at last. "Got it! Yeah! Let's go change!"

To Cori's relief, the three inquisitive boys finally headed for the staircase, giving her and Nicky a break from their questioning.

"Oh yeah!" Kole paused by a small table at the foot of the steps. "Here's your magazine, Cori! It was in the tent when we took it down," he flung the wrinkled papers towards her, but due to his poor aim, Nicky caught it. "Maybe you can get your boyfriend to sign it!" he chortled, receiving another smack from Axel and at last, making his way upstairs.

"They better stay out of my closet," Tanner rose from the sofa to follow, but paused just past Cori and Nicky. "So..." he began slowly. "How long?"

Cori looked at him in surprise, wondering if he was considering their own hand-holding from the night before.

"Not long," answered Nicky. "It just now happened. Honest."

Cori nodded in confirmation and for a moment, as Tanner continued to size them up, there was silence.

"Well, congrats," he said finally, before disappearing upstairs too.

"Sorry about all that," Nicky turned to Cori, still awkwardly holding her old magazine. "And what I said before- about if you want to..." he hesitated, carefully studying her face. "You don't have to answer or anything..." Nicky trailed off, walking towards the table at the foot of the steps to set down the magazine.

"No!" Cori called abruptly, making him freeze. "I do want to," she finished.

"You do?" Nicky turned around, brows raised unsurely, and Cori nodded, unable to hold back her smile.

Letting out a sigh, Nicky stepped back towards her, but just then, a loud rumbling sound issued from her stomach.

"Sorry!" Cori grimaced in utter embarrassment, instantly regretting her choice not to eat all day.

"It's okay," Nicky laughed. "I'm hungry too. It's dinnertime. Let's find something."

Cori smacked herself on the forehead as Nicky crossed the kitchen, but before he could even open a cupboard, the rest of Miracle 10 came barreling back down the stairs.

"What's for dinner?" asked Kole, spinning one of the chairs around backwards and sitting down.

"Yeah, I'm so hungry, anything sounds good!" JM rubbed his hands together feistily.

"Please just don't say noodles," cringed Axel.

~~~

"Those noodles were really good!" JM wiped his mouth when he had finished his food.

"All I asked for was no more noodles," pouted Axel, pushing his almost untouched bowl aside with a sneer. "No noodles, and just one s'more."

"Sorry, dude," Kole patted him on the back before proceeding to take his leftovers.

"I'm definitely not gonna miss this place when we leave," Axel continued.

"I am!" Kole  slurped a noodle. "What kind of weirdo wouldn't miss their vacation when it's over?"

"What is there to miss?" Axel arched a brow.

"Swimming," Kole began.

"You didn't swim once," pointed out Axel.

"No work," Kole added to his list.

"There's been no power! All we've done is work!" Axel exhaled.

"Privacy?" Kole tried again.

Axel scoffed, shooting Cori a quick glance.

"Whatever," Kole shook his head. "Cori didn't do anything to you."

"Yeah, at least you got to keep your bedroom," Tanner complained, but with the addition of an unexpected -though small- smile, Cori knew he was no longer mad.

"Yeah, we're gonna miss Cori, too!" added Kole triumphantly, as though he had finally proved his point.

"Mmhmm," JM nodded. "I can't believe we're already going back tomorrow."

"Tomorrow..." Cori repeated silently. "...It's already time to go?"