I'm doing pull-ups, hanging from a low branch next to Abby's cabin in the woods, trying to beat my best, which was thirty-two. I've been at it for a couple hours now, because I skipped school and I had nothing better to do with my time. That's when the huge shadow that is Wonder arrives at a throttle, followed by his owner Scar.

She doesn't look happy to see me. "The hell are you doing up there?"

"Pull-ups," I reply, making it to sixteen to demonstrate my point.

"No, I can see that. I mean what are you doing in my house."

"Again, pull-ups." And then I add, nonchalantly, "Besides, I'm not in your house. I'm outside, see? Enjoying quite the view."

Abigail sighs at my dense comment. "Let me guess: your troop of nerds figured out that you were wrong and Amanda did the school forum shit, and therefore you are ready to give me my well-deserved apology."

"Come on, even I know you're better informed than that."

"Oh, you mean what happened to Newt. That's unfortunate. I was there when they arrived. Pretty brutal dung."

"Wait, you were there?" I ask, stupidly, stopping my pull-ups. "Why didn't you call me to let me know?"

"You seem to not register the fact that you and I are not exactly in good terms," she retorts. "In fact, you're lucky Wonder is not ripping away your balls as we speak."

"Come on, you could at least have warned me. Told me something," I tell her. "Instead of just being an accomplice."

"I distinctly remember telling you that when you mess with the outcast, you become one of them, too!" she yells to drive the point home. "Newton got his just desserts for messing up with that statement. And I can guarantee you that they won't stop there. They're going after Ackerman next, if not Corrine."

"And that's exactly why I need you," I say calmly, letting go of the branch and plucking her away from her rant.

"What do you mean by that?"

"You know where these bastards live. And I have to get up early in the morning everyday to pretend I go to school in Preston."

"Preston?"

"Yeah, my parents transferred me there without my consent."

"That's the dumbest thing they could have done."

"I know."

"So you're planning on going head-on against all of them until they give up?"

"Seeing how nobody else seem to do anything about it, what choice do I have?"

"Well, I'm sorry. I don't help traitors."

"I'm not a traitor!" I protest. "If I were, I'd be asking Amanda for help instead of being here in the freezing cold waiting for you!"

"Ok, prove it."

"How?"

She pauses for a second and thinks hard her next words. She glances at me with a mix of curiosity and disdain.

"What? Tell me how to prove that I'm on your side."

She points at my chest. "Let me have your necklace." She then adds, "I know it's a lot to ask for my trust alone, but I'll make it up for you if you agree to it."

"Wait, what do you mean by 'have' my necklace?"

"I mean 'have' it, you dumb dung. Hold it, wear it, use it. You know... 'have' it."

I back away from her a few steps, then I take the necklace out of my clothes and hold it on my palm, watching it shine in the early morning sun. This necklace hasn't left me since Vee put it on me last summer. It's a hard bargain to let it go just like that.

"Look, think of it as a loan. It won't be a permanent thing. Just for an inordinate amount of time; whenever you're ready to give it back to your precious Virginia, you can have it back, I promise."

"It's Veronica."

"Not the point I was trying to make, but okay, that one is on me." She says, lifting her palms in apology. "Once you're ready to give it back to Veronica I'll give it back to you."

She might as well say she wants it forever. I have no plans to go back to Celadon Bay ever again. But that's not the same as saying I'm giving up on the promise I made Vee the last time I saw her.

"You absolutely promise on Wonder's life that you'll give it back to me if I ever decide to go back to Celadon Bay?" Wonder himself approaches and nudges my hand with his snout at the mention of his name.

"Whoa, there, Mister. My absolutely perfect companion's life? Seriously?"

"Hey, you're asking for my most precious possession. It's only fair that I want some kind of guarantee that you're not going to pawn it next week."

She lifts one hand and places the other on her chest. "I pinky-swear on Wonder's life that I'll give it back when you're ready to receive it."

"Ready to receive it? That's not good enough."

"ARE YOU HERE TO BARGAIN OR DO YOU WANT MY HELP?!"

"I WANT YOU TO SWEAR THAT YOU'LL GIVE IT BACK WHEN I WANT IT BACK!" And to make my point clearer I add, "NOT WHEN YOU THINK I'M READY FOR IT!"

"OKAY, DEAL!"

"DEAL!"

"GOOD!"

"GOOD!"

We stare at each other for a while. She kind of gives me the cold shoulder and I cross my arms in disapproval. We remain like this for a few seconds. Then she looks all coy all of a sudden and kind of whispers, "Are you sure you're letting me have your necklace?"

"I guess I am, sure..."

"You don't seem so sure to me."

I slowly turn it around and undo the clasp, separating the silver thing from me for the first time in the past eight months. I watch it in my palm, looking lifeless somehow now that it's no longer around my neck.

I extend my hand to Abigail and reluctantly offer it to her.

"You know what? You can keep it," she says, all of a sudden. "I got greedy, and I couldn't help myself, but I know what that things means to you, so..."

"No, it's okay. You can have it for a while," I reply, surprising myself. "Just... take good care of it. Please."

She inches forward slowly and hesitantly extends her hand to take it. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah..."

"Like, sure sure?"

"As sure as I'll ever be," I say, softly.

Then she turns around slowly, getting her hair out of the way. Her voice is a whisper, "Then put it on me."

I put it around her neck without further ado, and when the clasp is done, so is our deal. Then she turns around and hangs her arms around my neck, looking into my eyes. She gifts me the sweetest smile she's ever shown to me.

"What is it?"

"I didn't think you would let me get this necklace."

"Loan thingy, don't forget it's not perm—

"Shhh..." She puts a finger on my lips. "I know."

I close my eyes letting that lone finger touch me. Then the finger goes away and her lips touch mine for just a microsecond. And because I don't know what to do or how to feel about this entire moment, I embrace her waist and pull her into a tight hug, which she reciprocates. One I didn't know I needed so badly.

"I promised to make it up to you in exchange for the necklace," she finally says. I don't know what that means or what she's up to, so I don't reply. "So whenever you feel ready, there's something I wish to show you."