Living in Silver Falls was a dream for some, but for others, it was the complete opposite. Phoebe, however, found herself adoring every moment of her life there.

    Phoebe's mother, Tenille, had met Garret Dutton when Phoebe was just five years old. The story goes that Tenille caught Garret's eye while bartending at a conference in Texas. Garret always claimed it was love at first sight, but Tenille had a different perspective. She initially couldn't stand the man, but eventually, love snuck its way in. It was a classic tale of he fell first, she fell harder— the dynamic blend of sunshine versus grumpy.

    With no family worth mentioning and a desire to be closer to Garret, Tenille packed up their lives and moved to Colorado. Garret became a father figure to Phoebe, who had never experienced paternal love before. On her 10th birthday, he even officially adopted her, solidifying their bond. Phoebe adored him with all her heart.

    A big piece of her heart broke when Garret died after being crushed by his horse in a cattle stampede. And an either bigger part died when her mother packed up and left her behind a few months later— claiming she needed to heal in a note she left behind— that was two years ago.

    Now, Phoebe found herself living on the Dutton family ranch with Mildred and Ian Dutton, who had embraced her as their own family from day one. Mildred— Millie, her grandmother, kept herself busy running the Silver Springs Council and her own book club. And then there was Cash Dutton, Garret's younger brother and Phoebe's favourite uncle by default— of course. He was known as one of the finest bronc riders to come out of Colorado, especially the likes of Silver Falls. However, he hadn't competed in almost two years due to an open fracture to his right leg during the 2020 Houston PBR championship.

    Phoebe's life was far from perfect, but she still adored every moment of it and grew from the challenges thrown her way.

    One thing Phoebe alwats wanted growing up was a sister or even a brother, she'd take that just so she wasn't so lonely. Unfortunately, it never happened. And she doubted she would even get a cousin from her lonesome uncle.

    That was the reason why the Walter family occupied such a significant place in her heart, and despite her falling out with Cole, her presence in the Walter household remained unchanged. After all, they were family above all else.

    Phoebe read aloud from the book, her eyes scanning the words as she immersed herself in the story. Suddenly, she felt a sharp impact on her head, causing her to raise her gaze and locate the source of the disturbance. It was Isaac Garcia, glaring up at her with annoyance evident in his expression.

    "Can you please be quiet? I'm trying to concentrate," Isaac snapped at Phoebe, joining the rest of the four boys who were irritated by her habit of reading everything aloud.

    Phoebe retorted, undeterred by Isaac's remark. "You're on your phone, hot shot."

    Isaac chose to ignore her and grabbed a piece of paper from the notepad, crumpling it into a ball and hurling it towards Phoebe. His twin brother, Lee, scowled disapprovingly at him.

    However, before the paper ball could reach Phoebe's face, it was intercepted in mid-air by Cole, who wore a smug smile on his face. "Can you focus on studying instead of flirting? Or is that too much to ask?" Cole muttered, briefly tearing his gaze away from his own phone and glancing at the girl.

    Isaac responded with a smug smile of his own. "I much prefer this."

    Ignoring Cole's comment, Phoebe seized the opportunity to retaliate by throwing a green marker in Isaac's direction while he was distracted by Cole. The marker hit him in the forehead, eliciting a small groan from the younger boy.

    "I was using that," her best friend, Danny, chimed in.

    "Quick, send it back, Zac," she whisper-yelled.

    "No."

    Phoebe glanced sheepishly at Danny and shrugged, handing over a pink marker.

    "Thanks," Danny chuckled sarcastically. "You know, it would be much easier if you stopped re-reading everything and put your phone away."

    "I have written things," she claimed, glancing towards the boy who awaited her response. "Joe is a bonified boy toy to Norma."

    "Is that all you've got?"

    "No, I'm getting toxic."

    "We are supposed to be talking about Mise-En-Scène."

    She held up her palm, giving Danny a look, "I'm getting there, I was summarizing the plot," She told the boy. "Norma has fifty million a pictures of her younger, successful self this is a display of misc en scene because it alludes she is delulu and cannot let off of her prime years."

    Danny grabbed her workbook and looked over the paper, eyebrows scrunching in disbelief, "You actually wrote that," He remarked.

    "Its a draft," She defended. "Fine, I will fix it just for you," She said, starting to write down her thoughts. "Norma possesses an abundance of photographs showcasing her youthful self. This visual spectacle serves as a mise en scène, hinting at her delusional nature and her reluctance to let go of her glorious past," She read aloud to the boy as she continued to write.

    Danny couldn't help but stifle a laugh as he observed the girl dramatics and Cole's bewildered expression. The girl finally glanced up at them, her face a mixture of confusionat their stares.

    "Good job! It's been forty minutes and that's all you've done," Danny remarked sarcastically. He couldn't deny that he found the girl's antics amusing.

    To be completely honest, she was a notorious procrastinator and the last minute time crunch was the only thing that pushed her to finish assignments. Phoebe was quite capable and bright under ordinary circumstances, but she tended to get side tracked when the twin Garcia brothers were in tow. Especially Isaac— who was her partner in crime. She had shared rights with Lee for the title.

    "Yes— in my defence, someone's axe body spray is giving me a headache and Isaac keeps sending me memes."

    Cole shifted his attention to her and raised an eyebrow, silently acknowledging that the first half of her words were directed at him.

    They hadn't talked much since last December, not like they used to. And despite how much her heart churned at seeing him everyday, she had pulled herself together a few months into the new year after Danny pointed out how dull she had become. Not only had she lost Cole, but she'd lost herself.

    Hence why, she took it upon herself to fix her own broken pieces. She believed that relying on someone else for healing would only provide temporary relief, like a mere band-aid to numb the pain. However, Cole had other ideas.

    Her phone buzzed soon after she spoke, indicating a new message from Isaac.

    The screen illuminated with his name, catching Cole's attention. "You're literally in the same room," He remarked with a hint of disdain.

    Her phone vibrated again after his comment, and she read the message letting out a noise of amusement before meeting Isaac's eyes across the table who shared her amusement.

    "What?" Cole demanded, looking between the two with an expression of distaste.

    "Secret business," They both voiced in sync.

    "I'm out," Cole declared, his irritation evident as he abruptly stood up from his seat.

    But before he could storm off, Katherine's voice rang out from the kitchen counter. "Oh no you don't. Help your brothers set the table. Dinner is almost ready," she chimed in.

    Katherine Walter embodied everything Phoebe wished for in a mother. And Katherine had no troubles with taking the role of Mother on for the girl, it was almost an instinct for the woman.

    Despite the boys' collective groans, they obeyed Katherine's demands and followed her instructions. Phoebe, too, rose from her seat and trailed behind Lee, who handed her the glasses to help set the table. It was a well-rehearsed routine that they had all grown accustomed to, and in a matter of minutes, the table was arranged.

    "Is Alex still with your uncle?" Katherine inquired.

    "Yeah, I dropped him off before I rode over. I think Uncle Cash said he would drop him back for dinner," Phoebe replied, a faint smile gracing her lips as she reached out to take the casserole dish from Katherine's hands.

    "Alex is really appreciative of Cash for helping him train," Katherine responded, a warm smile adorned her lips. "I think it's a good outlet for them both."

    "Yeah, Alex didn't shut up about how Cash said he would team rope with him, for a whole week," Cole commented, casually placing a hand on the small of the girl's back as he reached his other arm in front of her to grab a bowl with salad of the bench, giving her his signature smile.

    Phoebe couldn't help but tense up at the touch, although Cole seemed oblivious to her reaction as he quickly withdrew his hand. She silently released a breath she didn't even realize she had been holding, relieved to have some distance between them.

    Phoebe has moved on from Cole— at least that's what she told herself. Justifying it with "I have a boyfriend now" was a poor excuse and wasn't a great indication of her character. Maybe she had moved on from Cole, just not the situation itself. She lost two of the most important people in her life— that wasn't something you just moved on from in a matter of months. So yeah, Phoebe Dutton was completely over Cole Walter, no questions asked. The butterflies, the tingles, they were nothing but a normal reaction. 

    The 'Cole Effect' was just inescapable, it affected everyone. She was pretty sure their tenth grade history teacher experienced it. Cole sucked at history and somehow aced the class. You didn't have to have feelings for Cole to feel it, right?

    Recovering from their close proximity, she responded to Katherine, "I think it's been good to bring his spirit back and Alex pokes his ego."

    Dinner time in the Walter household was always chaotic; what would you expect from a family of twelve. But it was the type of chaos that brought a sense of solace to the girl. It was what she imagined a real family to be like.

    As George playfully gathered the youngest siblings, a smile danced across the girl's face as she affectionately tousled Benny's hair before settling into her seat between Danny and Cole. Across from her sat Isaac and Lee, their lively banter filling the air. The youngest Walter protested loudly about girl cooties, much to the amusement of his only sister, Parker.

    Chatter filled the table with everyone in their own conversations as they served themselves. Phoebe falling into conversation with Danny and Nathan.

    Katherine cleared her throat, gaining the attention of all the occupants of the table. "Jackie will be arriving tomorrow morning. I expect you all to be home," She announced, voice full of authority but remained warm. "You too, Phee."

    In unison, the group murmured their agreement, acknowledging Katherine's request. She then raised her hands, signaling for them to resume their conversations.

    Phoebe, her gaze shifting towards Parker, remarked, "We could use another girl around here. One who is allowed to have boy talk."

    Parker's face scrunched up at the mention of boys, prompting a mischievous grin from Phoebe. She held a special fondness for the younger girl. Phoebe knew that Parker enjoyed having another girl around, someone who would braid her hair before games, accompany her to the movies alongside Cole, and teach her how to ice skate.

    "Who's that girl already?" Isaac joked.

    "Shut up, Zac, or I'll tell everyone all about," Phoebe playfully threatened.

    "Snitch," he flicked a pea at the girl, but it accidentally hit his cousin instead. "I'll spill about the barn-"

    "You just told me not to snitch!"

    "But it's too funny," he chuckled.

    "Oh, is this about—" Lee chimed in.

    "You told him," she glared at Isaac.

    Isaac shrugged innocently, wearing a mischievous smile. "Twin telepathy."

    "Can you two shut up?"

    "You be quiet, Cola."

    "Yeah."

     "Okay, okay, none of this when Jackie arrives," Katherine interrupted. "Guys, I want you to be on your best behavior and make her feel welcome."

    "Aren't we always?"

    "No shenanigans," George interjected.

    A foot kicked her in the shin lightly. She looked up to meet Isaacs eyes who smiled cheekily at her. She playfully nudged his leg in response.

     "No shenanigans," he mouthed mockingly.

     She couldn't help but grin, mouthing back dramatically, "Never."

    Her attention then shifted back to Katherine, who was in the midst of explaining Jackie's situation for what felt like the hundredth time that week. However, her gaze momentarily paused as she noticed Cole staring at her, his expression unreadable. Their eyes met briefly before he looked away.

    "Who's in charge of clean up tonight?"

    Suddenly, everyone seemed to scatter, trying to avoid the responsibility.

    "I'll help," Phoebe offered.

    "We have this conversation every time. Guests aren't supposed to clean up," Katherine responded.

    "I practically live here," Phoebe replied with a hint of humor, already beginning to stack the plates.

    George playfully wrapped an arm around his wife and joked, "I'm not going to complain."

    Abruptly, Cole spoke up, "I'll help too."

     The two adults exchanged a glance before expressing their gratitude and agreement, sharing a knowing look with one another.

    Phoebe took charge of washing while Cole dried. The only sound that filled the kitchen was the clinking of glassware, creating an eerie silence that hung in the air.

    Both of them longed to break the silence, to start a conversation, but the weight of unspoken words held them back. They continued their task, almost finished before a single word was uttered.

    "How's Jesse?" Cole finally broke the silence, his voice filled with underlining curiosity.

    Phoebe couldn't help but feel a sense of resignation at his question. She glanced at Cole briefly before responding hesitantly, "He's good."

    "Coach riding his ass yet?" Cole proved, lacking genuine interest.

    "Same as every year," She responded, not liking the direction of this conversation.

    "Has he been given a new position this season?" He questioned.

    Phoebe paused, her movements coming to a halt as she turned to face Cole, who had turned his full attention towards her. "Why the third degree?" she asked, her voice tinged with a hint of frustration.

    "Just making conversation," Cole defended himself, his piercing blue eyes locked onto her with an intensity that made her shift uncomfortably. "Please," he whispered, a plea hidden within his words.

    Her brown eye filled with a tinge of sadness as she diverted her gaze to the floor. They both knew that the answer she was about to give wasn't what Cole wanted to hear.

    "QB," She whispered, barely audible.

     Cole heard her, his jaw clenched tightly as he watched her carefully. A mixture of worry and perhaps even guilt filled her body. Instinctively, she reached out for him, her hand grasping his forearm in an attempt to offer comfort. But instead, it seemed to push Cole over the edge. He brushed her off and abruptly left the room, ignoring her desperate calls after him.

     One of the harsh realities of life was that it moved forward, even when you were left behind, desperately trying to mend what was broken. The world kept spinning, indifferent to your struggles and pain, as if you were no longer a part of its orbit.

&&. NOTE

hi phoebe is me, a master procrastinator. i was too excited about this to edit to oops.

anyway i love her and Isaac.

Jesse will be kinda cool i guess only time will tell (: