“I still don’t understand why I have to cut my legs off.” I said and resisted the urge to yawn.

“Not legs, leg.” Jake corrected me.

“Oh, sorry.” I rolled my eyes. “I still don’t see why I have to cut my leg off.”

“You are starving on an island and you have to pick between eating a leg or an arm.”

“Which arm?”

He chewed the side of his lip. “I don’t know, Lizzie. Your right.”

I smiled. “Defiantly my arm.”

Jake’s face twisted in confusion then he remembered. “Oh, right. You’re left handed.”

I nodded. “What about you, legs or arms?”

“Legs, because I have a mean hop.” Jake said with a big grin. He had huge dimples that made him look six instead of sixteen. He had light hair. His blue eyes seemed to sparkle if you watched them long enough.

“I was not informed that a hop could be mean.”

“Then you haven’t seen me hop.” We were sitting in his tree house in his backyard. There use to be a sign that said “Boys only” but was removed years ago when his mom had a daughter.

“Thank god I haven’t.”

“Want to see me hop?”

I raised an eyebrow, “You are going to hop around in a tree house made for nine years old?”

He wiggled his own eye brows. “Why not?”

“Because I like my eyes.”

“Then treat your eyes to a little of this.” He gestured to himself. He stood up and started “jerking”.

“I thought you were going to hop not jerk. Besides, no one jerks anymore.”

Jake smiled. “Lizzie, Lizzie, Lizzie, everyone jerks, just not in front of other people. The thing is Lizzie, I am a man, so I am not embarrassed to jerk.”

I worked up my toothiest grin. “You should be.”

Jake took a step towards me. He opened his mouth to say something, but a huge creaking noise came from under him. The tree house seemed to just fall apart around us.

We fell to the ground and I didn’t have enough time to scream. I knew I broke a bone when I hit the ground.

“Lizzie!” I heard Jake call out for me.

I moaned and tried not to move my sure to be broken arm. I was under some wood and was having a hard time breathing.

“Jake?” I heard Jake’s mother call from somewhere.

“Mom, I can’t find Lizzie!” Jake yelled.

I tried to sit up to get myself out of the mess and I let out a scream. I had broken more than my arm. “Jake!” I yelled.

The wood over me moved away and sunlight fell over me. Jake was leaning over me with his mom hovering over him.

Moaning again, I was aware sharply of a broken rib. “You’re okay.” Jake’s voice was filled with relief.

“I’m calling an ambulance.” Jake’s mom said. She sounded hysterical. “Jake are you okay.”

“I’m fine mom!” Jake said.

I felt hot tears running down my face. The ambulance came in a few minutes and they lifted me onto a stretcher. I saw curious neighbors watching as they carried me away.

“I don’t need your help!” Jake yelled at a paramedic.

The next thing I knew Jake was in a stretcher with a neck brace on and I realized that I was wearing one too.

We got to the hospital and I fell unconscious. I woke up to see Jake in a corner of the room looking out of place.

I sat up and saw a huge cast around my arm. I was stiff all over. “Oh!”

Jake looked over a smiled at me. “You’re awake!” He said and walked over.

“I… yeah. How long have I been out?” I asked feeling well rested.

Jake shifted slightly. “Only a couple days.”

“What?” I felt my eyes widen. “Where are my parents?”

“They went down to get something to eat.” Jake explained.

I shifted in the hospital gown. “You know I can sue you for your tree house collapsing on me.” I teased.

He frowned. “You’re not the first to tell me.”

“My parents?” I asked surprised.

Jake nodded, “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. Gravity just sucks sometimes.” I said.

He looked down at me and I adjusted the bed so I was sitting up. “Not about that. Right before the tree house fell apart, I was going to,” He hesitated then cleared his throat. “do this.”

He moved quickly so his face was in front of mine then his lips pressed against mine.

After a moment he pulled away.

“Ouch.” I breathed.

He grimaced. “Sorry.”

I smiled at him. “About time you man-ed up and kissed me.” I said.

“All it took was for you to go into a coma for a couple days after an accident at my house.”

My parents then rushed into my room and got attacked with hugs.

“Oh, thank god. We thought we lost you.” I heard my mom whisper in my ear as she hugged me.

Jake slithered back to the corner and I caught his eyes between the transition of my mom’s hug switching to my dad’s hug.