Hayley registered the confusion on his face and in his voice as she clung to him. He clearly remembered her, but he also clearly had no idea what was going on and why she was freaking out. A chill ran down her spine as he hugged her, a tension the girl had been carrying for months fading away with the feel of her friend and the knowledge that he was here again.

"You were gone," she replied finally, not moving away from him. She pressed her cheek against his chest, shifting slightly to fill the space along his neck and beneath his chin. "I haven't seen you for months. You or Bart or Mark.."

With a soft smile, her tone shifted from wistful to teasing. "You better have a good reason for not coming to see me."