Growing Awareness

Daniel had always thought of Sophia as Nathan's little sister.

The one who made pancakes on weekends, helped clean up after parties, and occasionally stared at him like he'd just discovered fire.

But lately?

She was… different.

Not in an obvious way. She wasn't suddenly wearing makeup or flirting or doing anything wildly out of character.

No — it was subtler than that.

She asked smarter questions during tutoring.

She challenged his answers more often.

She still blushed every time he said her name, but she didn't look away anymore.

And Daniel couldn't decide if that was a good thing or a dangerous one.

---

It started with a notebook.

One day, while flipping through her math notes, he noticed something strange.

They weren't just scribbles and doodles like he expected from a high schooler who claimed to "hate numbers."

They were organized.

Color-coded.

Overly neat.

He glanced at her over the edge of the page. "Did you… plan this?"

She blinked. "Plan what?"

"This." He waved the notebook at her. "This whole… color-coded war strategy against algebra."

She flushed. "I just wanted to understand better."

He raised an eyebrow. "You're trying really hard."

Her eyes went wide. "I'm not trying too hard!"

He smirked. "Uh-huh."

She bit her lip, fidgeting with the hem of her sleeve. "I just don't want to disappoint you."

The words came out quieter than she probably meant them to.

Daniel paused.

That line — "I don't want to disappoint you" — hit harder than it should have.

He shook his head, handing the notebook back. "You're not."

She smiled — soft, genuine.

And for a second, Daniel forgot how old she was.

Then she sneezed into her elbow like a startled kitten, and the moment passed.

He chuckled. "You okay there, Soph?"

She groaned. "Please stop calling me that."

He grinned. "Why? You hate it?"

"I just…" She hesitated. "I feel like it makes me sound younger than I am."

Daniel tilted his head, studying her.

She was getting older. Taller. More confident. Less likely to duck her head when he walked into a room.

But she was still Sophia.

Nathan's kid sister.

The girl who once drew hearts around his name in permanent marker on the bathroom mirror when they were kids.

Still…

He caught himself watching her more.

Noticing things.

Like how she didn't giggle at his jokes like other girls did — she rolled her eyes instead.

Or how she never asked for help unless she truly needed it.

Or how she stayed quiet sometimes, just to listen to him talk.

He told himself it was nothing.

Just… sibling awareness.

That's all.

Right?

---

Later that week, Lena showed up unannounced and immediately zeroed in on Sophia's expression.

"You've been staring at him again," Lena accused, flopping down on Sophia's bed.

Sophia stiffened. "I have not."

Lena narrowed her eyes. "You're doing it right now."

Sophia whipped her head toward the living room window — where Daniel was mowing the lawn shirtless.

She yelped and dove behind the curtain.

Lena burst out laughing. "Oh my god, you are so gone."

"I am not!" Sophia whispered fiercely. "I'm just… observing."

"Observing?" Lena repeated. "Are you writing a thesis on him?"

"No," Sophia muttered. "I'm just trying to be better. Smarter. Someone he'd actually notice."

Lena gave her a long look. "You do realize he *has* noticed, right?"

Sophia blinked. "What?"

"He notices stuff," Lena said. "Like how you've changed. How you try harder. How you don't act the same around him."

Sophia frowned. "But he still calls me 'Soph.'"

"So?" Lena shrugged. "Maybe he likes saying your name."

Sophia turned red instantly.

"Stop that," she hissed.

Lena grinned. "You're already imagining him saying it in a sexy voice, aren't you?"

Sophia buried her face in a pillow and screamed into it.

---

Back downstairs, Daniel was still outside mowing the lawn.

Nathan dropped beside him, wiping sweat off his forehead. "Hey, man. You noticing something weird with Soph lately?"

Daniel paused the mower. "Weird how?"

"She's acting… different." Nathan squinted. "More focused. Less shy. Like she's trying to impress someone."

Daniel raised an eyebrow. "You think she has a crush?"

Nathan laughed. "On who? You?"

Daniel rolled his eyes. "Shut up."

But as he looked up at the window — where he could swear he saw a curtain move — he felt a strange tug in his chest.

She had been different.

More mature.

More present.

And yet…

To him?

She was still just Sophia.

Even if, lately, that word meant something a little heavier in his mind.