° Jessa °
December came in like the cold breezes that accompanied it, quickly and swiftly.
Christmas break would commence a week prior, but until then the weekend trip to the mountains came sooner than thought of.
The girls and I had spent our entire night before the bus ride there packing everything and anything we'd need. Ranging from the cutest beanies we could find to yo-yo string in case we lost our shoelaces.
While in the process of stuffing various articles of clothing in our bags, a knock on the door took all of our attentions away from the subject.
"Jessa's getting it" Juliet said, making me widen my eyes.
"Why me?" I asked.
"Because you're the only one who's finished packing" she snickered, and I playfully narrowed my eyes before making way to the front door.
I pushed my hair behind my ear as I opened the door, my shoulders dropping at the sight of who it was, "What are you doing here?" I asked my brother, "Don't tell me you moved out"
Eliot pursed his lips, and shook his head, "Nope, didn't move out" he said to me, "One question though, why the hell did you give mom my permission slip for your school trip to the damn mountains?"
I furrowed my eyebrows, "I never registered your name for a slip, Eliot" I assured him.
"Well, mom sent in two slips for you and I" he told me, "She said that this could 'get my mind off things'" he rolled his eyes.
I was left confused, until I realized that she had wanted me to send her a copy of the permission slip. As I explained it to my brother, he rolled his eyes even more harshly before letting himself in.
"I can't believe this" he said to me, "I was meant to hang out with my actual friends this weekend, now I'm stuck babysitting my little sister"
I looked at him in offense, "Hey, I didn't want this either" I said to him, "I don't want you there as much as you don't want to be there"
Eliot lit up, looking to me with a small smirk, "Well then, now I want to go" he snickered, receding into the hallway, "I'm sleeping in your room tonight" he called before closing the door.
Ω ∆ Ω
Our entire class waited outside for our bus to come. Juliet and Violet sat on the floor with their bags, while the rest of us all stood up in look out for the bus. When it finally came, our entire school was practically already at the campground.
"This is starting to get ridiculous, I'm going to go see what's the hold up" Alicia said, heading toward the front gate of the school along with Michael.
I looked over to my brother, snickering at his posture, "Try to act a little bit more excited" I told Eliot, seeing him with his arms crossed, and a scowl firmly placed on his face.
"I prefer not to live within an abundance of lies, Jessa" he said to me, adjusting the strap of his backpack over his shoulder.
I looked at him strangely, shaking my head, and turning to Violet on the floor.
"Are Ashton and Lydia going?" I asked her.
"The entire school is going" Violet sighed, crossing her legs as she sat on the ground.
"As long as we don't see them everywhere" Juliet said, "I don't know how many more times I can hear Lydia's laugh"
"I get it, but she's overall really nice, and —urgh!" Violet exclaimed in frustration, "My crush's girlfriend is a sweetheart"
"I don't know" I stated, "She seems a bit off to me"
"You're just offended about the fact that she commented on Luke" Juliet snickered, "Jess, as close of a friend that he is, you can't doubt that Luke has a past that he hasn't entirely told us—does that define him now? Of course not"
I sighed, thinking over her statement, "I guess so" I mumbled, seeing the bus come down the street, and our chaperone running in circles to gather us together.
"I have no clue where this stupid bus is" Alicia groaned as she looked down at her phone to look up the bus schedule.
"It's right in front of you" I laughed, grabbing my bag, and making way to the bus entrance.
As we sat in our seats—Violet, Eliot, and I sat in the seats in front of Alicia, Michael, and Juliet—I looked around, and noticed that we knew barely anyone within our Freshman class besides ourselves, and a small handful of people.
"We need more friends our own age" I sighed.
"And I need an A+ on my next History exam" Michael snickered, looking between Juliet and Alicia as if they were to laugh along.
Around halfway through the small road trip, Alicia and Michael's small murmurings were heard over the skidding tires, and yelling students.
Juliet slowly leaned forward, placing her head between Violet and I.
"Could one of you switch with me?" she asked in a whisper.
Violet, noticing her situation, quickly nodded, standing from her window seat to switch with Juliet.
The rest of the ride was silent, with Eliot snoring away on my shoulder, and Juliet listening to her music as she blankly stared out the window.
I looked down at my phone, what seemed like decades were only hours passing—and I sighed, beginning to feel impatient.
Eventually the bus ride ended, and I had to practically pry Eliot away from me—he was always a heavy sleeper—to allow myself to get up. Though the moment I stepped off the bus, my arm was pulled aside, and led to the secluded part of the bus where no one stood. My lips were heavily pressed upon, and my back met the side of the large vehicle as soft hands roamed to my waist.
"You're aggressive" I laughed when he pulled away.
"I've never kissed you outside of the city before" Luke explained breathlessly, beginning to lean down to kiss me again, and I muttered a small, playful 'stop'.
"Fuck it's cold" my brother's obnoxiously familiar voice spoke up as he popped out from behind the bus, making Luke and I quickly tear away from each other, "I'm surprised there's not any snow"
"Snow comes down during the night" Luke explained to him before greeting him with a small shake of the hand, "Indoor pool's open though"
"You mean my new home?" Eliot asked, placing his ridiculously unnecessary sunglasses over his eyes before walking away.
"He got someone pregnant?" Luke asked jokingly as he pointed a finger to Eliot's direction.
I snickered, pecking Luke's cheek, "I should find my cabin" I told him, grabbing my backpack off the floor.
"There's no need, I found it hours ago when my class got here" he told me, grabbing my second bag, "You're about to have the weekend of your life" he said, wrapping an arm around me before leading me the way to my cabin.
"So I've got a question" I told him as we took a hiking path through the resort.
Luke hummed, waiting for me to continue as he looked at the various trees and bushes we passed.
"What's up with you and Lydia?" I asked him, and his arm loosened around my shoulders as he turned to look at me.
"That's not important" he said, letting go of me before he paced faster in front of me.
I sighed, chasing after him on the trail we walked on, "What happened?" I asked him, "She acts like you're a criminal, or something" I said to him.
"I really don't want to talk about this" Luke said to me in the calmest tone he could possibly manage.
"Why not though?" I asked him in desperation, "Did you do something to her—"
"I did nothing to that crazy bitch" he quickly turned to me, his tone of voice becoming dark as he looked down at me.
Luke cleared his throat, apologizing for his small outburst before taking a step toward me, and place his hands on my arms, "Her and I are in the past" he simply said to me.
"So you're not going to tell me?" I asked him, "I'd like to know why she dislikes you so much"
Luke huffed a small chuckle, "Trust me Jess, I would too" he said to me, "But I'm not talking about it"
"Why not?" I asked one last time, seeing him sigh heavily.
"Because she rejected me" he told me, "Well, not technically but—never mind" he exhaled, beginning to walk again.
"I'm listening" I called after him, crossing my arms to indicate I wasn't going to go anywhere until he opened up.
Luke sighed yet again, walking back to me, and scratching the back of his neck, "I met her when she was a Freshman and I was a Sophomore, she seemed pretty cool at the time so I invited her to my place. We—you know—and after we were done, I asked if she'd like to see me again, and she said no. Next thing I know, I come to school the next day, and everyone's calling me a self-centered, horny, asshole douchebag; and I had no clue why. One of Lydia's friends came up to me, and called me quite the amount of provocative words, and I was very confused. So I went up to her, and asked what was going on—and before you know it I was struck on the cheek" he said, tapping his left cheek, "Lydia slapped me, and began yelling about using her, and being a player—and I was beyond confused at this point. Turns out she spread rumors about me saying that I hit it and quit it. Why? I have not the slightest clue, I guess she just hates me that much"
"She's got to have some type of motive though" I said to him in confusion and shock.
I had known something was off about her.
Luke shrugged, "You know, if I knew I'd tell you" he said to me, "Anyway, after that I figured I might as well should follow the persona the school's set for me. Y'know, kill her with what she created. So I made myself the self-centered, horny, asshole douchebag, and began seeing all these different girls. But then people started attacking the idea that since Lydia was younger than I was that that's all that interested me, even though it's just a one-year difference. So I ventured to just girls my own grade, and that went into Junior year—now. Until I met you" Luke managed a small smile, "That's why I'm so protective over what I have with you"
"If you would've just told me that, I would've been less stubborn with the idea" I told him.
"Well, it's not really something you first tell someone" Luke snickered.
"I would've understood" I assured him.
"Yeah, I know that now" he said warmly.
Ω ∆ Ω
Violet, Alicia, Juliet, and I all lied back in the pool chairs of the indoor pool, the building's heaters keeping us at just the right amount of comfort in our bathing suits.
I sat up, looking at the people in front of us in the pool, "Not quite like the beach" I said to my friends as I analyzed the slippery floors, "But not quite the public pool either"
"I love living in a world a grey between black and white" Violet breathed out in relaxation, "What a great way to remember my last moments in America"
"What?!" Alicia, Juliet, and I all exclaimed simultaneously.
Violet sighed, sitting up to begin to speak, "I'm not leaving forever, I'll just be going to England for five days"
"Which days exactly?" Juliet asked her.
"January tenth to January fifteenth" Violet answered hesitantly, and we all groaned.
"No! My French buddy's going to be gone for an entire school week" Alicia exclaimed, "Who's going to help me differentiate to, two, and too?"
"Trust me, I'm just as bothered as you guys are" Violet exhaled, "We haven't been to the U.K. in years, I don't even remember what the place looks like"
"At least you'll be around blokes that'll speak the same way you do, right chap" I snickered while being swatted by Violet.
"I suppose" Violet breathed out, lying back down, "As long as my parents don't expect me to enjoy it"
I managed a small smile, lying back down as well until my name was softly called by someone stood right next to me.
I looked up, seeing Calum's tall figure hover over me in the pool chair.
I greeted him with a small smile, wondering why I hadn't seen him more often.
"So I spoke to Ms. Potter about enrolling you into the music program–" he told me, squatting down next to me, "–and she said that you couldn't join this semester but you can audition next semester to get in"
I beamed in excitement, a small chant escaping my lips when I wrapped my arms around Calum's wet shoulders, "This is great!" I exclaimed, looking to my friends, and seeing their excitement, "Thank you so much" I told Calum.
"Of course" he shrugged, "In fact, I have a small gig tonight for our two-man-band"
My features dropped as I looked at him in worry, "You what?" I muttered.
Calum chuckled, grabbing my hand in comfort, "You'll be fine, Jessa. It's tomorrow night at some old saloon on the campground that isn't even considered a saloon anymore. Most of the student body will be there, it's great practice for you" he assured me.
I swallowed my nerves, and managed a nod and a smile.
° Luke °
"Go talk to her" I was heavily nudged on the shoulder, "You've been staring at her all day" Kyle said to me as he opened a can of soda, and sat at his pool chair with his towel draped over his shoulders.
"Who?" I asked him with furrowed eyebrows, sitting on the pool chair next to his.
"The girl you used to tutor" he told me, "The Freshman"
"Jessa? No—no, she's just my friend" I told him with a small hidden smirk, "I don't like her like that at all"
"That small section in your shorts is telling me otherwise" Kyle snickered as he brought this soda can to his lips, and I slapped the back of his head.
"She's a Freshman" I told him, bringing my hands to my hips.
"What? A Freshman's not enough for Luke Hemmings's taste in women?" Kyle asked me in a playfully threatening tone, "If you won't bang her, I will" he snickered.
"Shut the fuck up, dude" I said to him, rolling my eyes as I went to grab my own soda from the ice chest, pushing my wet hair from the swimming away from my eyes, it being so foreign since my hair's always up and away from my face.
"Luke" my name was called, and I looked up to see Jessa's brother stood behind the ice chest, leaning down after me to grab a drink.
I greeted him with a small smile, "What's going on?" I asked him, opening the can in my hand.
"Nothing much, just stuck here without my friends, and looking over my little sister" he said, and I looked at Jessa while he said so with a nod.
Eliot noticed this, clearing his throat to grab my attention, "Speaking of my sister, you two are pretty close, right?"
I nodded, "I'd say that, yeah" I told him, "Your sister's really great"
"I'm sure she is" Eliot gave me a half smile, before taking a step forward, "Listen–" he began in a threatening tone, "–I'm very protective of my sister"
I smiled awkwardly, taking a step away from him since he was so close to me, "That's—amazing" I said to him with a nervous laugh, "I don't have any siblings, though you two sure make me wish I did"
I began my way back to my friends, until Eliot called out something that made me turn back all so quickly.
"I saw what happened behind the bus" he called, and I turned to him in panic.
"What do you mean?" I asked in attempts to deny what he was to say as I walked back to him.
"Look, all I've noticed is that you've been staring at Jessa the entire time we've been here, you tried to kiss her behind that bus. What I'm asking you is to just back it off a little" Eliot said to me, and I couldn't help but chuckle.
"Eliot, you've got it all wrong" I tried to explain to him.
"I get it if you like her, or you think she's cute—but you're older, and no offense dude but I kind of don't trust you" he said in an unintentional comedic tone.
I uttered a chuckle, "None taken, I actually don't blame you for being worried" I told him, placing down my drink, "But like I said, you've got it all wrong"
"Really? And how's that?" Eliot asked me with crossed arms.
"I'm not try to 'get at' your sister" I said to him, "Her and I are already stably together"
Eliot looked at me with furrowed eyebrows, "Is that how you fulfill your fantasies?" he asked me with a concerned look.
"What? No, I'm being serious" I said to him with a straight face.
Eliot shook his head, "Jessa would've told me if she had a boyfriend. That or she would've told her friends, who I'd force to tell me"
I sighed, trying to find a way to explain what Jessa and I were to him, "Nobody knows about us" I told him, "Not her friends, not my friends"
Eliot let out a breath of laughter, "This is ridiculous, why can't you just admit you're trying to flirt with my sister?"
"Because I'm not 'trying to flirt with her', I'm straight up just flirting with her" I said to him in frustration, "She's my girlfriend"
Eliot snickered, beginning his way back to Jessa as if to tell her about her friend who was so desperate to go out with her until I grasped onto his arm, "Her favorite color is light blue—your dad used to sing to you guys—hell you had a pet turtle named Bunny when you two were kids" I tried to convince him, "I gave her that diamond bracelet around her wrist for her birthday" I said, though Eliot still didn't look convinced.
I exhaled heavily, running my hand through my hair as I attempted to think of what to tell him, and my eyes lit up when I remembered when she'd been changing in my room.
"She has a birthmark" I said to him, "On the back of her right upper thigh, it's practically right on her bum cheek" I said, motioning to my own body as to where her birthmark was, "How else would I know that? I swear I'm not a player trying to get with your little sister"
Eliot looked between where Jessa was and I, "Only our family knows about that" he told me, "Wha—"
I simply just shrugged, raising my eyebrows as Eliot paced in realization.
Ω ∆ Ω
I walked through the hiking trail in pitch black darkness with my only light being from the small flashlight on my phone as snowflakes began to fall to the ground.
I had memorized the trail to Jessa's cabin specifically for this reason, and when I saw the glowing lights from the girls cabins, relief came over me since walking in the cold was absolute hell.
Going to the window I remembered setting Jessa's things in, I began to look through the foggy glass with my palms hovered over my eyes.
I slowly tapped on the window, seeing the lights quickly come on, and Jessa look at me in surprise.
Giving her a small smile, I motioned for her to open the window which she quickly did.
"It's so fucking cold" I muttered to her in a shiver.
"Then what are you doing out after curfew?" she asked me with a laugh.
I playfully narrowed my eyes at her, "Sorry for trying to make a romantic gesture" I said to her jokingly.
She giggled, leaning down to kiss me more passionately than I had expected. Her warm tongue moving so swiftly against my cold lips as I jumped through her window, and into her room.
"It is officially the ninth of December" I told her as I looked at the lock on my phone indicating it was midnight, and she looked at me in confusion.
"Indeed it is" she laughed, "May I ask why I had to be assured of the date?"
"Because, three months ago today was the first time I made out with you on my bed" I told her with a smirk.
"Wow, you're such a charmer" Jessa told me in joking sarcasm.
"I know, and I figured we should celebrate" I said to her, "By making out on your bed" I told her, and she began to laugh as I pressed my lips against her. Feeling her smile against mine.
° Juliet °
I sat on the couch of the cabin, the dark room being lit by a small candle I had lit on the coffee table.
"Yeah, that's right. Hollywood, correct" I said into the phone against my ear as I gave the address of my school so my mail could be forwarded, "Thank you so much" I whispered, hanging up the phone.
I leaned forward, about to blow out the candle until I heard a series of footsteps from the hallway.
Confused, I looked to the source—seeing a rather tall figure descend from the shadows of the corridor. My shoulders dropped, seeing Michael come out fully clothed with his jacket in his hands.
"You should be asleep" he whispered, looking at the ticking clock on the wall, "It's after midnight"
I sighed, rubbing my face from the stress, "I could say the same for you" I told her him, "Let's agree not to tell each other why we're up at this hour—and why you're even here when you're not supposed to be" I told him, even though it completely obvious why he was here since his shirt hung over his shoulder and the zipper on his jeans was unzipped—and it hurt.
Michael agreed, sitting next to me on the couch which I had not expected since I thought he'd just leave.
I wanted to ask him how. How could he had been able to love Alicia while kissing me? How was he able to touch her, feel her, without being haunted of the memories with me? How?
But I didn't say I word, instead I just looked at him blankly. Stared at how the shadows of his features fell so beautifully upon his pale skin.
"I'm considering what to get Alicia for Christmas" he finally spoke up, making my chest even tighter than it was before.
I swallowed, "She has a new obsession with her birthstone" I said to him, "Peridots"
Michael nodded, muttering a small 'yeah' before looking down. (gif)
"Now I'm just considering what to get you" he told me.
I pursed my lips, and didn't say anything.
_________________________
gif on le top ^^^
5sos song of le chapter:
Long Way Home (Acoustic) bc it makes such a difference from the original version two chapters ago !!1!1!!!1