"This is going to be AWESOME!" Jason is screaming all over the house as Dad and I roll our eyes, ready to splash our hot drinks on him to stop hurting our ears.
"Boys, shut up. You're going to kill your poor parents if you continue like this, besides I could forbid you to go on the trip too," mum says, making them calm down a bit.
She came to say goodbye to us, even if we only leave a few days including the ride, it's a ritual, we get all together before we leave them, just in case something happens. This is great, but a little silly since anything can happen every day and not just on those types of little trips, but whatever. I love it when we're almost altogether, like old times.
After our breakfast, cooked by mom, she helps us all with our things and embraces us like we are leaving her forever. Dad is laughing behind, but I know he's the same, he hugs me pretty tight and he crushes the boy in a wild tackle, like they always do, making mum and I laugh, especially when Diego pleads for our help.
"Goodbye guys, we love you. Stay safe, and most importantly, protect yourself!" We all grunt at that and they both laugh.
"If anything happens to any of you, kill the bastard." Mom slaps dad on the chest for it, but we all give him a thumbs up, especially Noah since he's supposed to be the oldest, therefore the most responsible.
"Don't worry dad, I got the situation under control," DD exclaims as we all laugh, knowing that this is far from true and that we are probably in better hands on our own than under his watch.
"I'm sure you do, son, I believe in you." Mom and dad smile as Jason pats him on the shoulder, making him look at us confused.
"Why do I have the feeling that you are all mocking me right now?" We all laugh, then wave goodbye and head off to go to James' place, where we all planned to meet.
"Hello, Domínguez!" Everyone greets us, of course, we are the last as always. I mean it's hard to be on time, especially when there are four of us and when our parents don't seem to want to let us go.
We all try to organize our luggage in the cars. Peter, Noah, Jared, and Eliot are the drivers. It takes time for everyone to be happy with the way they are sitting and who they are with. For me it's pretty easy, I obviously go in Eliot's car with Levi and Angela. Diego, Arthur, Pablo, a friend of Diego who is also part of the football team, and James, are with Noah. Mia is with Peter, Camila, and Nina while Jason, Marco, and Elias are with Jared.
I mean, that was what was supposed to happen, but Maureen's car had a problem, so the three mean girls are now supposed to come with us, and obviously, they won't be coming in my car, even though it's one of the few that still has room.
Why they are here is simple: Mackenzie is Jared's cousin, and the other two are Mackenzie's puppies. End of the story.
So right now we're waiting for the others to solve the problem, as Levi and I listen to music together, while Eliot and Angela give each other loving eyes and talk about everything.
"Hey, guys. Looks like you're stuck with me for the rest of the trip." Elias opens the door and gets into the car, while Levi waves me out because he wants to change places and go to the window, which causes me to find myself stuck between these two boys.
"Where are the bland girls?" I ask as everyone chuckles.
"Maureen and Lana are in Jared's car and Mackenzie is in Peter's car. Poor Jay, he's going to want to kill himself before the trip is over." We laugh about it, then we all get ready for this 6-hours trip.
We talk about everything, sometimes I just listen to Elias and Eliot talk about sports, or Angela and Eliot talk, more like her talking and him trying to fit a word into her monologue. Other times I just listen to music and watch Levi sleep. I'm not ready to sleep in front of all these people so I'm just going to sit here and try not to close my eyes.
It's almost time for us to take a break to eat, but something falls on my shoulder, more like there's a huge head on me. I'm not going to move because I'm nice, but it would be good for him not to drool over me.
After a while, we finally stop and have to go out to order our lunch. We chose to eat outside because it's sunny and it's not too cold today. Everyone goes out, while I'm still debating whether to wake him up or not. It's true that we have to eat but maybe he's really tired.
"Come on pumpkin, wake him up, he can sleep afterward. We still have at least three hours." Jay opens the front door and pokes his head, telling me everyone is waiting outside.
"Elias, wake up." I take his head in my hands and make him open his eyes, he yawns and blinks, looking at me like I was some crazy thing.
"What? Do I have something on my face?" He continues to blink, but sits up properly, still staring at me as I let go of his face.
"Sorry."
"For what? Come on, I'm starving." We are both going out and the guys are making very dramatic signs of exhaustion like they've been waiting for us for ages.
"Finally, I thought you were dead in there," James exclaims as we go to sit next to him.
"Stop playing the drama queen babe, and give me my food. I could eat you whole because I'm starving." He winks at me and hands me our food which Jason ordered for us because he knows us both well.
"I'd gladly let you eat me, baby." He's slapped by both Elias and my twin, while the others laugh. I mean some of them, but not the so-perfect Mackenzie, the queen of us all, who's looking at Elias with both anger and envy.
"Sorry, I'll leave her to you. Don't be so dramatic, she's yours, but you shouldn't slap me like that. And you Jay, you should know that she's bound to be with someone other than you one day." It's my turn to slap him on the head now, as he says weird stuff about me and Elias, this one tries to hide his redness while my twin complains that he is not going to let me go with a pervert like James that's for sure.
After eating and chatting, we all return to our cars and continue the trip. In about three hours, we're all going to have fun, hit the beach, and party the night away. I'm so ready for it all, Jared has definitely given us one of the best opportunities for us to enjoy our time together.
Like the first hours, Levi is asleep, as is Elias who has his head on my shoulder again.
I start to let my thoughts wander as I listen to my music. I think about how I'm supposed to sleep around a lot of people, that they might laugh at me if I have nightmares around them, but I guess I shouldn't stress too much because it will increase the risk of having one.
Anyway, I'll sleep with Diego because he will surely have a crisis too, and it's better if we both stay together. We will lock the door so as not to risk him getting up during the night and injuring himself. As for me, I suppose his presence will help me, I hope at least.
"Are you okay?" Elias whispers to me, removing my headphones to speak to me.
"Huh, yes? Why?" I suddenly notice that my hand is in his, and he's squeezing it.
"You were shaking, are you sure you're okay?" Well, I didn't even register that I had unconsciously taken his hand and was shaking.
Stupid me.
"It's okay, I'm probably tired, that's all." He sits up properly and looks me in the eye.
"So, get some sleep. Here... I'm no longer tired." He makes me position myself a little on him so that I can get some rest.
"I'm not going to sleep."
"Why not, go ahead, you don't bother me." He starts stroking my hair, like this time at my house when Diego had a crisis and I had to stay awake because the guys were sleeping at our house.
I stayed that way, and I guess we both fell asleep since James and Marco are the ones waking us up, screaming and shaking us. Really if I had the strength I would have run after them and strangled them.
"You better hide guys, I'll kill you, assholes!" Elias helps me out of the car and sighs as he stretches out, ready to beat their asses while the two laugh at us.
"I was so good, I'm going to kill them too. I'm so grumpy now."
"Yeah, me too Val, me too." He looks at me with a look I can't decipher and smiles affectionately as I smile a little too, picking up my bags and joining the others to drop our things off and prepare to go to the beach after.
****
"Are we at the beach or the bitch?" Cami whispers as she watches Mackenzie applying sunscreen, making me laugh roughly, and earns me a glare from her.
"Who knows." She laughs with me too and we start to put on the sunscreen too, helping each other.
"Do you want some help, girls?" We all give James the middle finger except Mia, who is now really red knowing we all know she hasn't objected.
The boys are playing soccer, the three mean girls are trying to sunbathe, and Mia, Nina, Celia, Lucy, Cami, and I are getting ready to go swimming. Celia joined us about an hour ago, and I already saw the way the guys looked at her. I'm not jealous, but yeah I guess I kinda am, and yes I don't have any excuse.
"Oh my dear lord, he's even hotter in real life, I couldn't wish for a better view." She almost drools at the sight of Elias only in swim shorts, as the girls nod and laugh, and Mackenzie rolls her eyes.
For once I agree with this one.
"Come on girls, let's go for a swim. And please Lia, stop ogle him, maybe he will join you in the water. Now come on!" The six of us take off our clothes, leaving us only in our bikinis, the guys are whistling as Mia, Celia, and Nina fake a model show, and the rest of us start a battle to be the first in the water.
Not the same priorities I see.
The guys join us soon and start a war and try to drown us. Angela and Eliot who were already in the water join us as well as we start a chicken fight. I'm on Levi's shoulders, while Celia is on his, winking at me as I roll my eyes. They were the first ones we crushed, and after that, we won and crushed almost every other team, until James and Mia decided to play dirty and Mia bit me, knocking me down and causing Levi to fall with me.
Afterward, he chases me, making me laugh like crazy, we play and we fight, moving further and further away from the others. He hugs me and spins me around, then tries to sink me as I struggle. We've been having fun for a long time, just him and me.
He teases me for the fact that Elias slept on me on the way there and that we both fell asleep glued together, his hand in my hair. I try to catch him for revenge, but obviously, I find myself with my head underwater.
We continue to fight a little longer, then we end up going back with the others. Celia and Elias are no longer there. When I ask her where she is, Cami tells me that Elias decided to get out of the water shortly after Levi and I got away from the group, and Celia decided to follow him. Afterward, nobody paid attention to them since they were having fun in the water.
When I look up at the beach, I spot them, a bit far from where Mackenzie's group is, just the two of them, pretty close, talking about something animatedly.
I come out of the water, angry. I don't know why I'm acting like this, it's stupid. Sure, she's beautiful and she has a huge crush on him. It's normal that they could do something on this trip, but that doesn't change the fact that I'm really pissed off and hurt.
I know Levi has followed me, because when I return to my towel, he's next to me, looking at me with his brow furrowed.
"Ava?" I curl up in my towel and start looking for my phone, fuming in anger, rummaging rapidly through my backpack not finding this stupid device, while Levi is still waiting for me.
I also know Elias and Celia are looking at us because I briefly met their eyes, but I immediately looked away. I don't want them to know that they are the reason I'm pissed off.
"Please, leave me alone." He gently takes my wrist, turning me to face him, as my towel falls and I growl in frustration.
"Come on, don't act like that. You know it's stupid."
"Oh, yes I know. Now that we both know that, can you leave me, Levi," I tell him coldly as I bend down to retrieve my towel and leave when he lets go of my wrist.
"Ava?" Oh god, her annoying voice is the last thing I want to hear right now. I know I shouldn't act that way, I am stupid and childish, but I don't want to talk to her right now for sure.
"I'm not in the mood Celia, leave me alone." I leave and start to pull away from everyone, putting on my headphones and starting to listen to some music to calm my nerves.
I hate myself right now, acting like a brat. I'm so pathetic, but sometimes I can't control my emotions, always wanting to hide or control them, I end up exploding and losing all control over them.
"Hey, are you okay? What happened to you?" My brothers come towards me, I listen to the sound of the waves as they splash, seeming free.
It's good for them, they can come and explode everything, and after their passage, everything disappears. They only leave a few traces, which are in turn erased and replaced by new ones. It's a simple principle but complicated at the same time, just like my feelings. They come crashing into me in waves, erasing everything I built to forge a shell, but leave their mark, and when I build new barriers, new feelings come in and destroy everything, as these waves perpetually do.
"Yeah, I just got a little carried away. I needed some time alone, sorry if I ruined the mood." They sit down and Noah puts his arm around my shoulders as I put my head on his shoulder. We just watch the sea for a little while, in silence.
"Celia thinks you're mad at her, she's been pretty quiet for a while now, you should talk to her."
"Ok, I will."
"Come on, let's get something to eat and party the night away! You need it," Noah says as he helps me up.
"You mean, we all need it. I'm definitely going to be wasted tonight!" Diego exclaims, wrapping his arm around my shoulder, Noah ruffling his hair.
"I thought you had the situation under control and you were supposed to take care of us? I mean that's what you told dad this morning," Jason says playfully, as they start to fight and we laugh, walking back to others who are waiting for us. We join them, take our things and start going back to the house to shower and eat.
Levi comes over to me as I smile shyly, knowing that I had been acting like a douche to him. "So, you've calmed down? Can I approach you or will you hit me?" He whispers as I pull my brother's sweatshirt over my now dry bikini.
"Sorry, I'm such a stupid girl." He smiles at me and rolls his eyes.
"Peu importe, allez ramène-toi." He puts his arm around my shoulders and I snuggle up to him a bit.
I'm lucky he's such a wonderful friend and knows when I don't really act like myself and he shouldn't take my words for real.
I need to have fun and stop thinking too much.