Summer (end of school):
"SUMMER TIME!!" I yell hugging Lila as soon as I see her at the airport.
"I know!!" She hugs me back. "God I'm so happy to see you."
"Me too" we finally pull away.
"Can we just at least start walking out of here?" Mason asks.
"Shut up" we say in unison and laugh. "So...hows everything. Are you good?"
"Yeah. Pretty good. We're gonna have way too much fun" she squeals. We start heading out of the busy airport.
"Yes obviously, I heard they're having a bonfire tonight Luke was telling Mason. We should go" I said.
"Definitely" she nods. We get to the car I sit up front with her and we talk about random stuff the whole drive home.
~
I walk into the house and my moms at work but it's pretty good to be home for the summer. I put my suitcase to the side. The air conditioning is full blast causing the house to be even a little chilly.
"When does Nathan and Lily get here?" I ask Mason.
"Tomorrow" Mason replies putting his suitcase next to mine.
"Great we get an extra day without him" I joke Lila laughs. I walk to the kitchen ready to feast because I didn't eat today. I open the fridge grabbing a Powerade that was in there. Then I go to the pantry grabbing some cereal. Weird mix. I pour that and they walk in.
"So, when does this thing start?" Lila asks me sitting next to me while I eat my cereal. Sh takes a sip of my Powerade.
"When is it Mas?" I ask him.
"6:30" he replied grabbing a water from the fridge.
"It's already 4:00, we've got 2 hours to get ready come on!!" Lila says.
"Lila, we're going to a bonfire. I'm just gonna put on shorts and top and fill in my eyebrows" I tell her.
"You're right, but still. I need to fix my hair. And don't even lie. I look like trash" she said I laugh.
"We don't need 2 hours" I mutter.
"Just eat your food and shut up" She rolls her eyes jokingly.
"I was trying. But you're interrupting" I mumble with a mouth full of cereal.
"GUESS WHO JUST WALKED INTO THE HOUSE. ALL YOUR GUYS' FAVOURITE PERSON!!!!" The familiar voice of Luke is heard in the family room. "Except you guys are in here?" He mutters. He walks into the kitchen and grins. "It's me!"
"We didn't know wow" Lily says sarcastically. Mason looks at me with a "I told you they'd look good together" look.
"I tried, MASON....MADDISON. My favourite sets of couples" he says. "Where are my hugs?"
"I don't hug remember?" I tell him.
"You hug me, and you're going to" he tells me. I groan as he comes up hugging me.
"Hug Mason" I muttered. "I'm eating."
"Guys don't hug" he tells me and I scoff.
"They do that bro hug thing" Lila and I both say. We nod in agreement with each other. They don't say anything just look at us. "Fine whatever" I mutter.
"You guys are definitely going to the bonfire right?" Luke asks and we all nod. Luke takes my spoon taking a bite out of my cereal and I glare at him. I throw the spoon at him after he gave it back.
"Get me another ass face. Don't eat my food" I tell him he grabs my another spoon.
"I'm surprised I missed you" he says.
"Who wouldn't. Mason missed me when I go to classes" I remark and Lila bursts out laughing.
"Bitchhhhh, TRUE" she laughs out.
I put my bowl into the sink after I'm done and turn to Lila.
"Let's go" I nod upstairs she gets up and we head up to my room. I drag my suitcase up the stairs.
"So! We're gonna look so cute. Seeing al the stupid ass hoes from high school. Aka Georgie cause I heard she went to school somewhere here so...and we need to look like fire" she says.
"Agreed" I nod. I grab my brow pencil filling in my brows. I put on some lip gloss and highlight to look fresh.
I search through my suitcase for some shorts or something summery.
I grab some regular jean shorts with an off the shoulder crop top that wraps around the stomach a bit.
"How's this?" I asked Lila she looks and her jaw drops.
"Bitch yes. You look like a snack" she says and I laugh.
"Thanks" I reply. I kept my hair out.
Lila wore a crop top with a maxi skirt. I put on my converse Lila wore her sandals.
~
We get to the beach and the fire was big and people were piling in.
"Maybe you'll find some hot guy" I nudge Lila.
"I don't know, maybe" he shrugs. It was still light out. But it was getting closer to sunset. In an hour or more. The weather was hot with a small breeze.
"Oh my god! I wouldn't believe it. Is that Mason Carter?" A high pitched. And very familiar voice said. Oh god. We all look up and there Georgie is in all her glory dressed in shorts that are cheeky and a tube top and cake faces with makeup as per usual. She had her hands on her hips and a smirk playing on her lips. I look at Lila.
She pretends to gag noticeably.
"Just literally ignore her" she whispers to me.
"I will until she does something to me" I replied.
"Obviously."
"You and Maddie, still geez. I really never thought you two would make it this far" she shakes her head.
"My foot will make it this far up your ass" I tell her. She laughs.
"You obviously still have no chill. No need to be a Bitch. I didn't do anything" she grins wickedly. I Was ready to smack that smile off her face but mason turns me in an another direction and we walk that way.
"You guys are annoying. And you can't hold me back from pouncing" I sing song annoyed.
"I wasn't doing anything. I was rooting for you" Lila says.
"Yeah Mason. Learn it" I tell him Lila laughs.
"We just got here. You can do it later" he tells me.
Mason and Luke say hi to some friends. Lila and I sit down on the logs that were in front of the fire.
"Maddie. Lila. It feels like forever" a girl from high schools says.
"Yeah, it has" I nod. It was Millie. She's nice. It's actually pretty nice to see the people. Even though I hated that school and half the people in it. It feels like I'm an old bastard.
"Maddie! Lila!" It was one of Nathan's and Mason's old friends. Who played basketball.
"Josh" we said.
"It's great to see you guys" he tells us. "You both look amazing."
"You aren't too bad either. Where'd you go to school?" I asked.
"I went to Stanford" he relied and out jaws dropped. "I know. People didn't know I was smart." He laughs.
"It's not that. We expected to you do like basketball or something" Lila says.
"Not my calling. Where's Nathan. I saw Mason" he asks.
"Nathan's coming tomorrow" we reply.
"Oh cool, do you guys want drinks?" He asks.
"Yeah sure!" Lila butts in. "Both of us" she adds and I give her a look. I never said. He nods going into the cooler someone brought. He hands us beers we thank him.
"Anyways, see you around" he grins and we nod.
"Have fun being smart and what not" I wave him off he laughs and leaves. "Stanford" I turn to Lila shook.
"Yeah. Who knew right?" She asks.
"I am totally shook" we said in unison and laugh.
~
Later through the night I was socializing with people. I didn't really drink. I had one but that's all. I see Mason look away after talking to someone. I sit next to him.
"Hey! How are you?" I asked.
"I'm alright" he shrugs.
"Missing Nathan?" I joke nudging him he laughs a bit.
"Sure" he nods.
"What's wrong?" I asked.
"Nothing really. I'm just tired. From the flight and all...3 hour difference" he said.
"Right" I nod. "We can head back if you want."
"No. I'm fine" he shakes his head. I lean my head on his shoulder. It was dark out now. The weather was pretty nice. Perfect with the fire.
"Maddie are you trying to make me jealous what are you wearing aren't you cold?" He asks.
"Didn't you see before?" I asked.
"I did. I just didn't fully take it in and now I just wanna kill anyone who looked at you in a way" he says I laugh rolling my eyes.
"Whatever" I mutter.
"You look like extremely hot, but it's like. I'll get a boner and worry that guys are looking at you getting one too" he states and I laughed pushing him he grins.
"Get over it. And I was wondering why you haven't said anything to me" I replied.
"You know me too well" he mumbles.
"Well...what can I say you've been around me for too long" I said and he scoffs.
"Yeah...right" he says.
"How cold do you think the water is right now?" I asked.
"Um...well depends. I don't know why?" He asks.
"It shouldn't be too cold it's summer. I'm Santa Monica" I state.
"You are t going swimming" he exclaims.
"Well I kind of want to" I replied.
"You don't have a bathing suit or a towel" he tells me.
"Coming from Mason fricken Carter, where is the real you?" I asked.
"Yeah you're right. Can we skinny dip?" He asks.
"Ok that's a no because people are around" I tell him.
"Well if we go more down the beach..." he says slowly.
"Shut up" I roll my eyes. "If we do this we're just swimming" I replied.
"Do you want to?" He asked.
"Yeah I mean. Who doesn't like night swimming" I shrug. "But is it cold?"
"Go check" he laughs.
"You go check" I said back.
"You're the one wanting to do this Maddie. It's only fair if you check" he states. I roll my eyes. I get up starting to walk towards the water. It was pretty far away from the bonfire.
When I get to it. I push my foot out towards the water to test it. I took my shoes off earlier.
That's when I'm being picked up and thrown into the water. I quickly hold my breath.
And then I'm under. I swim back up the water causing my body to shiver and have goosebumps.
"MASON!" I yell when I see him standing there laughing.
"You said you wanted to swim" he laughs out. I glare at him.
"You cannot do that. I'm in all my clothes" I groan.
"What were you planning on swimming in?" He asks.
"My underwear and bra" I replied. "You don't have the right to talk to me."
"Want me to join?" He asked.
"Not really. After you pulled this" I mutter.
"Oh cmon. Calm down. I've done worse" he says.
"It's also cold. So what I was doing. Thanks for the clarification" I said. I cross my arms. The shirt feels all. Weird. So I peel it off of my body. I throw it onto the land.
"You're welcome" he says and I can see he's trying not to laugh.
"You aren't fun" I said. I take my pants off under the water. I throw them by my shirt.
"You look hot" he said.
"I'm still mad, so you can't sweet talk me" I remark.
"What if I told you we can get McDonald's after we leave" he suggests sitting down on the sand.
"I'll take the offer, but I'm still annoyed" I said.
"What do I have to do?" He asks. He places his hands onto his knees.
"I don't know. Next time don't throw me into the water" I said.
"You can't possibly be this mad over that" he says. I really wasn't that angry anymore. But you know me. Being extra and all that shit.
"Yeah, I'm not that mad any more. It's still annoying" I said.
"Do you still want me to join you? Because I'm not sure I want to get wet" he said and my jaw drops.
"Mason. You better get into the water. You psycho you told me you would" I exclaim.
"Fine; Fine" he waves me off.
"You're crazy" I tell him. He takes his shirt off.
"In which aspect?" He asks.
"Everyone ass face" I tell him. He pulls down his pants only in his briefs. He quickly gets into the water beside me.
"It's kinda cold...well not exactly warm" he said.
"Wow I didn't know. Because you didn't throw me in here" I said sarcastically he rolls his eyes laughing. He grabs my hand pulling me against him.
"I know you really aren't that annoyed with me Maddie. You wanted to swim anyways" he states. I wasn't but still.
"Yeah. But I was testing to make sure" I replied.
"Well there you go" he chuckles. I roll my eyes. He leans down kissing me. Today was a pretty great day actually. Being back home was pretty great.
**************************
A/N
Sorry again another skip in time. But I'm sadly finishing the book soon and kinda needed to. So yeah. BUT! There is a lot to come. Good times. Drama and all that shit. Ya know. I'm pretty extra with my books. In the mean while. Go check out my other books also. Probably not as good. I was still young and all. Xoxo.
-Jana🤙🏽